Video Overview
This video captures one of the most famous and influential performances in rock history: Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic, distorted, and highly expressive instrumental rendition of the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
A Defning Moment
This performance, which took place at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on the morning of Monday, August 18, 1969, as the festival was drawing to a close, has become a powerful musical touchstone and a defining cultural moment of the late 1960s. It is widely considered one of the most famous and influential performances in rock history.
Sonic Commentary
Using extreme distortion, feedback, and the whammy bar, Hendrix transformed the song into a sonic portrait of the era’s chaos and upheaval. The sounds he produced were widely interpreted as simulating scenes of combat, including “rockets, missiles and bombs bursting in air,” reflecting the turmoil of the Vietnam War and national unrest.
Artistic Vision
Hendrix’s approach has been described as a model of “compressed expressionism” that perfectly encapsulated the forces colliding at the end of the decade. Critics noted that he used a technique called “text painting,” where the music—though instrumental—directly reflected the content of the anthem’s lyrics in the context of 1969.
The Band
For this particular set, Hendrix was leading an expanded, one-off ensemble he called Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, which included a rhythm guitarist and two percussionists.
The Reaction
The performance came across as startling and utterly new to the audience, with many feeling stunned and moved. When later asked about the controversy, Hendrix stated, “All I did was play it. I’m American, so I played it,” though its political and cultural significance was immediately recognized and debated as a powerful anti-war statement.
This live performance of the Star Spangled Banner is widely viewed as a rock masterpiece that not only elevated the guitar to a tool for deep artistic statement but also turned the national anthem into a powerful commentary on American ideals during a time of war.