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Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana

Photo: Adela Loconte/WireImage

News
Santana, Ringo Starr To Play At Woodstock's 50th carlos-santana-ringo-starr-confirmed-bethel-woods-woodstock-anniversary

Carlos Santana, Ringo Starr Confirmed For Bethel Woods' Woodstock Anniversary

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The Doobie Brothers, Arlo Guthrie and Edgar Winter as well as an on-field screening of the original film will commemorate 1969's epic concert
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Feb 21, 2019 - 1:58 pm

The lineup for the Woodstock anniversary celebration at the historic rock festival's original site have been confirmed for Aug. 15–17 by the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, with performances by the Doobie Brothers, Arlo Guthrie, Carlos Santana, Ringo Starr, and the Edgar Winter Band. Titled "A Season of Song & Celebration," this is distinct from the official Woodstock 50 event being planned by the 1969 festival's original organizer Michael Lang.

On Aug. 15 — the day the original fest began — the Bethel Woods Center will screen Woodstock: The Director's Cut on the historic field. Ringo Starr will be joined by Arlo Guthrie and the Edgar Winter Band on stage on Aug. 16. Carlos Santana and the Doobie Brothers' Aug. 17 date at Bethel Woods is part of their summer Supernatural Now tour.

https://twitter.com/BethelWoods/status/1097866063247802369

We are excited to announce A Season of Song & Celebration, detailing the many exciting plans to celebrate the historic festival’s Golden Anniversary and welcome visitors from near and far back to the ‘garden’ throughout the year. pic.twitter.com/3X5NtDEMgh

— Bethel Woods (@BethelWoods) February 19, 2019

"We are humbled by the interest in the anniversary year and we realized it was greater than we'd ever dreamed," said Darlene Fedun, the Center's CEO. "We recognize the importance of this place to so many, and our mission of preservation and interpretation of the 1960s is central to A Season of Song & Celebration, as it provides our guests the opportunity to reflect, to learn and to celebrate the legacy of what occurred here."

The Center also expects to announce an Aug. 18 event in the future and invites email sign-ups for news updates on their Golden Anniversary web page.

Santana Plans Epic 2019 Supernatural Now Tour With The Doobie Brothers

Michael Lang

Michael Lang, Woodstock co-organizer

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

News
Woodstock 50 Festival Finally Finds Venue woodstock-50-music-festival-finally-finds-venue-merriweather-post-pavilion

Woodstock 50 Music Festival Finally Finds Venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion

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The music fest celebrating the 50th anniversary of Woodstock '69 is reportedly confirmed for Aug. 16–18 at the historic amphitheater in Columbia, Md., although a final lineup or ticket details have yet to be revealed
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 26, 2019 - 1:31 pm

Following months of struggle to finalize major details for the Woodstock 50 music festival, including venue and ticketing info, The New York Times reported yesterday that organizers have secured the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md as a site for the fest. The fest has been hyped as the official 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic Woodstock Music And Arts Fair, which was billed as "three days of peace & music" in the historic Summer of '69.

Woodstock 50 will now reportedly take place on Aug. 16–18 at the independently run amphitheater in Maryland, although a final lineup or ticketing details have yet to be revealed.



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Thank You Woodstock Nation! #WoodstockNation #Woodstock50

A post shared by Woodstock (@woodstock) on May 3, 2019 at 5:01pm PDT

"Woodstock 50 approached Merriweather about hosting their event here in Columbia," Seth Hurwitz, operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion, said in a statement shared by the Times. "The Woodstock folks are working on securing the artists now. If the bands come, we'll produce the show. We're looking forward to getting an update as soon as Woodstock 50 has one."

Related: Carlos Santana On Woodstock & The Power Of Music: "These People Wanted The Same Things We Want Today"

Woodstock 50 announced its lineup back on March 19, along with the venue set at Watkins Glen, N.Y. That announcement revealed performers that included JAY-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, Chance The Rapper, as well as original fest acts John Fogerty, Santana and others.

Tickets have yet to go on sale and, as the Times points out, it is unclear who will perform at the new venue, as "artists; contracts with Woodstock 50 were tied to its originally planned venue, in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and they may have a right to refuse to play." Today, the Associated Press reported that both JAY and Fogerty have reportedly dropped out of the event.

Despite the original funder pulling out and unilaterally declaring the event canceled, along with four venues denying permits, Michael Lang, one of the organizers behind Woodstock '69 and this event, has continually affirmed it is indeed happening.

A separate 50th anniversary celebration at the site of the original fest, now home to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, will be taking place during the same weekend, with individual concerts each night from Ringo Starr, Santana and the Doobie Brothers and Fogerty closing it out on Sun., Aug. 18.

This may be history repeating itself, 50 years later; Woodstock '69 was kicked out of its original venue, in a small town called Wallkill, only several weeks before the event. The festival was ultimately saved by dairy farmer Max Yasgur, who lent his land to the fest in Bethel, N.Y.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Unveils 2019 Lineup: Iron & Wine, Margo Price & More

GRAMMYs

Carlos Santana

Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

News
Carlos Santana On Woodstock & The Power Of Music carlos-santana-woodstock-power-music-these-people-wanted-same-things-we-want-today

Carlos Santana On Woodstock & The Power Of Music: "These People Wanted The Same Things We Want Today"

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"The state of the world is so infected with fear and separation and disharmony, I know for a fact that the frequency of this music from Africa gives people hope, courage and joy," the 10-time GRAMMY winner said
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 5, 2019 - 10:03 am

You may have heard that this August marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the music festival still ripe in our social consciousness. It was billed as "three days of peace & music," and whether or not Michael Lang's still TBD Woodstock 50 is able to recreate this, it lives on and embodies everything world-famous guitarist Carlos Santana does. And he's already celebrating it.

The 10-time GRAMMY winner first tapped into the black magic power of his guitar shredding back in '69 on the famed stage at Bethel Farm along with his then-new band Santana. 50 years later, he shows no signs of slowing down—and he is still connected with his musical and spiritual roots. The group is celebrating their big year—it also marks 20 years since they released the 42nd GRAMMY Awards knock-out album Supernatural—with the epic 29 date Supernatural Now Tour.

Related: New Woodstock 50th Anniversary Box Set Offers A Complete Listen To The Summer '69 Fest

"We're going to bring a lot of fury and fire [on tour]. Most of the time, we play close to two-and-a-half to three hours, so we're going to honor yesterday, today and tomorrow," Mr. Santana explained in a recent Rolling Stone interview. The group recently released their 25th studio album, Africa Speaks, featuring Spanish singer Buika on vocals for all 11 powerful tracks, on June 7. The band enlisted power-producer, and fellow GRAMMY winner, Rick Rubin to assist, and recorded it at his famous Shangri La Studios. On the tour this new music, along with their endlessly epic catalog, is helping arenas full of people across North America feel something.

"The state of the world is so infected with fear and separation and disharmony, I know for a fact that the frequency of this music from Africa gives people hope, courage and joy. The ingredients and the nutrients from everything that comes from African music makes people dance and rejoice like a revival," Santana said in the interview.

He explained that Afro sounds have always had a special place in his heart and his music collection, and he wanted to make an album honoring the beauty and power of that aesthetic.

"I originally heard 'Africa Speaks' on a Cannonball Adderley record, Accent On Africa. I put the poem in there and Buika put the vocals in it. We basically took these African songs, and I asked permission in every kind of way from the writers, so we got all that with impeccable integrity, then we redid the songs our way," he explained. And with the tour having kicked off already, he's seen its power at work.

"People like 'Breaking Down the Door.' We're in a place that people need rejoicing. People need celebrating. People need romance. Everybody is thirsty for higher consciousness, righteousness," Santana shared. "I can see it because I'm watching the audience sometimes and I can see how they respond to the music. It's like watering the plants after they haven't been watered for months."

While the visuals and music of the Supernatural Now shows offer a nod to Woodstock, on Aug. 17, exactly 50 years since their breakthrough performance, the tour will stop at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, the venue that lives on the original site of Woodstock '69. If Woodstock 50 happens, the group is booked to headline the fest the day before that. And Santana is ready to tap back into that energy he first felt 50 years ago.

"I'm ready. My band is ready. By the grace of God, we have the clarity. We have the energy. I have more energy than the first time. So we look forward to tearing it out," he told the outlet. He also spoke to what the first event was really about, peace and music, and how it's still so important today: "The first was done, and I mean this in the most respectful way, with a bunch of long-haired freaks that wanted something different than what was happening in Vietnam or politics or religion. These people wanted the same things we want today."

Fiona Apple Pledges Two Years Of "Criminal" Royalties To Immigrant Resource Fund

Woodstock 50

Photo: Woodstock 50/Billboard

News
Woodstock 50 Music Festival Has Been Canceled funder-announces-woodstock-50-music-festival-has-been-canceled

Funder Announces Woodstock 50 Music Festival Has Been Canceled

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The three-day event in Watkins Glen was set to be the official 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic 1969 fest
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 29, 2019 - 12:03 pm

Today, the company funding Woodstock 50 released a statement that the music festival is canceled. Rumors have surrounded both the festival's details and feasibility long before the lineup was revealed on March 19, and were reignited following ticket sales not launching as planned on April 20. Woodstock 50 has not updated either their website or social accounts to reflect this news.

Dentsu Aegis Network, a multinational media and marketing company funding Woodstock 50, shared an official statement with Billboard this morning detailing the cancelation:

"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."

Billboard also writes that over $30 million has already been spent on the festival's lineup, as most artists had already been paid. Festival organizers were concerned about the venue, Watkins Glen International Speedway, located in a remote area of upstate New York, being able to safely support a 100,000-person capacity event.

As previously mentioned, the Woodstock 50 site still reads that tickets will go on sale soon, although the organizers have yet to release an offical statement. Today, the Poughkeepsie Journal detailed the conflicting messages about the fest, including a note from the organizers that say it has not been canceled.

The three-day event was set to take place in Watkins Glen, New York on Aug. 16–18 to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. The lineup boasted a range of big name acts including Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, Chance The Rapper and Santana.  

The unofficial 50th anniversary celebration to be held at the original fest's location at Bethel Woods is still set to take place during the same weekend, albeit in a smaller, non-festival format than originally announced. The 15,000 capacity venue sits on what was the farm where the first fest was held back in 1969 and has announced two nights of concerts with several '69 alumni.

GRAMMY-winning legends Santana will take to the Bethel Woods stage exactly 50 years after their breakthrough Woodstock performance, with the Doobie Brothers as part of their Supernatural Now tour.

Pieces Of Woodstock's Original Wooden Stage Are Now Collectibles

Woodstock Stage

Woodstock stage, 1969

Photo: John Dominis/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

News
Pieces Of Original Woodstock Stage Now For Sale pieces-woodstocks-original-wooden-stage-are-now-sale-collectiblesjimi-hendrix-janis

Pieces Of Woodstock's Original Wooden Stage Are Now For Sale As CollectiblesJimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Who were just a few of the original Woodstock Festival's legendary performers who stood on the wood that has now been recovered and made availab

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Steve Gold followed his personal memories to track down the actual boards trodden by Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and many more
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Mar 21, 2019 - 12:59 pm

After history was made by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Who, and the rest of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival performers in August 1969, 15-year-old festivalgoer Steve Gold helped his girlfriend's dad move much of the wood on stage to a nearby bungalow colony. Now an experienced music entrepreneur, Gold rediscovered the abandoned boards that had supported the feet of the music legends as they made rock history. The pieces are now being offered as varied, collectible mementos under the banner "Peace of Woodstock Stage."

Gold began the search two years ago. The plywood was located and brought to Wood Science Consulting for authentication, and the manufacturer's logo, Weyerhaeuser, as well as distinctive paint patterns confirmed they were genuine. 

"Whether you are a rock and roller like me," said Gold, "who was there or who lived through it, a Millennial who continues to be influenced by the music and artists who headlined the show, or you are somewhere in between, you can now own a piece of what is the most iconic work of construction in the annals of music."

https://twitter.com/Woodstockstage/status/1108411755363885056

We have officially launched! Head to https://t.co/mIZ1nzJr16 to experience the magic ✨ pic.twitter.com/T7C8akerLV

— Peace of Stage (@Woodstockstage) March 20, 2019

Details of the varied collectible formats are at the Peace of Woodstock Stage website, including peace-sign pendants, a framed plaque and a desktop cube, with solid plywood pieces and a letter of authenticity from Wood Science Consulting. On the most affordable end, two-ounce bottles of sawdust will be put on sale for $19.95 — dubbed "Stardust" after the line in Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock" where she sang, "We are stardust." A portion of the proceeds will benefit charities helping Vietnam veterans, the homeless and gun-reform advocacy.

Woodstock 50 Performers: Jay-Z, The Killers, Miley Cyrus & More Announced

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.