from the historical musical perspective, being a music promoter for long time. i wish i had been there but i was 12-year-old living in north carolina at the time, didn't get to go. now i feel like i was there because of spending so much time with michael and working on the book and all the incredible people i have gotten to meet that worked with him, whose stories are also part of the book. what we are going to do is talk a little bit, for you guys to listen and think of questions, we will have time for questions after we chat for a while. the back story with michael, like many people who were not at the festival, my impression of woodstock was based on the film that came out in march of 1970. and came to find out when we started working on the real story, there was a lot more to it than we got to see in that

wonderful film. >> what was that? better already. >> some people don't realize, but woodstock was not michael's first festival. he does living in brooklyn and new york city and ended spending time in the west village and getting involved in the music scene, then found his way to cocoanut grove, fla. in 1966. he talks about what the scene was like, what took you there? >> growing up, i never had a clear understanding of where i wanted to go with my life. that is probably still true. i had been there for a couple years, i was in washington square park, thinking i am done. so the next logical step was to

go to cocoanut grove. that is what i did. it was the start of a really great at venture for me. the growth was the best town in southern florida. full of artists and musicians, a very lazy town in the middle of the road for most of the day. so i opened the hatch and change all of that. in the process, with local parks, with small groups, a local town, the beginning of the movement. i came up with a brilliant thought because we were listening the drug laws in a way, using marijuana specifically. i met some of the local indian tribes and discovered to my

chagrin they you could smoke marijuana on the reservation without getting arrested. and perhaps that was a place for the next event. we spent some time talking to the indians, for some reason they declined. i became friends with rick of very -- rick o'barry creator of flipper, he trained the dolphins. interesting side story, at one point he committed suicide, realize he should beef price possible for starting the industry he was responsible for, capturing dolphins and putting them in tanks and he became an activist for freeing them around

the world, he has been doing that for 40 years. and amazing movie, i encourage everyone to see it. it is a wonderful film. we decided, because we were both friends -- we would moderate together. with a couple other people, marshall had a club called blues image, also some partners -- [laughter] that was kind of cool. we had to do the show in three weeks. there began my career -- i put it in new york and we managed to get their, the headliner went

from chuck berry to some musicians from the growth to the crazy world, and effective show. and we hired bell street park to do it. it was a real lesson for me. that is how i get through life, frankly. i don't know about anything -- i am continuing as i go along. so we did this show and the first day was amazing. we had a long draught that spring, actually it was getting kind of dangerous but we decided to forgo the rain insurance because there was no chance of that. 60 days without a drop. saturday came along and it was perfect, dry as a bone and sunday morning we read that they had clouds over the everglades and the drought and the skies opened up, that was my first

experience with heavy rain. we tried to recoup our losses for a month. we planned two additional, the rain never stopped. i decided miami was over for me and headed the north to new york. i remember woodstock, my parents had taken my sister and i to trips to canada when we were kids, she liked to look to the art gallery on the way that. i knew the town some what and it was very famous for its musician residents, at the time called butterfield. in any case i decided to move to woodstock. >> woodstock did have this history going back to the early 1900s of being an art community

that attracted not only independent freethinkers but musicians and artists, simulate a perfect place for michael to be, having these interests and being in coconut grove. and he did end up hanging out on the scene, participating at some events, also added to your idea -- >> a local realtor on a farm outside of woodstock, she ran these -- they are very casual and informal, and awaiting may to seek music, a crowd of 400 people, people would come in over the weekend. it was guys from the van.

an amazing array of talent. with a you spent the night or not, it is the best way i ever experienced to see music. there is a series of concerts based on that with larger crowds, and somewhere along the line, i started to manage -- who knew what management was? my friend in the band became the manager, i figured i had that responsibility, we need somebody to support the man and get us recorded. the drummer was aware of or friendly with or had some

connection to the vice president of the president of capitol records. he was a successful writer. the bunch of hits. was from my neighborhood. when i called to get an appointment, tell him i am from the neighborhood. i went up and he was charming and funny and we became friends like we had known each other all our lives. during the early part of the fall, talking late into the night, these ideas of producing concerts', not very familiar with. and getting into the right frame of mind. and woodstock was becoming a

record for musicians. it seemed that was the perfect answer. we could spend time in the country and record at your leisure, so we proceeded to put that together, so we were following these paths and hired a local realtor to help me look for sites for this festival which sprouted one night at 2:00 in the morning, i don't remember the actual night but at some point we decided instead of the concert series we're going to put it altogether and do the biggest event anyone had ever seen. so we proceeded on these projects. our target was 200,000 people. the biggest show i was aware of was in miami, we had 40,000

people first day. we were in the northeast corridor, lots of people living around, living 1% of 1%. that was our target. that is how we began that road. >> you found some partners who became more or less the financial backers and handled the business -- that motorcycle is going to woodstock. that sound started working on the business aspects of it while you were concentrating on the booking and looking for the actual site because originally you did want to have it in woodstock and you found one area with a farm that wasn't available for leasing, so you found a place called wall hill. can you imagine the wall killed generation? why don't you tell us a little

bit about how you segway? >> originally in woodstock, when we couldn't be in woodstock, that gave everybody the idea what we were doing. i wanted to be close to woodstock. we wanted to be an outstanding cycles, the perfect place to do that, miles uptown. it belongs to mr. schaller. sort of a well-known company. he was the caretaker, sounds interesting, he checked, we would like to talk about it. he didn't know what we were talking about. they never use the place except for hunting. i said great, we thought we

would offer $5,000 and we would be off and running. in the meantime, through an attorney that i was using, john roberts, to finance the studio idea, they were building the studio called media sound which for years was one of the premier studios in the city. so we went to meet them, and we were very -- nothing like me and the little like party on the fringes. i kept my mouth shut, he talks very well. he seemed interested but not really convinced. the end of the conversation, i mentioned doing this festival, the project we were working on, might have some time in the studio, they seemed to perk up at that. and we talked more about coming back with a budget. we said sure.

we went away, talking about the festival. he called and said he was interested in proceeding. so he called back and said the festival is already spoken for but we would love to continue to talk about the studio. they were a little bit crushed by this news. if they will do both projects, seems really nice and bright, that would be more fun. that is what happened. two weeks later we signed a contract and started to go. within three or four days i went back to pursue the site and by then, the district attorney or one of the officials had gotten wind of what we redoing. something in a local newspaper

saying never again will we entertain an event in woodstock because they were having problems with the sound. mr. schaller read that, that would be the end of the shower sunday. so he started looking further afield for something, that we needed. we needed water, a place where you could build a small city to support this crowd for three days. we weren't finding it. one weekend we were riding around on route 17, those industrial sites for rent, it was for rent. they found it, mills was going through for $10,000, they agreed

on a spot. when you are looking for, i knew i was in trouble. i went to look at it anyway and it was horrible. this would be, an immense amount of work. also water and power and other things. we proceeded to work, they looked so straight with this idea. there were no apparent requirements in those days, up permanent structures. wandering in the afternoon, 30,000 people--they came back to

new york and said we have got it. i had hired an amazing staff of people from all walks of life, construction people. and a bunch of genius characters who condoled anything to be rebuilt. so we put this team together and started to convert the industrial site, something beautiful and interesting. as the weeks progress, the town began to realize why are all the people working here have long

hair? where are all the jazz buffs? the guitars? they found out what we were up to and got really uptight and .fraid they were afraid we would make their women and pledge their fields and kill their pigs. they were trying to figure out a creative way of getting us out of town. i remember having manny town meetings, whistling as i walked to the microphone and was able to get through to them in the beginning, strongly to the point over the form the concerned citizens committee. at one point they started firing these occasional shots at our barn which was our headquarters. was getting kind of intense and we started thinking how to bring

people to this kind of an atmosphere. i made sure not to plant them in the ground when we laid out the site and putting pieces in place. we piled them up waiting to see what happened. they passed a law saying you need certain permits to proceed with an event, and we are not giving you those terms. on the fourteenth of july, they sent the decision for these permits, violating our laws and shut down immediately. the miracle of woodstock is after spending all this time trying to settle for the 50, the most perfect field of my dreams in any case, it had to be more than locked, good to be true.

tiger is the subject of a movie that was just directed and produced and wrote called taking woodstock, coming out on the fourteenth of august. the world changes as we descend in a helicopter. elliott called my office, we were sort of panicking, trying to figure out what rules we could make, and we were right, we could have won the lawsuit around christmas. i said let's get out and i had everybody packed, and anybody who wasn't busy packing offices on the telephone to call radio stations, press and anybody they could think of to get the word out that we need this. if anybody stood around within 30 seconds they get completely

demoralized. that spread like wildfire. we kept everybody pumped up, it is going to work and keep everybody moving and sure enough, the next day, they call my office, i have a site, we want you. i left the lawyer's office and grabbed tiexiera who is sitting in the back of the room. up we went. i called two guys on the staff at this motel, it turns out he grew up around the corner from my sister in brooklyn. we take a walk behind the motel. it was still open.

we take a walk down the field. my ankles are getting wet. we were passing these beautiful farms. is a guy named morris abraham, the same group of people in florida picked that up and took us around, we went down at 17 and came over the hill. that was when the miracle happened. we got out of the car and looked

at each other and tried not to flow out of the ground too far. max was the leading businessperson in the community. he was totally right wing. he didn't think that anybody else was that kind of person. so he said his farm is 2,000 acres. we went through his house, knocked on his door, he came out, we had been all over the press by that time, everybody knew what was going on. we took a ride. we were in the car, next time we were on the field, we were off

and running. >> in addition to dealing with these, michael is having to put out all these fires, you would think the underground counterculture people would all be together on this but instead there was all kinds of strife, different factions and people demanding money. the concert promoter in new york not thinking he liked the idea of this winter snapper coming along with his venues. in the meantime, things travel along until three weeks ago for them to put together this massive idea, basically a city. i don't know how many people live in the area but it rained, that were the weather

conditions. we put together the stage, the lighting, the campground and all the infrastructure that they needed but somehow they did it. >> by that time we had grown to 400 people. basically we had complete -- more 4 months than 30 days. but we did it. we had the help of the local power company and telephone company, they pitched in and helped us work through the night every day and every night to bring power from eight miles away. we were basically constructing this city, that means water all over the site. probably the initial pact was

100 acres. we had ways to service toilets and food and those things. we figured woodstock from the beginning was welcoming for anybody who wanted to come. that year going to every show in america, just about. from small festivals' to concerts'. gate crashing was a big problem. we had confrontations with the police. i wanted to eliminate any of those confrontations. when we designed it it was designed for the ticker.

we proceeded based on that principle of everything being welcoming and all encompassing. when we designed the infrastructure campgrounds, we gave people three days, a critical portion of our plan, realizing that people who come from the city has never been to the country for three days. we brought in a group -- wavy gravy. they were used to setting up big outdoor facilities, outdoor kitchens, organic gardening, the food was organic, probably the first time anyone had seen such a thing. more than that, what they

provided in terms of talent, they set up kind of a 5, if you will, welcoming everybody, getting them situated and getting them to understand that it is not their job to welcome the next group in the situation. that is a way of sharing responsibility. that is really what started to bring the community together. we help each other with whatever we have, you share it. really, there was nothing to confront. this is a toss. we were in charge, we have bonded. that is probably more to do with success. everything had to stretch. >> that same philosophy applied

with musicians and they started arriving. michael always says the biggest star of woodstock was the audience. when the musicians started coming and singing, gathering people, how people were falling that 5 introduced by the team, everyone helping each other, they were willing to make compromises from the usual things that they needed. >> for the most part that is true. richie was the first act, not by choice. i hounded him. he convinced me to go on when no one else was in place. but the fans were there for the same reason as everybody else. the number of people, the feeling in the audience, that feeling stretched from the town to the true way.

to new york city. it was the same feeling, there was an energy. did it matter where you were, you were ok, you were enjoying yourself. just to be a part of this era. there a couple of exceptions, who didn't want to be there, didn't like being there. he did play an amazing set. but everyone else through that we can, delayed by traffic, delayed by everything, equipment, running hours and hours late, they did their best. when we were ready for them, they were ready for us. they weren't always ready for us. some people arrived at the wrong

time. they were just wonderful. as much a part of this as everyone else. >> just to wrap up, why don't you finish up by telling a little bit about after the festival was over, the partnership splintered, we were no longer part of the woodstock ventures. the future endeavors, woodstock and what that was like. >> these are in your formative years. we traveled all over the world

from very early on. there was always the same thing. it seemed to have a life changing effect on everybody. it must have been all the people who were there to take away from that experience, a very positive outlook on life and the possibility -- that is how i did my life most dramatically. >> thanks. >> time for questions? we have time for five or six questions. we had a line here.

>> how are you doing? >> i assume the whole festival might have been filmed and they turned it down to make the movie. if that was the case, that letter, the incredible set. we can see -- i heard that was a nightmare and on the stage and all that stuff. >> this new box, the dvd of the film has a lot of unused footage. >> 18 performances never seen.

>> that is pretty amazing. a horrible time. it had little hope -- >> famous for being the great -- and amazing house. when we put these together, things are shocking a little bit. i don't know if any of you have been there.

going through this tunnel -- a horrible time. by accident, they didn't. >> in a couple weeks, the first time ever, every artist that performed at woodstock. at least one track, it will be chronological. check it out. >> two quick questions. other than the beatles which signed for woodstock, the second question is why does woodstock resonate in the culture of today, since 1969, why do you

think that is so? >> i tried to get john lennon to come and he wanted to come but he couldn't get into the country. he was in canada. he had a very strong anti-war stance. i have been corresponding with apple, getting him in. it turns out i lost the local site, the correspondence -- we didn't have any females in those days. they sent us a letter. instead of sending john with the like to send an installation and james taylor which would have been terrific. because we were in the midst of chaos, in fact, i never saw the letter until i started writing this book, i never thought i

had. there it was. >> pretty amazing. we could have had the singer/songwriter in 1969, on his first recording for apple in england, waiting until 1971. >> thanks for coming to vermont. my name is ron evans. for the past 25 years my wife, linda, and myself, have traveled around the country introducing your amazing program to all the original artists that played woodstock in 1969. it has been a fascinating road but it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for this beautiful printing and great graphics in the 60s. i was wondering if you could tell us about the history of the program as it relates to the farm, and a little bit about the graphics itself, and i am going to ask you to participate in the

program. thank you. >> the program that was given out -- the program book? >> an amazing piece of memorabilia. >> with the poetry and lyrics? the interesting thing, if you can believe it, he was at woodstock and on the way out, after the rain, found a carton of of the program and took one. actually, they didn't show up until sunday. the truck, bringing the programs that were going to be distributed for free were stuck in a traffic jam along with another million people or so, so many of the people who attended the festival never got to see the program. >> what about philadelphia? they were part of -- park underground. michael forman had something.

very well connected. bertcohen was less connected. >> you can also see the group listed there. rod stewart quit the group at the beginning of summer so they couldn't play because they didn't have a lead singer anymore. >> they called the day before, picked them up. by that time -- [laughter] >> they really wish they had been there. >> thank you. >> anybody else?

>> was very specific moment during the three days when you realize this is a historic, not just a music festival? >> i think we realized that the first day, when you look at that crowd, that was historic in its self. what it means, of course not. it was beyond anybody's imagination. >> another question? >> have you been able to do anything since then that has given you the same kind of satisfaction? >> yes. >> such as? >> kids. [laughter] >> the same category. that is the secret.

anybody else? >> from the business end of it, 300 or 400 people, how the finances are planned out? >> at the end of it, we had 325, by the end of it, we were -- we had sold 126,000 tickets in advance and we were $1 million in debt. i say we, i really mean john roberts. it was his money. the family came in and took over. they thought he was an idiot for getting involved in the first place. his father was a miserable character. john was a wonderful guy. he died a few years ago. he was steadfast and right on

the money all the time hand once he made the commitment, he saw it through. after the festival we had a meeting on wall street to -- unwittingly -- the weekend. and wanted to make sure they read going to be covered. we were not sure how to handle things. we were at odds with each other. sort of broke down, they going to buy us out. we had a great deal of goodwill. we had a film and record is worth a lot. if we just kept our wits about

us, i am fine. but we didn't. we got out, because they were bankrupt, they were trying to buy us out. then warner brothers bought them out. to make up the loss. warner brothers went on. >> warner brothers was a big winner. financially. >> anybody else? [applause] >> michael lang is co creator of the woodstock music and art fair, he is the head of the michael lang organization which manages film and theater productions. he has produced several other

festivals including the concert in the berlin wall in 1989, and woodstock 1994. pico wrote "the road to woodstock: from the man behind the legendary festival" with holly george warren. visit woodstock.com. >> this month, c-span2's book tv weekends continue all week in prime time with more books on the economy, current events and politics. monday night, kris anderson and senate majority leader harry reid. three days of peace, love and music, 40 years ago this weekend, half a million people gathered for woodstock. co-founder michael lang takes us behind the scenes tonight at 9:00 eastern on both tv. >> in your new book from the new deal to the new right, you argue that modern conservatism was found in the south, why?

>> the reason i make that claim is often people talk about southern strategy, the capture of the south by the gop after the 1960s beginning with barry goldwater, nixon's 72 election but in some ways, the situation is the reverse, southerners played a key role in development in the conservative capture of the republican party itself, and also republican ascendance national league. in certain ways, a combination of southern segregationist politics and northern economic conservatism were blended over time by various political actors in a way that allowed the national language of racial resentment and opposition to federal and state power in the democratic party in general. >> two questions arise from that answer, how did they blend and how did that begin? >> the story begins decisively in the 1940s.

in the 1930s in congress there's a conservative coalition which comes together after 1936 to resist some of fdr's political imperatives, but really it is after world war ii, during the truman administration, when he begins to push for federal employment practices commission, and desegregation of the military, you have political leads declare independence from the national democratic party. the first was called the dixie result -- revolt in 1938. it was to get in the electoral college votes in the south to throw the national election in the house of representatives which didn't quite work that began a process of separating southern democrats from national democrats generally, and from growing racial liberalism in the national democratic party. what happened is conservatives in the north, frustrated with

eisenhower, frustrated with what they saw as me too of the republican party in the new deal, began to look southward for allies and a new coalition to rebuild a conservative party and push back against the new deal. the national review magazine, in fighting segregation and journalists and others, hand over editorials and write articles for national review. some conservative republican strategists begin to try to build a republican party in the south, which had not ever been viable, certainly not after reconstruction. most of the levels of intellectual discourse and party strategy begin in the 50s and looking southward. >> the shared emphasis where economic? >> economic and racial. partly, southern segregationists

believed -- saw that their struggles were to remain regional unless they could find allies outside the region and convince other southerners who were quite loyal to the new deal that they needed to jump in for politics that would resist the racial liberalism in the national party. it is probably that, northern conservatives did not have a big stake prior to the national -- 1950s, began to find ways to see how racial politics would enemy northern audiences and begin to peel off segments of the white working-class and others from that kind of democratic party. it is kind of both. >> who are the leaders of this movement? >> in the 1940s, certain dixiecrat leaders. charles wallace collins is the intellectual guru of the dixie revolt. not only hard white supremacist segregationist leader, but one

who really ceased to convince strom thurmond and others that they really have to articulate a conservative antigovernment politics, business conservatism as well as a racial and tygovernment policy. he is one of the leaders. and 1950s and 60s, buckley, and not often remembered that he really makes dramatic efforts to bring southerners in to the conservative coalition. he tends an editorial in 57 arguing that denial of the vote to black citizens in the south is justifiable because these people have not reached a level of civilization that would allow them to participate democratically. buckley is another figure. goldwater is clearly someone who, when he runs in 64, outside of his own state of arizona,

only when a handful of the south states, nowhere else in the nation is he a strong figure. >> why did he win those states? >> in the 1964 elections, one of the major issues was the civil-rights bill that johnson had proposed, goldwater's opposition to the civil-rights goal was one of the things used by his supporters to try to get his -- to get votes for him. civil-rights itself, for him, articulating a strong constitutionalism, state's rights and individualists ideology. >> what is the southern strategy? >> what people refer to as the faa's -- southern strategy they begin with goldwater and nixon, the idea that northern republicans hope to win over southern voters and to win

southern states in the national election by pushing the race issue, by articulating either a coded or open language for nixon, goldwater, opposition to the civil-rights bill. is not -- people talk about the southern strategy, but again, what is missing is the agency or activity of southerners themselves who helped put this on the table and provide a language, operational politics that will play not just in the south, but in gary, indiana, detroit, mich. and baltimore, maryland and philadelphia, pa. where issues of open housing, open unions, and other antidiscrimination measures, things that are focused directly on race, potentially can reap a broader white audience. >> how do you get from the new

deal to the new right today? >> i begin by looking at elements both in and outside of the new deal. southern democrats and northern republicans and western republicans who begin to bring their political perspectives together in opposition to the new deal, and to finally a place where by 1980, ronald reagan wins and by 1984, even more so. in the beginning of the national realignment, national regime change, which we are at the end of now. >> ronald reagan kicked off his 1980 campaign in mississippi. what was that significant? >> it was in mississippi where the civil-rights workers, james chaney, michael warner were

slain by klansman in 1963. this was a place that was steeped in racial history. reagan said like you, i believe in states rights. he could have meant any number of things. >> what is the state of today's new right or conservative movement. >> we are in a twilight of the reagan revolution. many of the soldiers of the revolutions say the same thing, pat buchanan, newt gingrich and others. what happens in american political history is certain ideas dominate. certain ideas shape the landscape and overtime they

wayne as new circumstances arise and new players come on to the scene to change political identity. in some ways, like democratic liberalism in the 1970s. the republican right has run out of gas or is an era of splintering. it was interesting to see in the primarys, a whole range of candidates, none of whom could claim conservative credentials, yet all of them invoking reagan over and over. >> what does that mean for the south? >> the south is very much in play in a way it has not been in a generation. in the last national elections, we saw it in north carolina, south carolina, georgia, mississippi. across the south, black voters,

previously latino voters, i think white voters are themselves more fragmented. this has to do with changing political identity, strong enforcement of voting rights in the south, more so recently which has opened up a lot of territory to exciting change. >> this is your first book. what is your day job? >> i of political science professor at the university of oregon. i teach american politics. right now i am teaching a course on comparative conservatism, the u.s. and europe. and i teach a course on racial politics from the twentieth century to the present. >> when it comes to comparative politics between the u.s. and europe, what is the difference? >> america was founded on liberal ideals, in a way that

european states don't have. if you looked at the origins of american conservatism you see strains of hamilton, the manufacturer and capitalism and markets and centralized power and jeffersonian notions of anti state and pastoralism, blending together into a conservative movement in the twentieth century. there's no clear tory tradition. wigs lacked an aristocracy to ally with or a mob to defend against. if you don't have feudal traditions in the same way. >> from the new deal to the new right, race and southern origins of modern conservatism. >> book tv is asking what are

you reading? >> i am the editor in chief of a video journalism site and the web supplement to reason magazine, the monthly -- the nation's only monthly magazine of fremont and free market. we have an around since 1968, a small libertarian magazine interested in things like free minds and free market, open borders, drug legalization, economic deregulation, basically letting it rip, laizzez-faire across the board. i read a lot. this summer, my favorite book so far which is hitting bookstores in august is everybody is stupid except for me and other us to the observations. he is a reason's official cartoonist. he does comic essays for the past 10 years. everybody is still good except

for me has already gone rate reviews, it is a great read. other books i have read recently include are you serious? everybody must get stoned, rock stars on drugs, which reviewed for the new york post, a compilation of snippets about rock stars and their misadventures with drugs. it is a fascinating read, a sobering book as well as a lot of fun at the same time. i recently finished clinton's babylon burning, a long history of popular music starting in the 70s, mid 70s in england and the u.s. and how the punk movement slowly transformed itself into a commercial enterprise in the late 18s and 90s, a fascinating read and i reviewed joe scarborough of cms nbc post of the morning show, the last best

hope. i am a big fan of him on tv. i was disappointed in the book which seem superficial, particularly in its stated goal of trying to offer a true alternative to a kind of big government program coming out of washington from republicans and democrats. there are a few other books i have in my reading cue, two of which are about the very popular novelist who is generally derided as an awful stylist certain and bad writer. she is finally getting, in this age of large state enterprises, she's getting a long look from a couple serious scholars. one of these books are due out in october. one of them is called ayn rant and the world she made, sympathetic social biography, the other one is by jennifer burns, it is called goddess of the market, it is