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I worked concession at Woodstock 99 (and 94) for a non-profit. Woodstock’s management, to maximize their profits, required attendees to exchange their currency
by afpx 4y ago
I worked concession at Woodstock 99 (and 94) for a non-profit. Woodstock’s management, to maximize their profits, required attendees to exchange their currency for wooden scrip which they’d use to purchase merchandise from vendors. The non-profits would get allocated food and beverages to sell. However they didn’t plan for there to be enough vendors or change boxes to meet the demand. Lines grew extremely long. And, riots would break out because people wouldn’t have enough water and food. To deal with the riots, the management would just shut down all of the vendors and take their change boxes. I would have this parched mob groping me for water, but had no means of exchange. Customers just started throwing $20s and $50s at us just for bottles of water. We didn’t know what to do, we were just kids. But it made sense to keep taking their money just so we wouldn’t get mobbed.
- justinator 4y ago> Woodstock’s management, to maximize their profits, required attendees to exchange their currency for wooden scrip which they’d use to purchase merchandise from vendors. Not in '99 they didn't. There were ATM machines everywhere, and famously, they were the first things to be set on fire and plundered. If they had, seems like there would be more memorabilia of keeping these tokens? There are many from 1994 - are you misremembering? https://www.google.com/search?q=coins+tokens+woodstock+94 https://www.google.com/search?q=coins+tokens+woodstock+94
- afpx 4y agoYeah, thanks for pointing that out. my memory is mixing the two up. Sorry
- justinator 4y agoYeah, no big deal, really. The addition of Woodstock Bucks would have made '99 even more crazy. I couldn't imagine the backlash from thousands of people holding onto worthless tokens after what happened on the last night, and management potentially making the worst decision possible on if they should/should not trade them in for cash (saying nothing about you, the vendors!)