In Woodstock, Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom write on page thirty-seven that “[t]he Woodstock Music Festival was in many ways a natural outgrowth of the social turbulence and musical creativity of the Sixties.” This assertion seems to be the case for most, if not all, festivals in that, using the fifteen festivals discussed in the timeline as examples, changes in society and music often act as the catalysts for festivals or, at the very least, coincide with them. However, fluctuations in society and music are not the only factors that inform festivals. The longing for a sense of community also seems to play a major role in the conception of festivals. Once again looking to Woodstock, attendees realized they had values in common and that, though hippies were always a minority, they were not alone. This project, then, analyzes each of the chosen festivals through their historical context, particularly the social and musical changes found in and around them, and the formation of a community.

 

However, the chosen festivals in the timeline also display the power of festivals themselves to encourage change. The festival at Altamont changed the perspectives many people had toward festivals. By the early 1990s, there seems to be less of a diversity among the festivals as music genres branched off on their own. Lollapalooza existed for those interested in alternative music, while Ozzfest was for metal fans, and H.O.R.D.E. also catered to a different crowd. Instead, the diversity found in festivals like the original Woodstock did not emerge until Coachella. The disaster of Woodstock ’99 seemed to show people that a need for a true community, in which everyone respected one another, was needed. Coachella seemed to fill this role.