Hendrix’s performance included a rendition of the US national anthem

Hendrix’s performance included a rendition of the US national anthem, ” The Star-Spangled Banner “, with copious feedback, distortion, and sustain to imitate the sounds made by rockets and bombs. Contemporary political pundits described his interpretation as a statement against the Vietnam War . Three weeks later Hendrix said: “We’re all Americans … it was like ‘Go America!’… We play it the way the air is in America today. The air is slightly static, see.” Immortalized in the 1970 documentary film, Woodstock , Hendrix’s version became part of the sixties zeitgeist . Pop critic Al Aronowitz of the New York Post wrote: “It was the most electrifying moment of Woodstock, and it was probably the single greatest moment of the sixties.” Images of the performance showing Hendrix wearing a blue-beaded white leather jacket with fringe, a red head-scarf, and blue jeans are regarded as iconic pictures that capture a defining moment of the era. He played “Hey Joe” during the encore, concluding the 3 1 ⁄ 2 -day festival. Upon leaving the stage, he collapsed from exhaustion. In 2011, the editors of Guitar World named his performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” the greatest performance of all time.