Hey, it's Martin. Post reports is off for the holidays, so we're sharing a story

from All Told, a narrative podcast here at the post. It's a two-part story, so if you

didn't listen yesterday, you should go back and listen to that one first. It will

give today's episode a whole lot more context. Here's part two of Jeff Edger's

story on Altamont, the first rock festival disaster, and a warning, the story

contained explicit language. Meredith Hunter didn't tell his girlfriend much. She

didn't know about his mother's schizophrenia or his stays in juvenile detention

centers. What Patty Brettoff did know is how Meredith made her feel. And he

didn't walk, he kind of floated. He had this walk where he was just like super cool

and he always had a suit. And when he picked me, I mean it was like, you know, that

made me feel like special, you know, like, you know, I'm close, even very sweet. I

mean, I mean, we really have a connection. He was 18, she was 17. Finding each

other was a kind of escape from an unpleasant past. Music was another escape,

like it is for so many teenagers. Meredith told his sister Dixie about this

free concert with these huge bands. She was worried. Meredith was black,

Patty is white. A biracial couple didn't stand out in the Bay Area where they

lived, but now we're eased at Altamont. When I said, you know, that's not a good

place for you. I said, because my husband owned some trucks that he would go and

collect iron and stuff out there. And he would take me and I have seen two

pucks, clams, crosses that have been burnt in the field. And I told him, I said, I

see you, I said, you don't do that. Meredith had been to the Monterrey Jazz Festival

earlier in the year, but he'd missed Woodstock. He wasn't going to miss this. I

...