On This Day in 1994, Woodstock Gets a Promising Revival With Big Names in Rock Music

On this very day in 1994, Woodstock kicked off once again. The revival, Woodstock 1994, took place to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival, which debuted in 1969. 

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That particular festival is still considered one of the most legendary festivals of all time. It pulled in nearly half a million attendees in 1969 and featured performances by some of the greatest counterculture musicians of the era. 

Following up on that festival and trying to capture its magic was close to impossible. But surprisingly, Woodstock 1994 didn’t do too badly. Sadly, that good fortune wouldn’t last long.

Woodstock 1994 Was a Promising Revival of a Legendary Music Festival… but It Went South Later in the 90s

Woodstock 1994 (often billed as Woodstock 2 or Woodstock 94) kicked off on this day in 1994 in Saugerties, New York.

The festival was a success, and not that far off from the success of the original festival. Nearly 350,000 festivalgoers attended. And the names on the bill were some of the biggest artists of the time. Sheryl Crow, Violent Femmes, Todd Rundgren, Blind Melon, Aerosmith, Metallica, The Cranberries, and Bob Dylan were just a few big names to play at Woodstock 1994. Joe Cocker, who famously performed at the OG Woodstock, made an appearance as well.

Some people might not remember Woodstock 1994 as fondly. The first day (this day) of the fest was dry, warm, and excellent for an outdoor concert. The following two days, though, were not nearly as pleasant. Woodstock 94 is often referred to as the “mud” festival, as the high levels of rain on the last two days had turned much of the festival area into a giant mud pit. Couple that with high ticket prices, and some people weren’t too satisfied with the revival.

Though, considering the high attendance, great lineup, and accounts of fond memories scattered across the internet, Woodstock 1994 was a decent experience. But by the end of the 1990s, Woodstock would officially be dead. 

Following another revival in 1999, Woodstock had become associated with poor management, violent assaults, sudden deaths, and bad vibes all around. It was definitely a far cry from the OG festival. Woodstock 69 is known for being a symbol of the era of free love and good music. After Woodstock 99’s horrors, nobody has tried to give this festival revival a shot again.

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