Woodstock News

This Woodstock has more power

1999 lineup of artists surpasses the '69 roster

July 18, 1999

BY BRIAN McCOLLUM FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER

OK, so how about the music?

That is, after all, the main attraction at Woodstock '99, which features the beefiest concert bill in North America this year.

With two stages about two-thirds of a mile apart at the site in Rome, N.Y., the sonic action will be lively and nearly continuous. In the altruistic spirit of latter-day festivals like Lollapalooza and H.O.R.D.E., there also will be an emerging-artists stage, and one of the abandoned hangars at Griffiss Air Force Base will be used for nightly raves.

Notables include two Detroit acts -- Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse -- along with a reunion of Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton's Motor City-bred funk forefathers. And although officials won't confirm or deny the myriad rumors about special guests, including a potential show-closing jam from Woodstock veterans on Sunday, a few surprises can be expected.

"Big names," hints co-creator Michael Lang, "and interesting names."

As for the weight of the lineup, few will dispute that the original Woodstock -- with Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Janis Joplin -- was made of mythical stuff. But you can safely assert that this year's festival is bigger in scope and profile, in the context of the contemporary music scene, if only because the roster is so much larger: at least 48 artists compared with 31 in '69.

You could argue all day about the subjective worth of this year's acts next to the performers of yore. ("Is Dave Matthews Band more important than Blood, Sweat & Tears?") But for sheer drawing power, cold facts favor the '99 program: While 14 artists at the original event never enjoyed top 10 albums, 29 artists scheduled this year already have achieved that feat. Woodstock may have had the magic; Woodstock III has the muscle.

Woodstock '99 lineup

Brian Setzer Orchestra, the Bruce Hornsby Group, Buckcherry, Bush, the Chemical Brothers, Collective Soul, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows, Creed, Sheryl Crow, DMX, Everclear, Everlast, Fatboy Slim, Godsmack, Al Green, Guster, Mickey Hart-Planet Drum, Ice Cube, Insane Clown Posse, Jamiroquai, Jewel, Kid Rock, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Lit, Live, Los Lobos, Dave Matthews Band, Megadeth, Metallica, Moby, Moe, Alanis Morissette, Willie Nelson, Mike Ness, The Offspring, Oleander, Umbilical Brothers, Our Lady Peace, Parliament/Funkadelic, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Roots, Rusted Root, Sugar Ray, the Tragically Hip, Wyclef Jean & the Refugee Allstars.

Woodstock '69

Joan Baez, the Band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat, Joe Cocker, Country Joe McDonald and the Fish, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, the Grateful Dead, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, the Keef Hartley Band, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, Incredible String Band, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Melanie, Mountain, Quill, Santana, John Sebastian, Sha-Na-na, Ravi Shankar, Sly & the Family Stone, Bert Sommer, Sweetwater, Ten Years After, the Who, Johnny Winter.

Copyright © 1999 The Beacon Journal Publishing Company Primary content and graphics © 1999 Knight Ridder New Media, Inc. Technology and portions of the content and graphics © 1999 Zip2 Corp. Information deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. Just Go is a registered trademark of Knight-Ridder New Media Inc.