As the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival approaches on August 14, 2009 in Bethel, New York, Magic (L) holds his son Jacob Magic Pharis. The 40th anniversary concert was held in Bethel, New York in 2009.
Woodstock 99 was not the first attempt by organizers to recreate the iconic 1969 festival. There have been at least three efforts, with varied degrees of success, to bring Woodstock back to the people.
The Netflix docuseries “Trainwreck: Woodstock 99” examines one of the most unsuccessful efforts. The three-part documentary focused on one day of the festival, demonstrating how organizer Michael Lang and producer John Scher failed to replicate the historic event renowned for peace and love. Riots, fires, hundreds of injuries, and three fatalities marked the conclusion of the Woodstock 99 event.
“Will there be another Woodstock?” Lang was questioned in the documentary. He said that the 1999 event will very certainly be the last.
In the days after the cancellation of Woodstock 50, David Crosby told Rolling Stone that the festival could not be reproduced via a profit-making venture.
“You can’t’magic’ one of these [Woodstocks] into happening,” he told Rolling Stone. “It had nothing to do with people liking each other. It has something to do with some individuals generating a lot of money. That’s a sloppy way to begin in the first place. It is not a motivating factor that brings out the best in individuals.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Woodstock Organizer Michael Lang Made a Final Attempt to Bring Woodstock Back for a 50th Anniversary in 2019
Gas tank explosions, $12 bottles of water, several rapes, people washing in shitmud (and drinking water polluted with shit)… the latest Netflix documentary There’s a lot to digest in Trainwreck: Woodstock 99. pic.twitter.com/y6dIM7l4gq
— Jess Hardiman (@Jess_Hardiman) August 3, 2022
While the Netflix documentary said that there would most likely be no more Woodstocks, Lang sought to resurrect the event for its 50th anniversary, Woodstock 50, in 2019. According to The New York Times, the intended lineup would have featured Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, the Killers, Chance the Rapper, Santana, and Imagine Dragons.
“However, the event was called off due to a legal battle with its financial backer, an arm of the Japanese advertising conglomerate Dentsu,” according to the newspaper.
A month before it was revealed, Rolling Stone stated that Woodstock 50 was “already in deep trouble.” It was set to take place from August 16 to 18, 2019, nearly precisely 50 years after the first event.
Woodstock 94 Lost Money Due to Gate Crashers & Poor Security But Woodstock 69 Remains Cast in History as a Celebration of Peace & Love
Lang and other organizers were aiming to save expenses after the financially disastrous 1994 Woodstock revival, which saw more than half of the attendance be gate crashers. To further increase security and reduce the potential of gate crashers, organizers opted to conduct the event at Griffiss Air Force facility, a deactivated air force facility near Rome, New York.
The bunkers and concrete did not exactly scream “peace and love,” according to interviewees in the three-part documentary series, but the location also proved problematic for festivalgoers looking for shelter on days when temperatures above 100 degrees. David DeRosia died as a result of a heat-related disease.
Those who visited Woodstock 69 recall it as a formative event in their lives. The couple whose picture was made famous on the cover of the 1970 live CD “Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More,” Bobbi and Nick Ercoline, told NPR that things have changed but memories of Woodstock 69 have not. The pair is still married after 50 years.
Bobbi told NPR, “I’m just very grateful to be a very small part of Woodstock.” “In today’s world, there’s a lot of sadness, viciousness, and selfishness, but there was none of that at Woodstock.”
Related Questions
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Is it going to be another Woodstock?
Woodstock 50 was a proposed American music festival that was set to take place on August 16-18, 2019, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
…Woodstock 50 Original Woodstock 50 promotional poster Dates August 16–18, 2019 (canceled) Founded by Michael Lang Website woodstock.com -
Will there be another Woodstock 2023?
About Woodstock Festival 2023
SGC Entertainment announced a three-day event in Korea in 2023 as part of their formal copyright agreement with the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. -
Will there be a Woodstock 2024?
New York City. The event commemorated the 55th anniversary of the year 1969. See all 5 for: Wednesday, August 14, 2024. See all 13 for Friday, August 16, 2024.
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Why don t they have Woodstock anymore?
“Despite our tremendous investment of time, effort, and commitment, we do not believe the festival production can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners, and attendees,” the statement said in part.
