Woodstock 1999 was a complete and utter disaster. Poor planning and intense heat led to one of the most infamous music events in modern history (nothing can beat Fyre Festival). The disgruntled crowd quickly turned violent, at one point setting fires on the festival grounds. There were also reports of sexual assault and rape, as well as looting and vandalism. And now there's a documentary called Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage that's all about how and why chaos ensued on that grim July weekend in upstate New York.
Directed by Garret Price and executive produced by Bill Simmons, Woodstock 99 tells the horrific story of “the day the nineties died.” The festival's organizers Michael Lang and John Scher discuss Woodstock's pitfalls, while artists who performed during the three-day festival, including Korn’s Jonathan Davis, The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Jewel, Moby, Creed’s Scott Stapp, and The Offspring, remember their experiences. Culture critics Wesley Morris, Maureen Callahan, and Steven Hyden are also interviewed, as well as some festival goers.
“We got off the bus,” Moby recalls in the trailer. “And I thought: something’s not right.”
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is slated to premiere July 23 (the festival took place July 22-25, 1999) on HBO and HBO Max. Watch the trailer above.