NYS Music 20​19

Tag: Woodstock 50

  • Woodstock Merriweather Event Canceled

    After failing to secure venues in New York State, where the original Woodstock was held, officials sought to move the whole thing to the venerable Merriweather Post Pavilion the weekend of Aug. 16-18. That event has now been canceled.

    Woodstock Merriweather Canceled

    Following news of another venue change, artists originally slated to perform began announcing that they would not be participating. John Fogerty was the first to withdraw. A statement from the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman’s camp, on Thursday, said, “John Fogerty knows where he will be for the anniversary weekend of Woodstock. At only one site… at the original one – the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.”

    This announcement was quickly followed by similar statements from Jay-Z, Dead & Co. On Monday Miley Cyrus, the Raconteurs, the Lumineers, John Sebastian, Santana, and Country Joe McDonald followed suit.

    In what was supposed to have been a free ticketed event being staged as a fundraiser for HeadCount and global warming causes, another wrench in the works was the previously scheduled Smashing Pumpkins and Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds show already scheduled to take place at Merriweather on the 17th, smack dab in the middle of what was supposed to be a three-day Woodstock festival.

    On Wednesday, organizers officially declared the event dead, stating:

    “We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the Festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating, said Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. “When we lost the Glen and then Vernon Downs we looked for a way to do some good rather than just cancel. We formed a collaboration with HeadCount to do a smaller event at the Merriweather Pavilion to raise funds for them to get out the vote and for certain NGOs involved in fighting climate change.  We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary. Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons. I would like to encourage artists and agents, who all have been fully paid, to donate 10% of their fees to HeadCount or causes of their choice in the spirit of peace. Woodstock remains committed to social change and will continue to be active in support of HeadCount’s critical mission to get out the vote before the next election. We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity. My thoughts turn to Bethel and its celebration of our 50th Anniversary to reinforce the values of compassion, human dignity, and the beauty of our differences embraced by Woodstock”

    Is this the end of Woodstock 50? A statement from Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., which owns the 9:30 Club in Washington and manages Merriweather, suggests that there may still be something in the works, “Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.”

     

  • Woodstock Moving to Maryland?

    In a last-ditch effort to save the 50th-anniversary celebration of Woodstock, organizers are moving the concert to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.

    Bloomberg reported Thursday that the outdoor amphitheater will host “Woodstock 50 Washington” on the originally planned dates of Aug. 16-18. The venue is said to hold 32,000 people, a number far lower than the 150,000 promoters originally planned to host at the Watkins Glen site.

    woodstock moving

    After having their permit pulled by Watkins Glen officials in early June, Woodstock organizers sought to move the concert some 150 miles northeast of the Glen to the Central New York town of Vernon.

    After being rejected by Vernon four separate times, Michael Lang, and Greg Peck have landed in Columbia, MD, according to Bloomberg. Howard County executive, Calvin Ball is welcoming the festival with open arms:

    “When we heard that there was an opportunity to save this festival and bring a piece of American history to our community this summer, we jumped at the chance. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia is a jewel of Howard County and one of the top music venues in the nation. It felt like such a natural fit to host a historic festival on our storied stage.”

    The new venue brings with it a new mission. It is now being pitched as a benefit for climate change and the voter registration organization HeadCount. Portions of the proposed $129-$595 one-day passes would go towards these non-profits.

    The wrench in the works is whether the acts originally slated to appear will be on board with the venue change. Variety reports that artists, who have already been paid in full, are simply waiting for the event to be canceled altogether.

    The clock is ticking to get this thing off the ground. With three weeks until the event is scheduled to take place, ticket sales still need to be announced. Stay tuned.

  • Vernon Planning Board Denies Woodstock 50 Appeal

    (Updated 12:45 am, July 17, 2019) The Poughkeepsie Journal is reporting that Woodstock has issued a statement regarding the denial of their appeal to the Town of Vernon Planning Board Tuesday night. The statement thanks the artists and Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural for their support of the festival. Read the full statement below:

    Woodstock 50 is disappointed that the Town of Vernon has passed up the opportunity to hold the historic 50th anniversary festival by denying our robust and thoughtful proposal. We regret that those in Vernon who supported Woodstock have been deprived of the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of the rebirth of a cultural peace movement that changed the world in 1969 and is what the world needs now. We want to thank the artists who stood by us. We are grateful for the support of Vernon Downs and its generous owner Jeffrey Gural.

    The Town of Vernon Codes Department twice denied event applications filed by Woodstock 50 promoters last week to hold the anniversary concert over three days in August. Tuesday night Woodstock and Vernon Downs officials pleaded their case before the town’s planning board only to have their appeal unanimously denied 3-0 with two members not present.

    Nearly 200 people packed the town hall for the meeting which saw passionate pleas both for and against Vernon Downs hosting the event Aug. 16-18.

    Woodstock officials held “open house” meetings on Monday and Tuesday to allow citizens to get to know them and hear their plans for the festival.

    Vernon Planning Board

    Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol have been vocally against the event being held with little time to prepare. Both released statements late Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the Planning Board meeting.

    Picente said, “Currently with less than 30 days to go, their incompetence and misrepresentations are still front and center. They have consistently failed to provide traffic plans that scratch the surface of what would be necessary. They have yet to provide a parking plan that even begins to come close to tenable for the residents of Vernon.” Adding after the final decision, “I’m pleased with the decision of the Town of Vernon Planning Board to uphold the town codes officer’s decision denying Woodstock 50 a permit.”

    Maciol’s statement said, “We should be talking about August of 2020 or 2021, not August of 2019. As the security plans were unveiled to us, I immediately developed serious concerns that I feel will jeopardize public safety.”

    And while this decision seems to be the final nail in the Woodstock 50 coffin, promoter Michael Lang left open the possibility of it still occurring, telling Syracuse.com, “There’s a crack. We’ll know more tomorrow,” while also saying they won’t take this decision to the courts.

    Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural, who has expressed interest in making the harness track a concert venue in order to remain financially viable, spoke bluntly at Tuesday’s meeting, pleading for the town to “take a chance” while also stating, “If we don’t get permission to do this, I’m not going to try again.”

    Woodstock 50’s troubled path began when investors pulled out, causing Watkins Glen to terminate the permit.

    NYS Music will update this story as it develops.

  • Too Little, Too Late: Woodstock 50 Permit Denied by Town of Vernon

    Update (July 10, 11:15 am): Woodstock 50 promoters have issued a statement after being denied a permit by the Town of Vernon to hold the festival at Vernon Downs in August. They will be appealing the codes enforcement officer’s ruling to the Town of Vernon Planning Board. The board has 30 days to rule on the appeal. A spokesperson for Woodstock issued the following statement late Tuesday:

    In response to the denial of an event permit by the Town of Vernon, Woodstock 50 believes certain political forces may be working against the resurrection of the Festival. Local reports claim Woodstock’s filing for the permit was “incomplete” but that is not the case. Woodstock 50 officials were informed by the Town of Vernon that most questions had been answered and asked only that Woodstock submit medical, safety/security and traffic plans by this past Sunday, which it did. With a venue chosen, financing assembled and many of the artist’s supporting Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary event, the organizers are hopeful that their appeal and reapplication tonight will prevail without further political interference.

    Syracuse.com is reporting that the Town of Vernon has denied an event permit application to hold the Woodstock 50 year anniversary at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel. The event was scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18 at the harness racing facility in rural Central New York.

    Town attorney Vincent Rossi told the site that the application was submitted late and was “dramatically incomplete,” while also adding that Woodstock or Vernon Downs can file an appeal with the town planning board within five days. The board would then have 30 days to rule on the appeal.

    Town Code Enforcement Officer Jody Thieme, in the town’s denial letter, cited a provision in the town code that calls for explicit plans for an event, including sanitation, parking, traffic control, emergency first aid, and evacuation procedures. The application, which was filed on July 3, lacked supporting documents detailing these requirements.

    Woodstock 50 Permit Denied
    Vernon Downs Harness Racing Track

    Additionally, town code requires applications to be submitted 120 days prior to an event, which would have been in April. Woodstock filed their initial application in June, according to officials.

    Town residents and local law enforcement expressed concerns over the event at a town meeting held Monday night. The standing-room-only meeting was attended by nearly 100 people, many worried about the traffic, noise, and vandalism from the expected 65,000 attendees.

    Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol and Oneida County Emergency Management Director Kevin Revere have spoken against hosting the event since the possibility of the Vernon site was announced, citing the lack of time needed to properly put it together.

    At Monday’s meeting Maciol went a step further, saying, “It is impossible to ensure the safety of the public at this point. If you’re asking me right now, I’m not confident in saying the public will be safe.”

    Revere added, “Any emergency management director will say there isn’t enough time to do this properly. The less time you have to plan this stuff, the margin of error goes up tremendously.”

    With a mere 38 days left to pull off the festival, the fate of Woodstock 50 is seemingly sealed for good. The festival’s future has been in flux since April when original investors, Dentsu Aegis Network, effectively canceled the festival, sending the matter to court. Woodstock organizers sought to recoup $18.5 million they claimed was illegally taken from a festival account by Dentsu. That claim was ultimately denied at the appellate level.

    Promoter Michael Lang had previously announced 80 acts to perform on three stages. Artists originally scheduled to perform include: Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, The Raconteurs, Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Santana, Greta Van Fleet, and John Fogerty.

    Woodstock officials have not yet commented on the town’s decision or whether they would file an appeal.

  • Woodstock 50 to Land at Vernon Downs in Central NY?

    Woodstock may be returning to Central New York at Vernon Downs for the 50 year anniversary of the iconic music and arts festival. Scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18, some of the previously announced headliners for the event include Jay-Z, The Raconteurs, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, John Fogerty and Dead & Company.

    The festival would still be held on the originally planned weekend of Aug. 16-18, only now possibly at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel in Vernon, a small town located along the New York State Thruway between Syracuse and Rome. There would most likely be no camping and the performances would run from until 11:00 p.m. each day.

    After Watkins Glen International Speedway pulled out as host of Woodstock 50 on June 10, organizer Michael Lang vowed the festival would still be happening and that they were in discussions with other venues. It now appears that Vernon Downs was one of those venues.

    Michael Lang is no stranger to the Central New York area. Woodstock ’99 was held at the decommissioned Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome. The festival drew upwards of 200,000 people that year and was marred by riots and sexual assaults that brought the festival to a fiery conclusion.

    woodstock 50 vernon downs

    The harness racing track located on site has a past of hosting larger concert events, the latest being Aug. 29, 2012 when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band visited during the Wrecking Ball Tour. Track owners at the time suggested that they could comfortably host 30,000 people for the Boss’s show at their venue, a sharp decline from the 100,000 attendees Lang had originally anticipated for his event at Watkins Glen this year.

    The track has also hosted Phish, the HORDE tour, the Other Ones (one of many Grateful Dead offshoots) and several versions of the regional radio festival, K-Rockathon.

    Even with a lack of on-site camping, attendees would still have several lodging options in the area. The nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona has several hotels and an RV park. Other local options for lodging include two state parks at Verona Beach and Delta Lake, along with several private campgrounds and hotels in nearby Utica, Rome and Syracuse.

    Ticketing information was unavailable at press time but would be contingent upon organizers acquiring final permits from the town. The lack of camping would preclude the need for a mass gathering permit from New York State.

    NYS Music will have more information as it becomes available.

    Editor’s note: This article has been edited to reflect a different number of attendees at Woodstock ’99.

  • Watkins Glen International Terminates Site License for Woodstock 50

    (Updated 10:00 p.m.) According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, despite the loss of Watkins Glen as the venue for Woodstock 50, organizers are still pressing on.

    The paper quotes Woodstock official Gregory Peck in a statement issued Monday evening, “We are in discussions with another venue to host Woodstock 50 on Aug. 16-18 and look forward to sharing the new location when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.”

    Woodstock 50 Watkins Glen

    Tickets for the festival, which lists headliners Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Dead & Co., and The Raconteurs have yet to go on sale. The festival is scheduled to take place in just over two months.

    According to Speedway Digest, Watkins Glen International Speedway has terminated its site license agreement to host the official 50 year anniversary celebration of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival.

    A statement released by representatives of Watkins Glen International stated, “Watkins Glen International terminated the site license for Woodstock pursuant to provisions of the contract. As such, WGI will not be hosting the Woodstock 50 Festival.”

    This announcement comes after many troubles for the festival and puts the celebration, which promoter Michael Lang has claimed in recent weeks will go on, in further doubt.

    Woodstock 50 was originally scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the famed speedway.

    Stay tuned to NYS Music for further developments on this.

  • Woodstock 50: A Big Mess

    In the latest turn of events, the state Supreme Court of New York has ruled that former Woodstock 50 investor Dentsu does not have the power to cancel the festival. The financial partner withdrew funding on April 29 and announced the cancellation of the event. Woodstock 50 organizers turned to state Supreme Court last week for a resolution, demanding that Dentsu return the $18 million and continue to work on the festival. Manhattan Judge Barry Osrager ruled that an ex-investor lacks authority to cancel an event, but declined to order the funds to be returned to the festival. In short, this has become a big mess.

    Woodstock 50 A Big Mess

    During the Relix Live Music Conference at Brooklyn Bowl on Wednesday, May 15, a panel moderated by David Fricke led to a discussion on Woodstock 50. During ‘Case Study: The Bowery Presents’ with John Moore, Jim Glancy, Rolling Stone’s David Fricke brought up AEG deciding to not getting involved in Woodstock 50. Fricke noted “there is no indication this thing (Woodstock 50) can be saved,” which led John Moore to confirm they are “not involved in any discussions with Woodstock 50.” Jim Glancy expanded on that, saying “We had zero interest in April to salvage an event in August. I have no idea how it plays out but it’s a big mess,’ later adding, “It doesn’t feel thought out.”

    Woodstock 50, an anniversary event planned to commemorate the iconic 1969 festival in Bethel, is planned for August in Watkins Glen. Festival organizers remain optimistic, despite lacking funds and a mass gathering permit.

  • The Masses of Woodstock 1969 Time Travel in a 38-Disc Box Set

    The daunting Woodstock 50 – Back to the Garden – The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive box set debuts August 2, exactly two weeks before the Woodstock festival revival was said to take place. Limited to 1969 units, the 38-disc box set is completely remastered, spanning the original festival top to bottom. All 433 tracks are catalogued between Friday’s opening set of Richie Havens to Jimi Hendrix, spilling into Monday morning.

    More than half of the total runtime debuts unheard releases. The 267 song homage captures names like Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly and the Family Stone and many greats for the first time.

    Each box comes loaded with a guitar strap, Director’s cut Blu-Ray, prints, writings and other memorabilia. A coffee table book, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music, fuses visuals with sound and are accompanied by Lang’s insights and memories to 1969.

    The collection is a time-capsule weaved with personality; notably from a replica diary written by an inspired attendee. Stage-banter sucks you into different angles in time – retrospective in particular lights of the festival experience, and flat out rock and roll. The expansive archive captures festival blurbs from random attendees taped by  sound recordist Charles Groesbeek, and backstage audio. Its mass will be organized neatly, day to day. From an analytical measure or for the pure Woodstock-junkie, this box set is remarkable. Experience it day by day as if it were 1969. Price of admission: $799.98

    The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive can be preordered here.

  • Woodstock 50: Lang Accuses Financial Partner of ‘Treachery,’ Plans To Raise $30M By Friday

    The drama surrounding Woodstock 50 continues. It is estimated that Lang will need upwards of $30 million to produce the three-day event at Watkins Glen International Speedway, Aug 16-18. According to Billboard, sources have stated that Lang has until Friday May 10 to raise the funds, which is in addition to the $30 million that Japanese-firm Dentsu has already spent on prospective headliners.

    Sources have also stated that despite Dentsu and other investors pulling out that Lang is adamant that Woodstock 50 will go on. Lang has stated that CID Entertainment would be stepping in to replace Superfly as the festival’s producer, but the company has not officially confirmed. A representative for Lang has approached both Live Nation and AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) about investing in the festival, and both promoters were not interested.

    Woodstock 50

    To make matters even more complex, Lang has accused former investors Dentsu of of taking $17 million from a festival bank account, attempting to talk acts into dropping out of the event and pleading with stakeholders to break their contracts. Lang made the accusations in a letter dated Monday, however representatives from Dentsu have stated they did not receive the letter. “We only would ask that you honor the law and your obligations, stop interfering with our efforts to put on this wonderful event and return the $17 million you improperly took,” Lang wrote. Lang also accused Dentsu of “treachery” and wrote that the company’s actions “are neither a legal nor honorable way to do business.” Lang went on to state “We also have evidence that Dentsu representatives have gone so far as to say that should the talent back out of Woodstock, they would be seen favorably by Dentsu and that this could result in their performing (at) the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where Dentsu is a major organizer,” Lang wrote. “In these actions too, Dentsu has acted not only without honor, but outside of the law.” Lang went on to say, “In the end, since Dentsu has already abandoned Woodstock, all I ask for is that Dentsu walk away peacefully and allow me to deliver to the people a 50th Anniversary Festival.”

  • Promoter Michael Lang Insists Woodstock 50 Still On

    Update (2:52pm): Michael Lang sent out an email with the following statement:

    Dear Woodstock Friends It seems in a way that history is repeating itself. In July of 1969 we lost our site in Walkill and with only a month to go we managed to move to Bethel. Woodstock was going to happen no matter what!

    This time around, Woodstock’s new hometown, Dix & Watkins Glen, NY and New York State have been really wonderful. I went door to door to talk to the neighbors. Some remembered Summer Jam back in ’73 and were worried about history repeating itself. But they opened their doors to us and we talked it out. Many of those people have reached out over the last 24 hours with messages of hope and encouragement. The venue, Watkins Glen International, have been totally supportive and professional.

    Yesterday, our financial partner, Dentsu-Aegis, made the decision to pull out and informed us that they were cancelling the festival at the same time they let the press release go public.

    We have yet to understand why they would try to prevent the festival from happening by seemingly undermining us in this way. It is one thing to decide for oneself that it is best to move on, but it is entirely another thing to try and close the door on us.

    Yesterday, I couldn’t help but relive that moment 50 years ago – it was “ déjà vu all over again”!

    Supporting the principles of activism and sustainability are too important to be derailed by shortsighted partners.

    We continue our work with NYS, Schuyler County and various parties to keep things on track.

    Woodstock never belonged to Dentsu, so they don’t have a right to cancel it.

    Woodstock belongs to the people and it always will.

    We don’t give up and Woodstock 50 will take place and will be a blast! Thanks for Listening, Michael

    Michael Lang, via email

    Woodstock 50 promoter Michael Lang responded to reports of his festival’s demise in a Facebook post late Monday, exclaiming, “Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners.”

    woodstock 50 michael lang

    The loss of Dentsu Aegis Network‘s funding of the festival comes at a time when Lang has confirmed artists have been paid in full, a mass gathering permit has yet to be issued, and tickets still have not gone on sale.

    Lang took to Facebook on Monday evening, saying the following:

    We are committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture. Although our financial partner is withdrawing , we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support. The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast !

    Michael Lang – Facebook

    Also at issue is the lack of a mass gathering permit, which would allow for ticket sales to commence. Per New York State Department of Health guidelines, a temporary permit is needed 15 days prior to the advertising or selling of tickets. That permit, as of now, has not been acquired by Woodstock 50.

    While media outlets are reporting the festival is cancelled, Lang is committed to saving the star-studded festival from an untimely demise. He did so in 1969. Let’s see if he has another miracle up his sleeve.