First Documentary in the Music Box Series, a collection of documentary films exploring pivotal moments and people in the music world and their impact on the culture.
Overview: WOODSTOCK 99: PEACE, LOVE, AND RAGE unfolds over three blazing hot days and nights of nonstop performances and heaving mosh pits in July 1999, and examines how the festival eventually collapsed under the weight of its own misguided ambition. Intense heat, lack of adequate sanitation, and access to free drinking water agitated a crowd already at a breaking point. Shortcuts and cost-cutting measures had diminished security, allowing the anger and frustration of the mob to explode into unchecked rioting and destruction. As much as Woodstock ’69 became known as a celebration of peace and inclusion, Woodstock 99 became a flashpoint for burgeoning white toxic masculinity. Debut Date: Friday, July 23, 2021.
Expectations: So, I actually remember this in the news, mainly Kurt Loder’s take on it from MTV. I am fully aware of what a disaster the event was, but I’m sure there are particulars I can get out of this 1-hour, 50-minute documentary. I expect it to be a well-rounded piece covering all aspects of the event, but to be honest, I am more interested in an examination of the breakdown in human nature that erupted than the managerial goofs that left a bad ring in everyone’s ear. The trailer seems to indicate that I will get out of it what I expect – a watershed moment for a generation backed by the music they love.
Gut Reaction: Well, this didn’t disappoint; this work, directed by Garret Price and executive produced by Bill Simmons, covered every facet of the event equally. I appreciated that it brought up points I wasn’t aware of at all and others that I didn’t realize held as much weight as they did. I expected to spend time with the organizers, Michael Lang and John Scher, both then and now, but didn’t know that Lang was the key player in creating Woodstock ’69. It was interesting to see their press conferences during the actual days of Woodstock ’99 and hearing their spin that all was going as expected and going well. They were not wrong with that opinion, as rock festivals go. I thought it fair for the film to say that even the original Woodstock wasn’t without poor sanitation and protests; it is our nostalgia, and the media, that kind of distorted what really transpired. That is not to say Woodstock ’99 was not different and angrier than the original lovefest, and as this documentary spells out, for obvious reasons.
There is no question that Woodstock ’99 was a mismanaged, fractious event with little forethought put into its creation, even down to its line-up of talent. The artists were hot properties for sure, but they were not a cohesive across-the-board line-up meant for everyone. The original event was a ‘let’s come together’ event for peace and unity despite the agitation of the day. The 1999 festival was not. It was mostly an aggressive nu-metal feeding frenzy, and those artists that didn’t fit that, like Jewel and Morrisette, were lost acts. The vibe was to get out your agita, unleash it, and be free—a totally different vibe and a dangerous one. But I’ll concur: it wasn’t entirely the musicians’ fault; they were being true to their brand, true to themselves. They were, however, fanning the flames of searing aggression before them, turning away or just not seeing the violence erupting.
A combination of negative factors built up for the rage witnessed: sweltering temperatures, lack of water for all, lack of proper sanitation for all, lack of security for all, and an unchecked siege of human behavior left to fester. I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who thought of a Lord of the Flies scenario here. Break people down to their basic, primal self, and the human as just another animal among many becomes evident. Yes, those in attendance committed crimes of looting, vandalism, arson, and assault. This documentary does not hide that; it shows it clearly and smartly defines it as a watershed moment for that generation. It showed their primal rage, once pent up and now released.
It is almost as if they needed to do so, and thankfully, they were contained on an abandoned Air Force base in Rome, New York, to do it. It was a dangerous moment no one saw coming, and some were left scarred and abused from it. It doesn’t justify it, but under those circumstances, it was bound to happen.
Conclusion: I could ramble more upon it, but if you want more about the psychological impact of this music event, that is precisely what this Music Box film is for. I do believe it was a defining moment for that generation and one that speaks volumes about human behavior, and also how effective music is on the human animal. All were to blame for the weekend of Woodstock ’99, and none of them saw it as their fault. Incredible. It is like an accident on the road, shocking, but you need to see it. You need to understand. Watch WOODSTOCK 99: PEACE, LOVE, AND RAGE, and I think you will.
