“We are stardust, we are golden”. So wrote Joni Mitchell in her song about the Woodstock Festival, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Of course, the legendary singer-songwriter didn’t actually attend the event otherwise she might have been moved to write “We are starving, we are up to our armpits in mud.” Regardless, the name “Woodstock” remains one of the most resonant in rock history. So, it isn’t a huge surprise that Michael Lang, one of the original fest’s founders, announced this weekend at SXSW that he is trying to raise money for a free 40th anniversary concert, which might be held in New York City. According to billboard.com Lang also said that Woodstock 2009 would go “back to its roots…There would be a lot of legacy bands – the Who, Santana, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joe Cocker maybe.”So, what do you think Popwatchers? Is that the kind of bill anyone would be excited for these days? Did you attend the original “3 Days of Peace And Music”? Or, alternatively, did any of you go to the disastrous Woodstock ’99?
Mar 23
2009
03:36 PM ET
Woodstock: It's back (maybe)!
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If they can pull this off without a bottle of water costing $7 and tickets being sold for $250, then it would be awesome. Otherwise it will just be another commercially run into the ground recylcing of something that was once great.
We did Woodstock ’99. I stayed for the first day. I looked around that day and saw over priced water, no shade, 90 degree temperatures and lots of angry young men. There was very little free drinking water and by 3 that day, it was contaminated by the overturned port-a-potties. It was easy to see a riot in the making. I got out that day and watched it blow up in the comfort of a hotel bar two days later. That no one died in that lunacy continues to be an amazement to me. Corporate greed and really bad planning destroyed what should have been a great music festival. Never again.
would i see that lineup? gods no. i’d much rather have 3 more days of woodstock 99!!!
We attended Woodstock 99 and I still have PTSD whenever I see a porta-potty. It was a disaster from minute one trying to find a place to set up the tents. There was no shade or water and apparently no one cleaning the porta-pottys. I fainted from dehydration and all the cops/medics thought I was on drugs. We thought about leaving day 2 but decided to stick it out, we left halfway through day 3, right before the fires. I have never been so happy to see a rest stop with a toilet and running water in my life. NEVER again.
What’s the point? Cochella is much better. Besides, today, bottled water costs 7 dollars, beer about 9. This years Woodstock should have ATM Machines EVERYWHERE.
Here is a better thought:
Gather any band or popular band who performed at the original Woodstock and bring them all together for an anniversary concert at MSG.
Woodstock lives http://www.radiowoodstock.com! Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival plus great content and 2 Radio Woodstock audio channels…Radio Woodstock 69 with only music from the original Woodstock era and Radio Woodstock with a great mix of music from the original Woodstock era to today. Peace, love, music.
In theory, I’d love to see this, but only in a sanitary & safe environment. Might I suggest, as an alternative, the Abbey Road on the River festival in Louisville over Memorial Day weekend? Of course there’s a lot of Beatles stuff, but there’s also going to be a Tommy album recreation, a Summer of Love day on Monday with tributes to the Mamas & the Papas and Jimi Hendrix, among others…
I did indeed go to Woodstock 99, and it was really peaceful (at least where I was at) until the end. After the final song, everything was burning. I felt like I was in a war zone. It was scary! I just turned 18 at the time, and when I came home my mom was watching all the footage on MTV News. She was thriled and relieved to see that I made it home safely. What I didn’t get was why people complained about prices. If they were going to complain, they should have just stayed home instead of ruining it for everyone else who wanted to have a good time.