CRIMES: The Altamont Concert Riot

In December 1969, the Rolling Stones set out to create the West Coast’s answer to Woodstock — a free concert meant to celebrate peace, music, and the spirit of the era. Instead, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival descended into chaos. With the Hells Angels hired as security, a massive, unruly crowd, and mounting violence throughout the day, the event spiraled toward tragedy. When 18-year-old Meredith Hunter was killed during the Stones’ set, Altamont became a symbol of the counterculture’s dark turn. In this episode, Vanessa Richardson recounts the disastrous planning, escalating tensions, and fatal chain of events that transformed a landmark concert into one of rock history’s most haunting cautionary tales.
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