The original Woodstock in 1969 is remembered as an amazing moment for the decade – Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Grateful Dead were amazing the notable acts that played. But if you really look into it, it was a financial disaster. There wasn't ample security, and people started hopping the fences, and it ended up being a free show for fans – but not the investors in the festival. It also turned the nearby towns into standstill zones, since traffic was so bad, people just ended up abandoning their cars. Good times.
Then, they tried it again in 1994 for the 25th anniversary with alternative bands, and it went pretty well. So, for the 30th anniversary, they tried it again in 1999, with mostly nu-metal bands. And we remember how that ended up. Woodstock was in a way ahead of its time, overcharging for water, and anything and everything.
At the time, I remember everybody basically agreeing that the brand had been tarnished. But, in recent years, destination festivals have really exploded in popularity, especially in rock music. So, I guess with 20 years to forget about the mistakes of 1999, they are trying it again.
This time, Live Nation is involved, so at least it will be organized properly. Live Nation is partnering with the historic site of the original festival, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, and and agency Invnt. The festival is currently being planned for August 16 – 18th. Live Nation promises a series of "brand activations" which seems a bit antithetical to the Woodstock brand, but whatever.
Here are some highlighted performances from Woodstock over the years.
[via CampaignLive]
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly noted that Joni Mitchell appeared at the first Woodstock. She did not, but did have a song named after the New York town.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR88BgYMlbQ][/youtube]
