The other great act to perform at Woodstock on Day Two technically didn’t take the stage till the early morning hours of Sunday. The Who had achieved some middling success in the states to this point, with exactly one Top Ten single to their credit in the US to this point (and 9 in the UK during the same period). But the allure of the singles charts was fast losing its appeal, and with “Tommy” now on its way to becoming the blockbuster they always knew they had in them, their elevation to top-tier act was assured.
By the time they took the stage, the band was in a particularly foul mood: too cynical to buy into the peace-and-love vibe of the event, they would not go on until their fee had been paid upfront. (They were also angered to find that they’d been dosed with acid backstage against their will.)
Theirs was the longest set of the entire festival (in terms of number of songs performed), where they not only showcased the new double-album but also played another half-dozen songs – all in 65 minutes. (And within this, Pete found the time to assault Abbie Hoffman, who ill-advisedly mounted the stage to make a speech during their set.)
They began their set at 5AM – by the time they concluded the “Tommy” portion with this stirring finale, the sun was just starting to rise.
The Fat Angel Sings 