A backyard barbecue, a long orange extension cord, and a beat-up VHS of Woodstock. That’s how Andrew Verkamp accidentally started a movement in a tiny Indiana town, one that grew into Kayana Woodstock—a decades-long tradition that packed hundreds into his yard, then graduated to the Lincoln Amphitheater with live bands, giant screens, and a stubborn commitment to peace and love. We sit down with Andrew to unpack the true story behind his book, Kayana Woodstock: One More Day of Peace and Music, and how a private screening ritual became a regional stage for rock history and community.

Andrew takes us back to 1969’s gravity, the reel-to-reel tapes from a brother in Vietnam, and the Beatles album that rewired his life. He explains why the book blends memoir with cultural history, and how he honored song lyrics through clever word scrambles while navigating an eye-opening education in music licensing. From ASCAP and BMI coverage to the hard stop on screening rights, we trace his mad dash through Warner Bros. calls, estates, and the workaround that made a public Woodstock showing possible. Then the story turns electric: a storm show where rain hammered the stage, fans hauled drums and amps inside, and fireworks boomed through thunder while the crowd sang on.

Along the way, we explore what it means to keep a scene alive—passing the hat for local artists, doubling donations to a school music fund, sponsoring a summer stage, and inviting young bands to make their first leap from garage to stage. Andrew reflects on hearing loss at an Aerosmith concert, concert pilgrimages to the places where legends fell and rose, and his belief that everyone carries a version of sex, drugs, and rock and roll—whatever their passions may be. He also hints at a second book that trades the backyard for the world, connecting travel, empathy, and the same relentless question: can we still build spaces where strangers choose trust for a night?

If you love rock history, festival lore, or stories of DIY culture that scale into community, you’ll feel right at home. Listen, share with a friend who needs the spark, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Peace and love—see you at the next show.

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