Welcome: A prelude

Welcome to Deadline ‘69

A note before the fun starts, just to clarify:

I’m Tim Malcolm, entertainment editor of the Times Herald-Record. I’m 24. My first visit to Woodstock was in 2005, during spring break of my junior year at Boston University (yes, I had thrilling spring breaks). My dad picked me up from school and took me to the Catskills to visit the town with which he had fallen in love. Born in 1952, my dad was, of course, a child of the ’60s, coming of age during the Age of Aquarius. A 17-year-old Pennsylvania kid when Woodstock happened, he couldn’t go, but he sure loved the music. He had to see Woodstock. Just had to.

One problem: He didn’t realize Woodstock wasn’t where Woodstock happened.

So we set up shop in Woodstock. I had a Bolex camera, as I was shooting a film for a production class at the time. I decided to shoot Woodstock as the subject of my film, and I got all the trappings: The Center for Photography, the church, the Playhouse, the Woodstock Music Shop. But my dad soon found out that the town wasn’t quite where the festival occurred, so we left after a day and change, excited about seeing the grounds, but very much adored by the Town of Woodstock.

Later during that second day we found Route 17, then Hurd Road. They were just beginning to build some music center nearby. We pulled into a dairy farm, half lost, half hoping the name “Yasgur” was scribbled on the mailbox. Instead, we got a horse peering into our car, scaring the bejesus out of me. We left, then found the site down the road.

We pulled in, got out, then peered out to the field from the monument. My dad was impressed, glad. He’d always wanted to go, but he never could. It was nice to see him accomplish one of his dreams.

Fast forward four years. Just four years. Today my dad visits the Town of Woodstock regularly because he’s good friends with legendary bassist Gary Peacock and legendary pianist Marilyn Crispell. And me? I’m only the person responsible for bringing the spirit of Woodstock back to the pages of the Times Herald-Record.

Funny how life works, huh?

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Basically, I’ll be writing this blog as if I was working at the Record in June, July and August of 1969. I’m a young, intrepid reporter who editors thought would be a good muse for this new-fangled aquarian exposition brewing in the Hudson Valley. Fresh out of college and ready to attack, I’ll cover this festival beat with fervor. And this blog is my home. I’ll give you the news as it happens, covering everything as if it was happening right now.

Meanwhile we’ll update our Woodstock 69 Twitter at www.twitter.com/thrwoodstock. Check that out for quick hits and general musings of a 24-year-old reporter in summer 1969.

I think this should be pretty groovy. I hope you think so, too.