- Courtesy of the Rock Hall
The Rock Hall’s Woodstock at 50 exhibit will close soon and to mark the occasion, the Rock Hall will welcome Steve Gold, a Woodstock attendee and the owner of the iconic festival’s original stage, for a special artifact presentation and donation that takes place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at the Rock Hall.
Shortly after the festival, the father of Gold’s then-girlfriend bought the plywood panels of the stage and used them to build a paddleball court. In 2017, Gold acquired the panels of the original stage where Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and others performed. Since he had already been awarded the merchandising rights to sell memorabilia from the original event, he started Peace of Stage, a website where fans can purchase pieces of the original stage that have been repurposed as necklaces and other collectables.
“People have an intense emotional attachment to the festival, whether they were there or not,” he says in a statement. “The original stage is the only artifact that exists for people to touch and reflect upon. Its importance is beyond measure — it’s like the Holy Grail of rock music.”
The Rock Hall event is free with general admission.
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