We had the question on Thursday: Who closed out Woodstock, after the vast majority of the crowd had already left? Of course, everybody claimed that they stayed after his performance was deemed one of the most legendary in rock ‘n’ roll history. Though I thought it was a brilliant song to play at the event, I’m not a huge fan of his Star Spangled Banner (too noisy for me). But I am a big fan of Red House, heard above. Here’s a bit of history on Jimi’s closeout performance, which occurred on this date in 1969.
A number of factors conspired against Hendrix: poor logistical planning, crappy weather, oversized crowds—not to mention an unpolished pickup band playing backup. Hendrix’s set—the final one of the three-day weekend festival—was supposed to start at 3 a.m., but didn’t get rolling until 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, 1969. By then, most of the Woodstock Nation had to get home. The weekend was over. But those who stuck around were treated to a truly special morning—breakfast with Jimi, so to speak. Not that he was treated as anything special. As he began to play, people on the periphery of the amphitheater started to clean up behind a thinned-out crowd.