WINESTOCK: A FESTIVAL THAT FERMENTED
Winestock began, according to every reliable source, by accident.
It started as a small end-of-season grape harvest gathering at a Northern California vineyard whose owners believed—incorrectly—that inviting a few friends, a few musicians, and a few cases of unfinished wine would result in a quiet afternoon. Someone hung a handwritten sign that said “Music Later”. Someone else added “Bring a Bottle.” No one remembers who added “Free.”
By mid-afternoon, the parking problem had become purely philosophical.
Unlike most festivals, the outdoor concerts held at Winestock Vinyards never announced a lineup. The assumption was that music would emerge if enough instruments were nearby. This turned out to be correct. Bands formed on the spot, dissolved, recombined, and occasionally wandered off mid-song to investigate food and weed and sometimes wine.
The wine was not officially ready, but you could sample as much as you wanted. This was considered a feature.
THE PHILOSOPHY
Winestock operated under three unofficial rules:
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If you can hear it, it’s a stage.
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If you brought an instrument, you’re performing.
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If you didn’t bring an instrument, drop a donation in the basket for the band.
There were no headliners, though several artists became headliners accidentally and were gently ushered back into the crowd to maintain balance.
Time slots were ignored. Amplification was negotiated socially. When a generator failed, acoustic music surged in self-defense.
THE CROWD
Attendees insist they didn’t go to Winestock — they ended up there.
People arrived planning to stay an hour and remained until sunset, sunrise, or the next harvest. Many swear they heard songs they later couldn’t find on any album, including ones that apparently haven’t been written yet.
Children danced. Dogs slept under speakers. Someone sold grilled cheese for exactly one hour and then vanished.
WHY IT MATTERED
Winestock became famous not because it was big, but because it felt unrecorded even while it was clearly being recorded.
Every year afterward, someone would ask if it was happening all over again. The answer was always:
“If it ever does happen again, you’ll surely know it.”
There were no official posters at first. The few that exist look homemade because they were. Later reproductions failed to capture the original effect, which involved grape leaves, dust, feedback, and a general sense that something meaningful was happening slightly to the left of where you were standing.
ENTER: THE POOPS
The Poops were not booked.
They were not announced.
They were not even introduced.
They began playing when someone handed them power and didn’t ask questions. Their set stretched, collapsed, regrouped, and ended only when the light changed enough that people started hugging.
Afterward, Winestock was never quite the same — or maybe it always had been the same, and this was just the first time someone had noticed.
WINESTOCK TODAY
Winestock is remembered as:
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a festival
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a rumor
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a recurring misunderstanding
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a very good idea that refused to become a business
It is still cited whenever someone asks:
“What happens if you just let the music happen?”
Answer: Winestock.
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ROCK MAGAZINE — FEATURE
“THE POOPS: ACCIDENTAL LEGENDS OR JUST LOUD ENOUGH?”
by Staff (names withheld)
No one seems to agree on when The Poops actually formed, including the band themselves.
Some accounts say they met at a rehearsal space. Others insist it was a picnic table. One witness claims it was “a misunderstanding involving a shared extension cord.” What is clear is that by the time anyone noticed, they were already playing — and people were already staying.
The Poops do not describe themselves as a band. They refer to the lineup as “whoever showed up and didn’t leave.” Instruments appear to have been chosen less by intention than by proximity. When asked who the leader is, all four members gestured vaguely in different directions, including once toward a wine bottle.
Their sound has been described as:
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“feral but friendly”
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“what happens when nobody says no”
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“surprisingly tight for a group that doesn’t rehearse on purpose”
Winestock was supposed to be a casual afternoon set. According to festival organizers, The Poops were booked to “fill time.” Instead, the crowd filled the hill, then the road, then the vineyard path that wasn’t yet on the map. By sunset, people were chanting lyrics that hadn’t been written.
One attendee told us:
“I don’t remember how many songs they played. I just remember wanting them to stop.”
Backstage, The Poops reportedly declined requests to shorten their set, lengthen their set, explain their set, or confirm whether it was, in fact, a set.
LINER NOTES (as printed inside the gatefold, possibly by accident)
Live at Winestock is not a document. It’s a situation.
These recordings were captured during a period when The Poops were technically not touring, not recording, and not sure who owned the van. What you hear is what happened when no one intervened.
There are no overdubs.
There was no plan.
Several songs begin where others should have ended.
If this record sounds like a bootleg, that’s intentional.
If it sounds official, that’s a mistake.
The Poops would like to thank:
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whoever plugged in the PA
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whoever didn’t unplug it
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the audience for singing parts that didn’t exist yet
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and Winestock, for not calling security
Side effects of repeated listening may include:
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smiling for no clear reason
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thinking you remember being there
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checking old posters to see if your name is on them
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How about that? Here’s the Bardo bus already! Hop on board or lose it.
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See You At The Top!!!
gorby