Woodstock Co-Producer Michael Lang Dead at 77

[VFilms]

Definitely a magic moment in time for me! 18 and just out of high school. Wanted to go and had the means, a 63 plymouth at the time, but couldn't find anyone who wanted to go! Afterwards, seeing all the traffic jams, thought maybe it was for the better. Really wanted the brown acid though! After time in the US Army a few friends and myself had our o\wn woodstock type gathering. We camped like a bunch of hippies for most of that summer of '75. Better times for sure! ruffcut

@ruffcut The Brown Acid story is an interesting one. Lighting Designer 'Chip' Mouck, the fellow who made that announcement, was visiting the medical tent and a doctor told him the Brown Acid was 'not particularly too good', so he repeated it on stage just as the doctor had told him... 'not particularly too good'.

 

[haywire 440]

A group of us went to an Arlo Guthrie concert and when it ended my jaw was sore, smarting and plain worn out from LAUGHING

Arlo played fantastic music.
Arlo also told hilarious stories and one was about being at Woodstock.

It starts with him being on the Woodstock grounds the day before he’s scheduled to play. As with a lot of artists he was down under the stage in the area free to relax, mingle and party. The group he was with were overindulging in the pallets of “Champagne” and probably feeling no pain. It was a blow-out!

Suddenly the doors opened and in comes the stage manager who looks directly at Arlo saying “YOU’RE UP NEXT, 15 MINUTES!”.

Arlo was beside himself, literally!
But being a trooper said “Shore” or something like that.

Heading up to the stage was a feat in it self as the COLORS, SOUNDS and VISIONS became INCREDIBLE. Wires flowed like rivers running up, down and sideways.

He, Arlo, wanted to get a look at the stage to get familiar with the surroundings….as he walked to the center of the stage he couldn’t help gazing around at EVERYONE & EVERYTHING…. When all of a sudden everything disappeared, went black, he was stunned…….. he was in a pit of wires.

He wrestled his way through the vines of wires and found himself out in the front row of Woodstock. Woodstock how did this happen?

Arlo finally found his way back and played his set.
As he started his bands set he realized that the stage was a circular stage. One band would be playing while the next was setting up. THE CENTER was open for all the electrical wires and that’s were Arlo had fallen.

I saw one great show that night.

 

[VFilms]

A group of us went to an Arlo Guthrie concert and when it ended my jaw was sore, smarting and plain worn out from LAUGHING

Arlo played fantastic music.
Arlo also told hilarious stories and one was about being at Woodstock.

It starts with him being on the Woodstock grounds the day before he’s scheduled to play. As with a lot of artists he was down under the stage in the area free to relax, mingle and party. The group he was with were overindulging in the pallets of “Champagne” and probably feeling no pain. It was a blow-out!

Suddenly the doors opened and in comes the stage manager who looks directly at Arlo saying “YOUR UP NEXT, 15 MINUTES!”.

Arlo was beside himself, literally!
But being a trooper said “Shore” or something like that.

Heading up to the stage was a feat in it self as the COLORS, SOUNDS and VISIONS became INCREDIBLE. Wires flowed like rivers running up, down and sideways.

He, Arlo, wanted to get a look at the stage to get familiar with the surroundings….as he walked to the center of the stage he couldn’t help gazing around at EVERYONE & EVERYTHING…. When all of a sudden everything disappeared, went black, he was stunned…….. he was in a pit of wires.

He wrestled his way through the vines of wires and found himself out in the front row of Woodstock. Woodstock how did this happen?

Arlo finally found his way back and played his set.
As he started his bands set he realized that the stage was a circular stage. One band would be playing while the next was setting up. THE CENTER was open for all the electrical wires and that’s were Arlo had fallen.

I saw one great show that night.

View attachment 1221868 View attachment 1221869

Arlo was one of the best interviews I did. He's a wonderfully charming, and funny guy. And the story he told you, for the most part, is in the film. Yes, he was quite stoned and because the producers had trouble getting the acts in because of the traffic jams, someone went up to him and said, 'hey man, you gotta play.' And Arlo said, 'I gotta play? I can't play now, man. I can't walk now.' But he did go on, and yes fell into the dip where the turntable was, and said he just kinda 'came up through the molecular structure of the stage' and looked out over the crowd. He also said he doesn't remember much after that. @haywire 440 Thanks for sharing your story.