You peer out from backstage, fifteen feet above the ground, gazing out at a sea of peace-lovin’ hippie humanity half a million strong. Your audience. Lucky to have made it through the ridiculously huge crowds, you are one of the few scheduled musicians to have made it to the stage on time. Schedule change. Someone hands you a guitar. Quick plan. You knew this could happen. It was one of those musician moments where you go with the flow. No backing out, no whining, no second chances. You say to the band, “Let’s do the Rag,” step out on stage, and into history.
Yesterday this place was called Yasgur’s Farm, near Bethel, NY. Today it’s known as Woodstock. You’re making history, or should I say performing it.
As Country Joe and his band The Fish gazed at the crowd at Woodstock, he knew his performer’s instinct was taking him into uncharted territory. He felt the words inside and he wasn’t go to hold them in. Before he started his Rag, the Vietnam war protest song, “Fixin’ to Die,” he started, “Give me an F!” What followed would become a highlight of the Woodstock movie released a year later. His public flip-off said, “stuff the establishment” and summed up a decade’s rage against the system. The Anthem, as it was called, would catapult Country Joe and The Fish into the limelight.
You’ve got to go with your musical instincts to make it. You’ve got to be real and honest. We created this shirt for Hamilton musicians who deserve it. Every gig matters, big or small. When you’ve come through enough to feel like you’ve paid your dues, this is your shirt of honour. The Behold The Hamilton Musician shirt is just for you. Wear it.
