Thursday, August 13, 2009

Woodstock's 40th


So we're just about there—the 40th anniversary of Woodstock is right around the corner. While you celebrate this weekend—with a copy of the oral history in hand, of course—you may also want to check out some of the following Woodstock-related events, shows, articles, etc.

This Saturday, the site of the original concert will host an anniversary blowout, featuring some of the same performers who were at the original, including Levon Helm, Canned Heat, Ten Years After, and Mountain.

The Times has a review of a new VH1 Woodstock doc set to air this weekend. In the piece, Mike Hale writes

How this intelligent, straightforward film ended up on the network of “Megan Wants a Millionaire” and “Daisy of Love” is a mystery, but we should just be grateful to VH1 for broadcasting it.
Sounds like it might be worth checking out...if you can sit through all of the "Daisy of Love" commercials that are bound to run during it.

We also found a couple of dissenting voices out there this morning, with regards to all this 40th anniversary celebrating stuff. Over at the Huffington Post, Nathan Hegedus has heard enough about how great Woodstock was. He offers a cynical, GenX reply to all the hubbub, you could say. And Mark Hosenball writes for Newsweek that he was there and even he's tired of the nostalgia trip everyone's riding right now.

So however you chose to celebrate—or ignore—the anniversary this weekend, we hope you have a groovy time doing it, man. Sorry, couldn't resist. Now here's Jimi to play us out.