2546 To go or not to go, that is the question.

Friday, August 14, 2009

There are a lot of people who like to be told what to think.
They are more dangerous than the people who tell them.

Oops. And here I am asking for advice.
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I have a ticket to the 40th anniversary concert, "BETHEL WOODS MUSIC FESTIVAL starring Heroes of Woodstock", tomorrow. The groups appearing include Levon Helm Band, Jefferson Starship, Ten Years After, Canned Heat, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Mountain, Tom Constanten and Country Joe McDonald.

When I bought the ticket on line a few weeks ago, I didn't think it was going to be that big a deal. Lawn tickets were only $19 (about $31 after Ticketmaster added their ripoffs). There are a group of 40 of us who are to meet there.

Over the past week I have been getting one email after another from the organizer of our group, and from the concert organizers, and I'm getting more and more worried. Rule after rule, warning after warning.

It will take me about two hours to get from here to there, with normal traffic. The organizers warn that traffic approaching the grounds will be heavy and slow, and they advise that you get to the parking lot as early as possible after it opens at 2 pm. The gates to the grounds open at 3 pm, and "you should get in line early to avoid long lines". (The concert starts at 5 pm.)

Buses will be arriving from pickup points around the state.

What are the chances drivers and people in line will be courteous and thoughtful?

You can take in only two unopened bottles of water (for many hours in sun and heat?) and a blanket or towel to sit on. Oh, and lots of money to buy their food and water and rent chairs - all at reasonable prices, of course.

Once through the gate, if you must leave (like you forgot something in the car) you WILL NOT be allowed back in. Period. No excuses accepted.

I was getting more and more negative about this.

Then the kicker came today. How does our group find each other? Should we meet up just inside the gate? The organizer and her friend have notified us that they will have a "sort of turquoise green tarp, and will spread it out in the middle of the field in front of the stage". "look for the tarp."

Uh, I'm not arriving by helicopter.

This is looking hairier and hairier. I'm thinking about just not going at all. I wouldn't be so negative if I had someone to go with. None of the others in the group live within 40 minutes of me, and I'd be heading southwest, while most of them will head northwest or west. So I'm pretty far out of the way.

Anyone have an opinion? (Oh, yeah, the ticket has my name on it and ID is required, so no, it isn't useful to overnight it to you. And no, I'm not a fan of any of the groups. And if everyone stands up, I won't see much of anything, even if we're on a slope.)

I think I'll find something else to do tomorrow.
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