West Fest Comes to Golden Gate Park

by E. "Doc" Smith, 2009-10-16

On Sunday, October 25th, many of the survivors of perhaps the world's best known concert will return to San Francisco for "West Fest", the 40 year anniversary of Woodstock. Woodstock was not just an event, it was, according to the promoters, "a happening, or a concert with 400,000 people. It was a pivotal moment of realization for an entire generation, an epiphany, a moment of realization for the entire country. The hip movement started in San Francisco a couple of years earlier in the Haight Ashbury and the “Summer of Love” had spread across the nation. There were now millions of hip people with 400,000 of them converging on Woodstock. 

Woodstock was a statement to the world, “humanity had evolved”, coming together through peace, love and spirituality. An event whose original intent was to make money became the largest FREE event in history. The hip movement had come of age and was recognized by the world. The principles of love swept the country and we had become the 'Woodstock Nation.” Groovy.

Hundreds of San Francisco stars and musical luminaries will perform at the October 25th event to commemorate the original principles of peace, love and spirituality. The Woodstock 40th will begin with a blessing by the American Indigenous People and several Beat Generation poets. There'll be many speakers from the Peace Movement, the Free Speech Movement and the Anti-War Movement along with many of the acts who originally performed at Woodstock. There'll also be an “Eco Friendly Green Village” highlighting the products, services, and information of the emerging green movement. 

42 Acts Confirmed

Jefferson Starship; Leslie West (Mountain); Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) with Ronnie Montrose; Lester Chambers (the Chambers Brothers); Country Joe McDonald; Denny Laine (of Paul McCartney, Wings, Moody Blues); The Original Lowrider Band (with Lee Oskar); Narada Michael Walden featuring Vernon Ice Black leading 3,000 guitar players and closing the show with the Hendrix Experience reenactment Superstar Jam; Greg Errico, Jerry Martini, Cynthia Robinson (From Sly and the Family Stone); David and Linda La Flamme (It's a Beautiful Day); Michael McClure (Beat Poet) and Ray Manzarek (from the Doors), George Brooks, Kai Eckhardt, Jay Lane; Lydia Pense and Cold Blood; Terry Haggerty (from the Sons of Champlin); Annie Sampson and her band; Nick Gravenites Band; Harvey Mandel and the Snake band; Barry “The Fish” Melton (of Country Joe and the Fish); Jerry Miller and Jim Post; Lost Creek Gang and the Merry Pranksters with Ken Babbs, George Walker, and Mountain Girl; El Chicano; Alameda All Stars (Gregg Allman's Band); Edwin Hawkins and The New Edwin Hawkins Singers “Oh Happy Day”; David Denny (from Steve Miller) with Prairie Prince (of The Tubes), Diana Mangano (formerly of The Jefferson Starship), Greg Douglas, Carlos Reyes; PF Sloan; Jimmy McCarty (from Detroit Wheels); Peter Kaukonen (from Jefferson Airplane); John York (from the Byrds); Leigh Stephens (from Blue Cheer); Kathi McDonald and Friends; Cathy Richardson band; Joli Valenti and Tony Saunders; Mitchell Holman (It's a Beautiful Day), Miles Schon Band; Jose Neto and Friends...

Rock Hendricks (Bobby Womack, The Jackson 5, The funkidelics); George Michalski; Jeff Jolly; Scoop Nisker - KFOG; David Harris - speaker; Matthew Rosenthal - Prevent Hate; Bettina Aptheker - Free Speech Movement;  Ben Fong -Torres (Rolling Stone); David Hilliard - Black Panther Party; Benjamin Hernandez - Hearts and Hands elders; Blue Thunder - spiritual healer, Teton; Dennis Peron and Richard Eastman (Marijuana Initiative); David Rovic; Rabbi Joseph Langer ; Ed Rosenthal; Terence Hallinan  (Former SF DA); Gene “DR Hip” Schoenfeld;  Paul “Lobster” Wells (DJ), Aron “Pieman” Kay (from the Yippies); Alex Reymundo - comedian; Doug Green MC; Some acts can not be advertised because of contractual obligations.

Poster series artists include: Stanley Mouse, Arnold Skolnick (original Woodstock 69 poster artist), Chris Shaw, Mike Dolgushkin, Wendy Wright, David Singer, Mark Henson, Carolyn Ferris, Dave Huckins, Lee Conklin, Bob Masse, Andrew Annenberg, Victor Moscosco, Michael Moss, Thomas Yeates, Chrissy Costello, Gilbert Johnson and Dusty Hughston, Michael Rios, Burry Olsen, Pat Ryan, Ron Donovin - Fire House Crew..



In honor of Jimi Hendrix, who headlined the festival in 1969, 3,000 
guitar players will attempt to break the World's Record for the Largest 
Guitar Ensemble playing "Purple Haze" -- all at the same time!

Players are encouraged to register at:

www.steveroby.com/Jimi_Hendrix_Archives/Register.html.

Be on the look out for Open Source Voting's Brent Turner among them!

“West Fest” Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock

42 bands, 3 stages and 26 poster artists. Solar domes, Alternative vehicles, Electric bikes, Native American Tipi Village, Sustainable Living Road Show, Conscious Art Gallery, Light Temple, Holistic Healing Section, Hooper Heaven, Rock'n Green Kids Zone and Eco Village vendors. Narada Michael Walden featuring Vernon Ice Black leading 3,000 guitar players and closing the show with the Hendrix Experience reenactment and Superstar Jam

Admission:  FREE

October 25, 2009, 9am to 6pm

Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA