“Missed it by that much.” To borrow a phrase from TV Land’s favorite private eye, Maxwell Smart, I was just a tad too young to go to Woodstock, the epic musicfest held in upstate New York during the summer of ’69.
So, I lived it vicariously through my cousin, a Mary Travers lookalike who braved the rain and mud to experience a concert like no other. Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Jimi Hendrix — artists who helped define my generation took center stage that legendary rainy weekend in August to present an unforgettable homage to the sounds and spirit of the times.
Thanks to Columbus’ Shadowbox, I had a chance last fall to experience what I missed. The performance troupe presented “Back to the Garden,” a musical journey chronicling this most famous rock concert in history (sans inclement weather and Porta-Potties, thank heaven!).
The show was undoubtedly the next best thing to being there. In fact, Country Joe McDonald, lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish, popped in for a Sunday matinee.
Now it’s your turn: The musical proved to be so popular that it’s coming back for a limited engagement, beginning February 7.
For a preview, log on to http://shadowboxcabaret.com. For reservations and times, visit the Web site or call 614/416-7625.
Peace out.
Were you one of the lucky thousands who were at the real deal? If so, e-mail me at lfeagler@ohiomagazine.com, and share your memories of what it was like.