This past weekend, singer Joan Baez walked off the stage for what may be the last time ever. Her Fare Thee Well tour closed the book on a storied 60-year career that began at the Newport Folk Festival of 1959, but we can now experience one remarkable chapter.
Friday, ahead of Woodstock's 50th anniversary this month, Craft Recordings released Baez's entire 1969 Woodstock set for the first time, which is available on streaming platforms as Live at Woodstock and features previously unheard recordings such as "Take Me Back To The Sweet Sunny South."
Baez headlined the first night of the festival on August 15, 1969, beginning her set just shy of 1 am. National turmoil over the Vietnam War infused the atmosphere of Woodstock, and perhaps nowhere as personally as Baez's 15-song performance. Baez and her husband at the time, David Harris, were staunch anti-war advocates with Harris leading a movement called The Resistance that encouraged men to destroy their draft cards. While Baez played Woodstock, Harris sat in prison, having recently been arrested for his own draft avoidance. Baez closed her set with a sing-along of "We Shall Overcome," dedicating it to her husband and "all the people in the world who are willing to take risks."
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Live at Woodstock accompanies Woodstock - Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive, a 38-disc box set covering every recorded performance of Woodstock, which is out today as well. You can stream Live at Woodstock here.
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