Hippies relive Woodstock at Irvine Lake concert

Hippies relive Woodstock at Irvine Lake concert

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/woodstock-concert-music-2530124-orange-peace

Hundreds celebrate the 40th anniversary of the historic concert.

August 15, 2009
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register

SILVERADO They arrived at Irvine Lake Saturday in Volkswagen buses,
wearing tie-dyed shirts and waving peace signs in the air.

Hundreds of self-proclaimed hippies, flower children and others
danced and partied the day away at the Fourth Annual Woodstock '69
Music Festival, this year commemorating the 40th anniversary of the
New York concert that changed the music world.

"This takes me back to my youth," said Fran Driscoll, 58, of Orange.
"I didn't have a chance to go to the original Woodstock, but I live
through those times. It's great to relive them now."

Tribute bands covered music from the 1960s and 1970s during a concert
that began at 1 p.m. Patrons from as far away as Temecula and San
Diego came with beach chairs, blankets and plenty of sun block.

Mary Banuellos, 37, of Corona arrived with her husband and daughter,
wearing a band made of flowers around her hair and a necklace with a
medallion of a peace sign.

"With all that's going on in the world today, the message of love and
peace from the original Woodstock concert has never been more
important," she said. "That's what people today should be
celebrating, that message."

Organizers said they expected about 500 people to Saturday's concert,
billed as the largest celebration in Orange County.

Across the county, a handful of other events were held to commemorate
Woodstock's 40th anniversary. The Orange County Market Place in Costa
Mesa is hosting Woodstock tribute bands, tie-dye artists, a hippie
stilt walker and other activities this weekend.

In 1969, the Woodstock Music &Art Fair was held Aug. 15-18 at a dairy
in the rural town of Bethel, New York.

Thirty-two acts ­ including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin, Neil Young and The Who ­ performed during the weekend in
front of nearly half a million concertgoers. The concert is widely
regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history.

Melinda Hazelton, 60, of Silverado said she had planned to go the
concert 40 years ago, but a family illness forced her to cancel her plans.

"I could only imagine the magic of Woodstock back then," she said.
"It's a shame I couldn't go, but at least now I can relive it through
events like this one. It's not quite like we're back in 1969, but
it's a little slice."
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Contact the writer: 714-704-3773 or fleal@ocregister.com

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