It’s a free concert from now on: Woodstock as media allegory

At some point on Friday, August 15, 1969 it became overwhelmingly clear to the promoters of the Woodstock Arts and Music Festival that they were being overrun. The tide of enthusiasm, the groundswell, was growing out of control. It was an emergent, organic, spontaneous overflow of a social stream that had been brimming for quite some time. To try to bend it to their will, to try to put up barriers and walls, was little more than a exercise in futility. Forces outside of their control were making decisions for them— profit be damned.

Shortly after UAW/MF cut the fences open MC Chip Monck John Morris announced “It’s a free concert from now on.” What else could they have done.

This is what today’s newspaper and magazine publishers need to come to grips with. The fence has been cut, the hippies are in the venue, and the tickets you printed aren’t worth the mud of the surrounding field. Before the flood, when you had a handle on the flow and you could meter it out, there was value in what you were selling. Via the manifestation of restricted access that is inherent to big iron presses and costly distribution channels you were able to realize tremendous profit.

Today access is busted open. The anarchists have cut the fences. We’re all in the show. Deal with it.

So instead of trying to rebuild the wall why not sell me something that has value—something I can use? Why not rethink the access you sell? Why don’t you just let the hippies be free and sell me a grilled cheese or veggie burrito while I dance in your field? Why not go with the flow? Why struggle to remake yesterday when tomorrow looks so promising?

Do something organic, natural, good. Make it a positive trip. Add value. Be kind.

If you do that you may just get everything you need.