NYS Music 20​19

Tag: Woodstock 50

  • Woodstock 50 Cancelled

    Billboard is reporting that Woodstock 50, scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the Watkins Glen International Speedway has been cancelled.

    According to a statement released by the Dentsu Aegis Network, who was funding the event, “We don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock brand name.”

    TMZ reports that Michael Lang, the festival’s promoter, was surprised by Dentu’s announcement and that, “they’re not giving up on the festival yet.”

    The announcement comes on the heels of a delay in ticket sales, which were supposed to have gone live on Earth Day, April 22. The full statement is below.

    “It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival.  But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival 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.
    As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival.  As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”

    NYS Music will provide information as it becomes available.

  • Woodstock Ticket Sales Delayed

    Hold on to your ticket money, folks. You won’t be able to buy passes for Woodstock this Monday. The sale date was scheduled to coincide with Earth Day, April 22. But for undisclosed reasons, that date is being delayed.

    Woodstock Ticket Sales

    Everyone is waiting on an official public announcement, but Billboard reports that an email went out to agents on Friday, April 19 alerting them of the postponement.

    Earlier today, talent manager Amanda Phelan with Woodstock 50 talent-buyer Danny Wimmer Presents sent an email to agents representing acts at the concert in Watkins Glen, New York, explaining, “There is currently a hold on the Woodstock 50 on-sale date. We are waiting on an official press statement from Woodstock 50 regarding updated announce, ticket pricing, and overall festival information. We will get this information to you as soon as we receive it.”

    – from Billboard

    The event is scheduled for August 16-18 at Watkins Glen. Top-name acts are slated to play. The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Jay-Z, Robert Plant, Dead and Company, John Fogerty and Santana are among an impressive array of headliners.

    Information about Woodstock 50 is available on their website, or you can follow on Facebook and Twitter for updates. NYS Music will continue to provide ongoing coverage of Woodstock 50 as events unfold.

  • Phish Announces ReCurveball Festival

    In a surprise announcement from Phish, ReCurveball Festival will be held in Watkins Glen, NY this August 9-11, on the same grounds as Phish’s cancelled 2018 Curveball festival.

    “After last summer’s sudden cancellation of Curveball, we immediately made plans to get back to Watkins Glen. We found a guy who said he could take care of the water issue and you know what, we trust him,” said Trey Anastasio. “We owe it to the fans.”

    curveball
    “Water will not be an issue at ReCurveball” – Andy King

    With Woodstock 50 being held at Watkins Glen International the following weekend, Phish and Woodstock Ventures teamed up to ensure that both ReCurveball and Woodstock 50 go off without hitches. Operations director C. Wallob said of the plans, “Holding ReCurveball festival the weekend before ensures that we can not only prepared the grounds for the influx of thousands of fans the following weekend, but any issues that come up can be sorted out in advance. We really want to make ReCurveball a success, and hopefully Woodstock 50 can feed off our success at Watkins Glen. We certainly don’t want another Woodstock 99 to happen. If anyone is going to burn Watkins Glen to the ground, it’ll be Phish.

    “Plus,” Wallob added, “Phish fans will certainly leave it clean for Woodstock 50 attendees.”

    curveball
    photo via Phish.net

    Phish plans to reuse the silver ball for the special late-night set, and unsold merchandise from Curveball will be rebranded with new dates added. More information can be found at ReCurveball.com.

  • This week in Woodstock History: Harvesting Land for ‘Art’ Festival

    In early 1969, Michael Lang made multiple trips to the mid-Hudson Valley to find a place for Woodstock Ventures to hold their festival. As Lang mentions in his 2009 book The Road to Woodstock, he contacted a real estate agent about renting the Winston Farm, but the price of $40,000 for 12 weeks was far beyond the budget for Woodstock Ventures. 

    Barefoot in Babylon by Bob Spitz offers more detail on this potential property. It was owned by a frankfurter magnate named Shaler, in the town of Saugerties. With trees lining the property, permanent buildings, drainage, plumbing, wells, electric power, and a convenient exit right off the New York State Thruway, all of Woodstock Ventures partners – Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman and John Roberts – rented motorcycles and drove to Shaler’s property on March 29. Although there was an initial agreement to the terms – $40,000 for 12 weeks, plus posting bond for damages and returning the land to its original state – a meeting with Shaler’s lawyer which lasted less than half an hour was ‘abrupt and cataclysmic,’ with Shaler opting to not rent the land to anyone, leaving it for his sons.

    This week in Woodstock History

    At that time, word got out about the festival. A call from Woodstock town supervisor Bill Ward, as well as an official from the county health department, made it clear that they did not want an event of this size in the area. The county had a population of 140,000 in 1970, and the festival would end up selling 100,000 tickets on presale alone. Nearly 400,000 would attend the festival, which clogged roads in rural Sullivan County, but in Ulster County it surely would have overwhelmed public services and caused even more headaches, especially along I-87.

    So the search continued for a place to hold “An Aquarian Exposition: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair.” On March 30, 1969, Lang and his partners the came across an industrial park in the town of Wallkill, near Middletown. The developer was Howard Mills, interested in leasing the property to Woodstock Ventures before showing it to industries for further development. Discussing with Mills about the event, in terms of an ‘art fair,’ to appeal to the broader community, with the addition of “small concerts, featuring a few of the area’s finer musicians.” They had assumed Mills, a country farmer, would never got for a rock festival on his property. he was inclined to work with Woodstock Ventures, even if Lang and his partners had their reservations. But time was running short and they needed a venue; after much discussion, they warmed to the idea of holding their festival in Woodstock. A planning board meeting in mid-April would set the wheels in motion for everything that would come next.

  • Woodstock 50 Lineup Revealed: Jay-Z, Robert Plant, the Raconteurs, Dead & Co., the Killers and more among 80 artists announced

    After months of speculation, the Woodstock 50 lineup was revealed Tuesday. Included in the lineup were the rumored artists leaked two weeks ago.

    Headliners for the Aug. 16-18 festival, being held at Watkins Glen International Speedway in the Finger Lakes region of New York include: Jay-Z, the Killers, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, Miley Cyrus and Chance the Rapper.

    Woodstock 50 Lineup

    In a reflection of the current musical landscape, the lineup includes several pop and hip-hop performers: the aforementioned Jay-Z, Run the Jewels, Common, Halsey, Janelle Monáe, Cyrus, India.Arie, Princess Nokia, Chance the Rapper and Earl Sweatshirt.

    There’s also a noticeable female presence this year with artists such as Soccer Mommy, Brandi Carlile, Bishop Briggs, Monáe, Cyrus Margo Price, Jade Bird, Emily King, Flora Cash and Cherry Glazerr.

    The somewhat lacking legacy component of the lineup that producer Michael Lang had promised was also officially revealed in the Tuesday announcement. Several original Woodstock performers will be gracing the stages for the 50th. Santana, Canned Heat, John Fogerty, Country Joe McDonald, John Sebastian, Melanie, David Crosby and members of Dead & Company all performed at the original Woodstock at Bethel in 1969.

    Tickets for the three-day event go on sale April 22. For more information, visit the official Woodstock website here.

    Woodstock 50 Lineup:

    Friday, Aug. 16:

    The Killers
    Miley Cyrus
    Santana
    The Lumineers
    The Raconteurs
    Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters
    Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
    John Fogerty 
    Run The Jewels
    The Head and The Heart
    Maggie Rogers
    Michael Franti & Spearhead 
    Bishop Briggs
    Anderson East 
    Akon
    Princess Nokia
    John Sebastian
    Melanie 
    Grandson
    Fever 333
    Dorothy
    Flora Cash
    Larkin Poe
    Brian Cadd
    Ninet Tayeb 


    Saturday, Aug. 17:

    Dead & Company
    Chance The Rapper
    The Black Keys 
    Sturgill Simpson
    Greta Van Fleet 
    Protugal. The Man
    Leon Bridges
    Gary Clark Jr. 
    Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros 
    David Crosby & Friends
    Dawes
    Margo Price
    Nahko & Medicine For The People
    India.Arie
    Jade Bird
    Country Joe McDonald
    Rival Sons
    Emily King
    Soccer Mommy
    Sir
    Taylor Bennett
    Amy Helm
    Courtney Hadwin
    Pearl
    John-Robert
    IAMDBB


    Sunday, Aug. 18:

    Jay-Z
    Imagine Dragons
    Halsey
    Cage The Elephant 
    Brandi Carlile
    Janelle Monáe
    Young The Giant
    Courtney Barnett
    Common
    Vince Staples
    Judah & The Lion
    Earl Sweatshirt
    Boygenius
    Reignwolf
    The Zombies
    Canned Heat
    Hot Tuna
    Pussy Riot
    Cherry Glazerr
    Leven Kali
    The Marcus King Band
    Victory
    Hollis Brown
    John Craigie
    Amigo The Devil
    Liz Brasher

  • Woodstock 50 Headliners Leaked?

    After the recent news of the Bethel Woods Woodstock Anniversary show being scaled back, fans have turned their attention to original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang’s anniversary event for what may feel more like a Woodstock 50th anniversary celebration with headliners recently leaked.

    Woodstock 50 Headliners

    Billboard has recently reported that after a brief delay, Woodstock festival organizer’s have wired a “full payment” to most artist appearing at the festival in advance. Some of those artist leaked include Dead & Company, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Chance the Rapper, and Bethel Woods celebration-announced artist, Santana, who has expressed his desire to play both anniversary shows.

    The reason for the delayed payments was due to the financial backers of the festival, Dentsu, trying to resolve possible attendance issues at the Watkins Glen site where the festival is being held, expecting over 100,000 fans. Considered a first year event, and Dentsu not being a major promoter like Live Nation or AEG, artists require 100% of their fee paid upfront before the lineup was announced.

    Representatives for the main headliners told Billboard that they were paid weeks ago, but some of the other 80+ artist have not received payment making some fear the festival would be scrapped, and now pushing the February lineup announcement to sometime in March.

    The day after reports surfaced that the event was having financial problems, Woodstock representatives confirmed that organizers had wired several million dollars to various major talent agencies that represent acts appearing at Woodstock 50. One agency boss even confirmed that all their artist have been paid in full, and festival camping organizers Superfly, has also been paid in full for the event.

    Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang recently stated: “There’s always been lots of rumors around Woodstock. We have excellent partners and an incredible talent lineup of over 80 artists which will be announced within the next couple of weeks. We’re preparing a once in a lifetime event.”

    Woodstock 50 will take place at the Watkins Glen International Speedway on Aug. 16-18.

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  • 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.

  • Peace, Love and Posters: Bethel Center for the Arts holding poster contest to commemorate 50th Anniversary of Woodstock Festival

    Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is holding a poster contest in honor of Woodstock Festival’s 50th, Golden Anniversary. The press release describes this as not just another “festival poster” design.

    Woodstock 50th poster

    Bethel Woods is looking for students, amateurs, and professionals to design posters that not only celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, but also captures their mission to inspire passion and purpose.

    The concept they are trying to capture is expressing progress in the world through creativity, self-actualization, love, and understanding for the next 50 years to come.

    Winners of the poster contest will be displayed throughout the Vibrations event series produced by Bethel Woods. Winners will also receive a cash prize of $2,500 but will also be given $1,500 in travel and lodging to visit Bethel Woods on June 5 to participate in the Power of the Poster event during Vibrations.

    The judges of the contest are two well known poster artists, with renowned Broadway poster artist Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo joining original Woodstock poster designer David Edward Byrd. Submissions can be entered starting Feb. 6 until March 14.

  • Woodstock 50th Anniversary Officially Announced

    Rumors have now turned into answers with the official announcement for the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock. Questions have been answered as to when the show will take place and where, as we now patiently wait for next month’s official lineup announcement when tickets for the event will also go on sale.

    Woodstock 50 will take place on August 16-19, at the Watkins Glen International Speedway in Watkins Glen. The event will run the same weekend as the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival’s own Woodstock anniversary special. Original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang stated that he is still working with organizers on capacity for the event which he expects in the six figure range. 

    Lang also stated that the three-day event will see “newer bands,” to honor the legacy of the festival by staging “celebrations of artists” who appeared at the original Woodstock event. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Lang stated: “Having contemporary artists interpret that music would be a really interesting and exciting idea. We’re also looking for unique collaborations, maybe some reunions and a lot of new and up-and-coming talent.”

    For the past several weeks, music enthusiast have been checking the internet everyday waiting for an official announcement ever since original Woodstock co-founder, Michael Lang, told the Poughkeepsie Journal that plans for the anniversary show was in the works but not a done deal.

    Lang’s event will also feature programs, speakers and partnerships like Headcount. He said: “We want this to be more than just coming to a concert, and hopefully a lot of the bands will become part of this effort to get people to stand up and make themselves heard, to get and out vote. And if they don’t have a candidate that represents their feelings, to find one — or to run themselves.”

    With Live Nation backing the Bethel Woods event the same weekend, and with Lang’s statement about “newer bands,” both lineups should look completely different. There is a 90-mile radius clause for artists when performing shows within a certain time frame. It’s highly unlikely that Live Nation will allow artists appearing at the Bethel event to appear at the Watkins Glen event. Having the same artists at the same shows on the same weekend could also hurt ticket sales for both events.  

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