Lang lived an extraordinary life; in 1968, he and Richard O’Barry worked together to promote Miami Pop Festival, which drew in a crowd of 25,000 and featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and more. The following year, at just 24, Lang organized Woodstock, alongside Artie Kornfeld, John Rosenman, and John P. Roberts. The four-day festival, which would ultimately go down as the most important moment in rock history, took place August 15-18, 1969 in upstate New York. 400,000 people flocked to the festival to see live performances by The Who, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and many more.

25 years later, Lang organized Woodstock 94′ made up of several anniversary concerts featuring performances by Woodstock alumni, as well as newer bands like Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The event took place 70 miles from the original Woodstock site in Saugerties, New York. Unfortunately, rainstorms drenched the festival grounds all weekend long, so the anniversary event was instead dubbed “Mudstock.” Lang held another Woodstock event in 1999, but experienced even more issues, including overcrowding, lack of water, violence, looting, and rioting.

In 2019, Lang announced another revival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. The festival was to take place August 16-18, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York with a lineup featuring Miley Cyrus, Santana, the Black Keys, the Killers, Run the Jewels, and more. Unfortunately, Lang and organizers had issues with permits, investors, artists, and venue changes, and the event was cancelled in July 2019.

In addition to organizing music festivals, Lang also ran his own label, Just Sunshine Records, home to artists like Karen Dalton, Betty Davis, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and more. He also managed artists, including Joe Cocker and Ricky Lee Jones, to name a few.

Without Michael Lang and the creation of Woodstock, it’s hard to say where music festivals would be today. If you’d like to learn more about Lang’s life and the journey behind creating the iconic event, start with his book, The Road To Woodstock, published in 2009.

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The compilation includes 267 songs and around 24 hours of music with tracks from Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead and many more. It has the material to take you back decades ago and make you trave in time for one of the most historical festivals in the 20th century.

Many of the tracks featured in the playlist are still to this day as (if not more) iconic in their genres as they were back in 1969. You have now what you need for the perfect nostalgic experience if you’re a big fan. You can even push it further and combine the playlist with the Woodstock movie.

If you are looking for someone to thank, it’s Evan Weinstein who is behind this playlist. Take a step back in time and enjoy it just below.

The post Almost All Woodstock 1969 Music is Available in a New Spotify Playlist appeared first on EDMTunes.

In summary, the survey found that nearly half of the adults, 47%, who listened to very loud music in their teens, face hearing issues today. 52% stated “difficulty understanding what is being said in loud environments like busy restaurants…”. Unfortunately, damage to one’s ears is irreversible to fix, besides remedies like hearing aides.

“70% of respondents said they wished they could hear music the way they did when they were young”.

Despite the ‘Woodstock Generation’ nickname, not everyone actually went to the Woodstock festival. The festival can’t take all the blame as their could be many factors leading to these results. One could suffer hearing damage from working at a loud construction job or from war related injuries. It’s difficult to comprehend how artists cope with being around extremely loud music day in and day out. Still, the focus is on hearing difficulties and what long-term exposure does to our bodies.

Sadly, 36% of the respondents reported having trouble listening to music in the present day. Their hearing loss also left an impact on friend and family relationships. 38% of those surveyed found that their hearing damage effected their relationships with those they care about. With this in mind, we can all take easy steps to take care of ourselves by wearing ear plugs around loud noises and music. If not, how do you expect to enjoy your favorite music several years from now?

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“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.”

Michael Lang, Cofounder of Woodstock

Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z & More Had Already Pulled Out

News of the festival’s agonizing final death follows after multiple artists stated that they were pulling out. When failing to acquire their last resort venue, Vernon Downs, organizers attempted to relocate to a smaller venue in Maryland. They announced that the event would be free to the public and hoped that artists would perform voluntarily. Unfortunately, artists including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, Carlos Santana, and many more said their farewells to the dying festival.

Losing Investors & Venues, Losing Time

The troubled festival faced a plethora of impediments from the get-go. Back in April, Woodstock 50 investors Dentsu Aegis Network pulled out, claiming at that moment that the festival was cancelled. Struggling to stay afloat, Woodstock organizers initiated a court battle over the festival’s false cancelling. At this moment, Woodstock experienced its first major setback and found new investors, Oppenheimer & Co. However, as we all know, that wasn’t enough to keep the festival alive.

The distraught outlook of the festival didn’t stop at just investors backing out. Woodstock 50 eventually lost its original venue scheduled at Watkins Glen New York. Full of tumult, organizers struggled to acquire Vernon Downs and faced multiple rejections from the townsfolk and city officials. “Common sense will tell you we’re running out of time,” proclaimed the owner of Vernon Downs. With venues looking slim and event producers throwing in the towel, Woodstock 50 succumbed to its imminent death.

“If we don’t get the decision we want, it’s something that we will then have to consider. If it doesn’t work this year, it doesn’t work this year. We’ve tried everything we can. We’ve done our best. We’ll continue to do our best until we find out one way or the other whether it’s going to happen.”

Michael Lang via Poughkeepsie Journal

The Future Of Woodstock? Woodstock Weed

Woodstock is definitely an iconic festival that we hope to see prevail in the future. Stemming from its original event in 1969, the counter-culture festival focused on peace, music, and art. While the 50th anniversary might not take place this year, Woodstock Ventures is definitely brewing something special for the future.

In lieu of the bad news, there’s a lit cherry at the end of the tunnel. A federal judge ruled today that Woodstock Roots LLC has been approved to secure trademark rights towards associating the name with cannabis products. This gives Woodstock the legal ability to license its name to cannabis brands.

“[Woodstock Ventures’] products all involve the use of recreational marijuana, while [Woodstock Roots has] expressly disavowed the notion that their products are intended for use with recreational marijuana,” U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe wrote.

via Digital Music News

With Woodstock 50 officially cancelled, news of Woodstock Weed sounds promising,. At least Woodstock Weed might be around to help Woodstockians cope with their festival blues.

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Denied and Still Denied

After battling several debacles, the 50th anniversary of Woodstock isn’t looking good at all. Festival organizers have been holding on tight to their seats on an imminently derailing train thus far. From losing producers, investors, and venues, the scheduled August 16th-18th event looks uncertain that it will continue. Initially planning to be held at Watkins Glen, Woodstock advertised headliners like Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus. They’ve also had a couple of artists drop out (The Black Keys) during the process of their agonizing breakdown. Virgin Produced’s CEO Jason Felts cited, “Despite our formidable effort to assist Michael Lang and the Woodstock 50 ownership in resurrecting their NY festival, it has become apparent that time has expired.“

Woodstock Braces for Impact

Following Vernon’s Tuesday night meeting, Event organizers somberly lament, “[We’re] 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.” Stating this in past tense on late Tuesday evening, festival organizers allude that their efforts to continue the event are seemingly over. Original organizer, Michael Lang, remarks his disappointment when asked if he’d continue to try and hold the festival. “I’m disappointed. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy and I knew that the town supervisor, frankly, was really behind this position… I won’t try here again,” says Lang. Lang also told Poughkeepsie Journal, “If it doesn’t work this year, it doesn’t work this year. We’ve tried everything we can. We’ve done our best.”

” 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.”

Woodstock 50 Organizers

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Vernon Downs turns Woodstock down

Woodstock 50 has lost out on investors, Watkins Glen Venue, and now, Vernon has denied a permit for the festival. Woodstock has filed a formal appeal to the rejected permit on Tuesday, July 11th. Approximately 100 residents inundated Vernon town hall on Monday night to protest the festival. Promoters say the festival could bring 65,000 people to the small town of Vernon which has a population of 1,100. Vernon’s Town Codes Enforcement Officer, Jody Thieme also denied an application for a temporary event permit. Thieme states that festival organizers submitted an application two-months late, and did not provide enough information. Vernon Down’s owner, Jeff Gural, also stands by the fact that time is running out to put the festival together. Police officials have also stated that there won’t be enough time to prepare for traffic control and public safety.

Common sense will tell you we’re running out of time

Jeff Gural – Owner of Vernon Downs

“Woodstock 50 looks forward to formally presenting in person its application to the Town of Vernon at a meeting that officials agreed late Thursday to scheduled imminently, once they have had sufficient time to review our exhaustive plan,” 

Woodstock Festival Spokeperson

Vernon’s town planning board will have up to 30-days to consider the appeal. As of now, no further meetings have been scheduled, however, town Attorney Vincent Rossi is spearheading to arrange the meeting as quickly as possible. In the town meeting, many townsfolk voiced their concerns against Woodstock, saying it’s “a recipe for disaster” (Kevin Revere). Oneida County Sherrif Rob Maciol said that Woodstock 50 should take place in August 2020, not 2019.

Woodstock Pleads For Peace, Love, Music

After losing investors (Dentsu) and their original venue (Watkins Glen), Woodstock organizers are scurrying to save their train from wrecking. Woodstock co-founder, Michael Lang, original investor, Greg Peck, and KAABOO producer, Jason Felts are working together to attempt to lead the festival out of its unfortunate, dissipating current position. Organizers made an appeal on Instagram, addressing a plead to the town of Vernon.

Consequently, if the town board sustains its position on denying permits, Woodstock 50 would be able to go to court. Would festival organizers really want to go through court hearings again though? They’ve already done that with their old investor, Dentsu, and were unsuccessful in acquiring the $18.5 million that they wanted back. Woodstock 50 already has big artists booked including acts like Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, and more. Woodstock has also had headliners like, The Black Keys, drop out without explanation. Whatever Woodstock needs to do to make their 50th-anniversary show happen, they must move quickly. God speed.

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You just knew there was gonna be a second shoe to drop for Woodstock 50 right? The festival has been hanging on by a thread almost since the day it was announced. It was scheduled to take place on August 16-18 at a racetrack called Watkins Glen International.

As soon as the lineup was announced the trouble began. Rumors of cancellation have swirled ever since, and most onlookers knew this day would come. The festival was canceled by its investor company, and everybody declared it dead. Miraculously, Woodstock 50 won in court to uncancel itself and gained a new investor, Oppenheimer & Co.

Even with all of that luck, the festival just lost its hallowed venue and its production company. Watkins Glen International terminated the site license and will not host the festival. Within an hour the festival’s producer CID Entertainment, who had been hired to handle camping, travel packages and transport, pulled out as well. The festival is planned for August 16-18. With two months left, the festival and the company is scrambling to sort out all the issues.

Laughably, Woodstock 50 insists it’s still happening for real guys. Gregory Peck put out the following statement:

“We are in discussions with another venue to host Woodstock 50 on August 16 and look forward to sharing the new location when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks”.

I’m sure everybody reading is waiting with bated breath for those ticket sales to whip out their credit cards and give this festival hundreds of dollars. Sheesh.

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In a statement with Billboard, Lang announced that there will be over 80 artists at this event. Although the full lineup has not been released, organizers have confirmed these headliners: Santana, Chance the Rapper, Dead and Company, The Killers, and Imagine Dragons. There are also rumors circulating about Miley Cyrus, Halsey, Jay-Z, and The Black Keys joining the lineup.

The event is expected to draw about 100,000 people. Unfortunately, the original festival grounds, Bethel Woods, is not big enough to host an event this size. Instead, Woodstock 50 will take place an hour and a half away at the Watkins Glen International Speedway. This new location, however, will not change the atmosphere of the festival. When Lang first announced Woodstock 50, he had this to say about his decision to commemorate the festival:

“The original festival in ’69 was a reaction by the youth of the time to the causes we felt compelled to fight for – civil rights, women’s rights, and the antiwar movement, and it gave way to our mission to share peace, love and music. Today, we’re experiencing similar disconnects in our country, and one thing we’ve learned is that music has the power to bring people together. So, it’s time to bring the Woodstock spirit back, get involved and make our voices heard.”

As we move closer to the 50th-anniversary date, we can see the influence Woodstock has had into the modern-day festival. It wouldn’t be surprising if they include electronic artists into this lineup since EDM culture is all about spreading love and peace as well. We’re beyond excited to see who joins this iconic event.

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Mysteryland USA is ready to rock your Thursday with a nostalgic aftermovie recap of its 2016 event and even better news for 2017: pre-sale tickets are available at 11am ET today on its website.

Mysteryland 2017 will take place June 9th-12th, 2017 at the same location as legendary Woodstock Festival took place back in 1969 for the fourth installment of its US residency. Its presale offerings come in three buckets: Nomad, Premium and Platinum; there are also payment plans for those looking to spread their spending.

Need more convincing to snag your pre-sale ticket? The new recap video takes you on a wild ride through MLUSA 2016 as you relive the weekend filled with performances by headliners ODESZA, Skrillex & Bassnectar, renown artists Griz, Tchami, Zeds Dead, Mija, dance music legends John Digweed, Kerri Chandler, MK, Joris Voorn and over 90 other captivating performances in this year’s aftermovie.

The event offered not only these musical acts but also provided well-rounded artistic offerings including aerialist performances from House of Yes, Funkrust Brass Band parades and massive art installations like Incendia and The Healing Garden. Give it a view below!

Buy Pre-Sale Tickets 

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