The festival was marked by organizational struggles, from issues with weather and accommodation to traffic that led to serious set delays. Most of the evening acts ended up performing well into the morning of the following days. But Woodstock remains indelible in our musical and cultural history. Many of the acts who took the stage were immortalized as icons of the era, either reified for their sets or kicking off their ascent to stardom. Here are 10 of the most memorable performances, from Jimi Hendrix to Santana to Janis Joplin, that have lived on over the last half a century. No matter: The legendary guitarist made his time onstage count, closing out Woodstock with one of his most iconic live performances of all time. Over four minutes, an intently focused, solemn-faced Hendrix drew out the national anthem with ferocious creativity. The psychedelic funk-rock groove of Sly and the Family Stone was a high point in the Woodstock lineup. Performing in the early morning hours of Aug.


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The grounds were muddy, littered with hippies and smelled like an uninviting combination of reefer and feces. More than 30 artists performed over the three-day weekend. Some were established stars, others were just getting their start. And most of them had breakthrough performances at the festival.
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When we think about the first Woodstock, we think about the hippies. The mud. The brown acid.
Here are the biggest musical moments from the festival billed as "Three Days of Peace and Music. Richie Havens performing onstage at the Woodstock, August 15, Havens ended up performing an extra long set, literally playing every song he knew while Woodstock staff finished building the stage around him.