Which band's set was interrupted by activist Abbie Hoffman?
Answer
The Who
The Who’s set was interrupted by activist Abbie Hoffman at Woodstock. Hoffman briefly seized a microphone while the band was performing and tried to use the stage for a political protest.
Hoffman intended to draw attention to the imprisonment of John Sinclair, a co-founder of the White Panther Party and a prominent counterculture figure. During the interruption, he criticized Sinclair’s jail sentence before Pete Townshend forced him away from the stage.
The incident occurred during The Who’s overnight performance on August 17, 1969. Townshend later said that, despite agreeing with Hoffman’s cause, he objected to anyone disrupting the band’s performance. Accounts differ over whether Townshend struck Hoffman with his guitar or merely shoved him away.
The moment is often confused with Woodstock’s broader political atmosphere, but Hoffman did not interrupt Jimi Hendrix, Santana, or Janis Joplin. The incident was not captured on film because it happened during a camera change, although an audio recording survives.