Woodstock: The Free Festival That Wasn't Meant to Be

In January 1969, four young men had a business idea. Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld were music industry insiders; John Roberts and Joel Rosenman were wealthy entrepreneurs. Together, they formed Woodstock Ventures. Their plan wasn't to change a generation, but to fund a recording studio in the artist colony of Woodstock, New York. They would throw a three-day music festival, a for-profit concert with tickets priced at 18 dollars each. The goal was simple: attract a crowd, make money, and build their studio. It was a straightforward investment, bridging corporate capital with the counter-culture music scene. But from the very beginning, the plan for a controlled, profitable event would prove impossible to hold onto.