NYS Music 20​19

Tag: Ringo Starr

  • We Are Golden, Part 2: The Celebration of Woodstock at 50

    The celebration they wanted – a weekend of music on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair – continued following Arlo Guthrie’s opening performance to commemorate 50 years since the festival occurred.

    Many alumni from the 1969 festival returned to Bethel Woods over the course of the four days to breathe life into their memories, joined by younger generations looking to enjoy music and learn about a piece of 1960’s history.

    While not a major music festival production, Bethel Woods hosted performances during the afternoons leading up to the main stage acts. The two side stages on the upper lawn brought in both local, regional and national talent, including: In The Kitchen, Mike Miz, Lara Hope & The Arktones, Emily Mure, American Nomads (Friday), Murali Coryell, Catbird, Chogyi Lama, Ira & Max Stone, John John Brown (Saturday), and Jack West, The Whispering Tree, Jesse Kinch, Ian Flannigan (Sunday).

    Lara Hope & The Arktones

    Each of the three nights brought back performers from the 1969 festival. The Beatles never played Woodstock as they were busy working on their album, Abbey Road. However, Ringo Starr and his All Star Band brought Santana’s keyboardist back to the stage to jam on a couple of Santana’s early works and paid tribute to other performances from 1969, with a medley of tunes later in the set. Saturday brought Carlos Santana back to the stage, with a little help from The Doobie Brothers. Closing out the weekend was a powerful set by Creedance Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty who, at age 74, rocked with the stage presence and humor of someone 30 years younger. Other 1969 performers to hit the stage included Blood, Sweat & Tears (new lineup) and Edgar Winter, who sat in with his brother Johnny for part of his Woodstock set.

    John Fogerty (photo by Kevin Ferguson/Bethel Woods)

    Scenes from the 1970 Woodstock documentary immortalized the weather that mired parts of the festival. Somewhat true to that form, some threats of weather and a short but heavy rain hindered the festivities a little bit. Spirits were kept up; some recreating the “no rain!” chants and others taking the opportunity to chat and share stories while activities were on hold.

    The weekend was a perfect pace to celebrate the history, and anniversary, of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Although the 50th anniversary weekend is behind us, the conversation will keep going. The Museum at Bethel Woods has done an excellent job at preserving and documenting the history of Woodstock with their permanent exhibit and their special exhibit, “We Are Golden: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for a Peaceful Future” which remains open through October.

    Stay tuned to NYS Music as we bring you parts three and four of our coverage, featuring stories from people who were there, including Nick & Bobbie Ercoline, Duke Devlin, and photographer/Hog Farm member, Lisa Law.

    Photos by Steve Malinski.

    Main stage photos below by Kevin Ferugson/Bethel Woods:

  • We Are Golden: Arlo Guthrie Celebrates Woodstock 50th Anniversary at Bethel Woods

    Fifty years after the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair, many original festival goers and younger crowds alike returned to the site of the original festival to mark the golden anniversary at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Last night opened the weekend with a performance by Arlo Guthrie, who bridged August 15 and 16, 1969 with a midnight set all those years ago.

    Though a bit scaled down from the crowds of approximately 400,000 in 1969, the few thousand people in attendance brought their old memories back to life (minus the mud and inconveniences); they were able to soak in the atmosphere – breathe air that’s never been breathed before, as Woodstock/Bethel Woods mainstay Duke Devlin said. Guthrie was the only artist to perform, but fellow Woodstock alum Melanie Safka stopped by for part of the evening.

    arlo guthrie woodstock

    Some rain changed the original plans for the night, but the screening of the Woodstock documentary film still took place in the pavilion. This change didn’t dampen any spirits though; while various artists’ performances were shown from the 1969 festival many original attendees were giving as much as standing ovations.

    Check out a few images from yesterday’s happenings at Bethel Woods, and stay tuned to NYS Music for more on this Woodstock anniversary weekend. Bethel Woods continues the celebration with performances by Ringo Starr, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Edgar Winter (Friday), Santana and The Doobie Brothers (Satruday), and John Fogerty, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (Sunday).

    Tourism at the site this weekend is restricted to only those who have tickets and travel passes specific to each day.

  • Surviving Beatles to tour with Boy George and Elton John

    A collaboration no one expected will tour this summer as ‘The New Beetles.’ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will be joined by Boy George and Elton John, which, according to Starr, will allow “A new generation to be able to say they saw John, Paul, George and me, Ringo.”

    boy george

    The New Beetles will perform classic songs from The original Beatles catalog and Boy George songs, as well as new classics such as “Instant Karma Chameleon,” “Can You Feel the Love Me Do,” “A Day in the Wind,” “Cry Baby Crying Game,” “I’m Still Seeing her Standing There,” “Do You Really Want To Hold My Hand,”  and many more.

    “I’m most excited to play “Goodbye Yellow Brick Submarine” and “Get Back, Honky Cat,” said Elton John. “I always felt like my songs could use a little influence from the Fab 4, and here we are, rehearsing “The Bitch Is Back In The USSR.” It’s really quite fascinating.”

    The New Beetles tour is sponosored by the 2020 Volkswagon Beetle. 

  • Bethel Producer Pulls Out of Woodstock 50th Celebration, Festival Replaced with Separate Concert Events

    Two separate shows were originally slated to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock during the same weekend of Aug. 16-18, one of those events, in Bethel, is now being scaled back.

    The Poughkeepsie Journal has reported that INVNT, the branding and live storytelling agency slated to help produce the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival, celebrating Woodstock’s 50th anniversary, has pulled out of the event with a statement released on Feb. 18, just weeks, if not days away from an artist lineup for the show.

    INVNT stated about the departure that it: “will now comprise three separate events over three days and forms part of the venue’s Season of Song & Celebration commemorations, a year-long schedule of exhibits, programs and events.”

    INVNT was partnering with Bethel Woods and Live Nation to produce the weekend long festival.  The re-imagined celebration will now stretch throughout the 50th anniversary summer instead of concentrating solely on the weekend festival that had been in direct competition with Woodstock 50, the Michael Lang-produced event that same weekend at Watkins Glen International Speedway 90 miles west of Bethel.

    The second announced artist appearing at the performing arts center will be Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band with Arlo Guthrie and the Edgar Winter Band. They will join another rock legend in Carlos Santana, who is touring sheds this summer with the Doobie Brothers. Santana announced his appearance last month.

    INVNT CEO Scott Cullather, released this statement about the event: “INVNT will not be involved in the new format and we wish Bethel Woods and Live Nation, as well as the organizers of the other 50th anniversary celebrations taking place around the world, the very best.”

    Original Woodstock producer and co-founder Michael Lang will hold his own anniversary show the same weekend as the Bethel woods event in Watkins Glen. Lang stated that he has over 40 artist booked for his event, but has yet to announce any artists.

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