It's really too bad that I only do one blog a week, because it seems this story changes by the day (or in the case of Woodstock 50, by the hour). In a week where Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road" sets a new Billboard Hot 100 record by nabbing its 17th week at number one on that chart (and near-history on my personal SNS 100 list, more on that later) the latest on Woodstock 50, the purported celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the most iconic rock festival in history, is falling apart at the seams. And which, in my opinion is much-deserved.
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| "Woodstock or Bust" is painted on a van back in May when the mega-festival was confirmed to be back on after being threatened to be canceled. However, in the light of recent events, "Bust" may be more likely. |
As I had reported last week, the organizers of Woodstock 50, a planned mega-concert celebration headed by original festival runner Michael Lang, has suffered setback after setback. Investors and sponsors backing out, and the struggle to get replacements, a denial of a permit for Watkins Glen International Speedway, where all of this was to take place, on the same weekend in August that the original in Bethel took place. Then came four attempts to secure a permit at a horse racing track in Vernon, NY, all denied as well. After that came both rapper Jay-Z, and original performer John Fogerty, dropping out of the lineup. And finally, Lang and company deciding to move the festivities to Merriweather Post Pavilion, an amphitheater in Columbia, Maryland, about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC, a venue that seemed to be welcoming, in spite of a not-yet filed permit
I wrote that blog on Friday, July 26. It is now Tuesday July 30, and much has happened in just those four days.
Right after I reported the above, a third act withdrew from the festival: Dead & Company, a band which included three former members of original festival performers The Grateful Dead, pulled out of the lineup. After that, Lang made some drastic changes. Assuming the concert takes place at Merriweather, which, presumably has only one main stage (as opposed to the four that the planned festival was supposed to have), Lang released all of the remaining performers out of their contract, and announced that the new venue would be a "free concert", with only suggested donations. This echoed the original 1969 festival after attendees crashed the fencing at the Yasgur's farm site, rendering it very difficult to collect admission. Also, it appears that instead of a three-day event, the event might take place on two, or even just one day.
After that announcement, several other acts pulled out: The Raconteurs, the current band headed by Jack White (formerly of The White Stripes), Miley Cyrus, The Lumineers, plus three more originals from the 1969 festival; Country Joe McDonald, Santana, and John Sebastian, indicated they will not perform at Woodstock 50. The Raconteurs are now headlining another event in Niagara Falls' Rapids Theater. And as an insult to injury, a permit hasn't yet been secured from the state of Maryland to hold the festival there. Many other performers, now released from a contract, are reportedly pulling out as well.
This all has to be an embarrassment to Lang and his fellow organizers, especially since, other than Jay-Z, Cyrus, The Lumineers and The Raconteurs, these are all original performers from 1969, which should be the nucleus of this festival. Granted, to have a three-day festival of this proportion (77 acts were to perform at four stages over three days) is tumultuous to pull off, long running festivals like SXSW, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bonnaroo, and many others have been doing this successfully for years. While the last major festival with the Woodstock name---Woodstock '99 which turned out to be the antithesis of the original, with concertgoers destroying booths, stands and setting things on fire to go along with rape and sexual assault, was a big embarrassment---even leading some pundits to proclaim the 'togetherness' that rock music was to bring together died on that day, Woodstock 50 has to be a big embarrassment in a different sense.
To honest, I do not have any sympathy for Lang and the others who put this together. Knowing that this marked the big anniversary of the original concert, the original site, now occupied by Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, was given a "cease and desist" to promoters Live Nation regarding the golden anniversary of the original concert. The main theater there---an amphitheater similar to the proposed Maryland site, could have held a decent sized three day festival featuring mostly original performers, along with perhaps current artists that fit into that original style and spirit. And since it was on the original site, complete with a museum, the weekend would be all about the anniversary of the iconic festival---not a whole new mega concert with mostly current acts with the "Woodstock" name slapped on it. And then to hold it at a venue, Watkins Glen, more noted for another big concert which actually drew more fan than Woodstock---1973's Summer Jam, therefor usurping that concert's legacy---must less a far distance away from the original site, turned into another slap in the face.
While Bethel Woods, as expected, is, indeed celebrating the big 5-0 on its home turf---Santana and Fogerty are still expected to perform there, along with other originals including Edgar Winter (who performed a few songs with his late brother Johnny), and Arlo Guthrie, as well as performers from that era (Ringo Starr, The Doobie Brothers)---it could have been a bigger event with music going on from morning until the late night hours each day, instead of one concert with two or three performers. Blood, Sweat & Tears, another band that performed at the original, will return (albeit unlikely, BS&T, an "institution" band with constant turnover of members, will have any originals perform). The Tedeschi Trucks Band, and SNS favorite Grace Potter will also perform that weekend at Bethel Woods. Ringo will be appearing with his "All Starr Band", a conglomerate of musicians who have had success in their own right; one member of this year's group is Gregg Rolie, who performed with Santana in 1969.
And now, not only is Woodstock 50 threatened to be reduced to one day and presumably one stage (if it will take place at all), and is now free, but it's not even in New York State. And instead of an open-area space in the Catskills, a couple hours away from the very busy New York metro area, we now have a proposed venue smack in the middle of suburbia between two large mid-Atlantic cities, 350 miles south. Some garden, right?
The promoters have yet to apply for a permit for the new site, which has limitations aside from the previously mentioned one stage. Because it is near a university, only 20,000 seats would be available on Friday. On Sunday, the band Smashing Pumpkins---who, despite their popularity in the 1990's, never played either Woodstock '94 or '99--were scheduled to perform a concert then. They would either have to join the festival (the only 90's based band in the lineup), or reschedule their date.
While Lang was the mastermind of the original festival, his insistence that the 50th anniversary be a mega-festival with mostly newer bands, stepped on those at the original site who wanted to do a more proper tribute to the "half-a-million strong" that headed to the garden for peace, love and music. While I wish that some kind of event marking the 50th anniversary would go off, in what is now just two weeks way, much of the damage has already been done.
A NEW RECORD: As expected, "Old Town Road", by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus has broken the record with its 17th week at the top of Billboard Hot 100. It smashed the record set in 1996 of "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, and equaled by 2017's "Despacito' by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. A fourth remix had come out featuring the South Korean boy band BTS to go along with all the other remixes that had come out prior, ensuring the continued top position.
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| The Driver Era--Ross and Rocky Lynch--nab their first SNS #1 song with "Low" |
While history was being made on the Hot 100, one almost was made on my SNS 100 list (see below). "Old Town Road" makes a big jump from #19 to #2. It actually was tied in points with "Low" by The Driver Era, which in itself jumps from #4 to #1. Had "Town" gotten one more point, it would have set a record for the biggest jump to #1 on my blog. The song is definitely going through my mind these days. Unfortunately, in spite of its continuing popularity, none of my friends have posted the song on Facebook, thus, in spite of it's big standing, still lags behind popular-with-friends songs of the blog area like "Happy" and "Uptown Funk", just to name two.
No doubt, "Town" is certain to hit #1 on my list next week. If it stays on the top of the Hot 100 for an 18th week, it will become the ninth song since I started my blog in August 2010 to top both lists, and the first since Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" in early 2018. It would also become the time both a father and child combination would hit my top spot: Billy Ray's daughter Miley Cyrus hit #1 SNS with "Malibu" two summers ago.
"Town", as mentioned in prior blogs is part of the hip-hop country hybrid movement, which is officially called "Country Trap". Another song in that genre, Blanco Brown's "The Git Up"", also reaches my top 10 this week, moving 16-10. On the Hot 100, it moves from 19-14 and could still very well be the song that eventually replaces "Old Town Road" at the top of the Hot 100. The country trap movement actually started in 2017 with a mixtape called Beautiful Thugger Girls, by Young Thug, one of the artists on a remix of "Town"". The following year, a song called "Like a Farmer"by Lil Tracy and Lil Uzi Vert made some inroads.
A RACE WITH ALL WINNERS: As I prepare to announce my future involvement regarding the blog and with new music, it seems there are many songs that have tried to move up my SNS 100 and a record number have had big point values but have to jostle for position in order to make any significant moves. While I'm planning on eliminating my following of new music after this year, the current selection that I'm listening to is pretty much going to make that very hard to implement. Shannon Marsyada, Amber Arcades and The Horrors all debut in my top 20 with awesome songs, while the new ones by Foster the People, Band of Skulls and Kungs are also future top 20 material. Further down are some other awesome songs, but don't move up as much (some even pushed down) because of all the competition.
Last week's Top Debut Nick Waterhouse's "Song for Winners" is a song I plucked out of his current self-titled album which is a winner in itself. The second single, the follow-up to "I Feel An Urge Coming On", is actually "Wreck the Rod", and while the song is good, the video breaks it up into interviews, which pretty much ruins the song. So, I am going for "Song For Winners" next.
NEWBIES: Cage the Elephant grabs the Hot Debut slot at #70 with their third single from Social Cues, the title track. It's a little more emotional than their #1 Alt hit "Ready to Let Go", but still very relevant. It's up to #12 on Billboard's Alternative chart this week and should continue their streak here, and top their disappointing #29 SNS peak with their duet with Beck, "Night Running".
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| Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes released her first solo effort, "Jaime", featuring the first single, "Stay High", debuting at #79. |
There's been a noticeable lack of activity with Alabama Shakes, who haven't released anything since 2015, but leader Brittany Howard releases her first solo single, "Stay High". It is a winner as it has that vintage soul groove, reminiscent of Leon Bridges' "Coming Home" (a #1 SNS hit). The song features Terry Crews and he and Howard make a great duo and complement each other. It's from her first solo album, Jaime. Another act I hadn't heard from in awhile, The Heavy, who hit my list with the #2 with "What Makes a Good Man" and the #7 "Since You Been Gone", is back with "Better As One", which features a James Brown-funk/R&B groove and it comes off great. Wilco, whose last album was a bit of a disappointment for me, is back with "Love is Everywhere (Beware)", which sticks to its alt-country roots but is more flavored yet doesn't resort to the straight pop of its SNS #1 from 2011 "I Might". A good comeback for them. Clairo, real name Claire Cotrill, is a 20-year old singer-songwriter from Carlisle, Massachusetts. Her first full length album Immunity features this cool track "Bags", which is worthwhile effort which reminds me a bit of Liz Phair. Joywave's latest, "Like a Kennedy" rounds up the debuts.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
July 28, 2019
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 4 |
NUMBER ONE:
"Low"
Album: X
|
9 |
| 2 | 19 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
Album: 7
|
6 |
| 3 | 1 | Winnetka Bowling League - Kombucha | 8 |
| 4 | 5 | Meg Myers - Running Up That Hill | 12 |
| 5 | 2 | Telekinesis - Like Nothin' | 9 |
| 6 | 3 | The Big Takeover - Shy | 10 |
| 7 | 8 | The Black Keys - Go | 7 |
| 8 | 6 | Pageants - Will-O'-the-Wisp | 10 |
| 9 | 9 | Lana Del Rey - Doin' Time | 8 |
| 10 | 16 | Blanco Brown - The Git Up | 5 |
| 11 | 7 | Elton John and Taron Egerton - I'm Gonna Love Me Again | 11 |
| 12 | 15 | Molly Burch - Candy | 14 |
| 13 | 10 | Lil Peep and IloveMakonnen f Fall Out Boy - I've Been Waiting● | 17 |
| 14 | 18 | The Lumineers - Gloria | 12 |
| 15 | 21 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
Album: Oceans
|
4 |
| 16 | 12 | Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho | 11 |
| 17 | 24 | Amber Arcades - Something's Gonna Take Your Love Away | 7 |
| 18 | 11 | The Blue Stones - Be My Fire | 12 |
| 19 | 22 | The Horrors - Point of No Reply | 7 |
| 20 | 20 | Phantogram - Into Happiness | 7 |
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Songs with the greatest increase in favorite
points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more
plays on my iPod.
¨ Songs with 100 or more
plays on my iPod.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list
of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
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