Woodstock 50 Reportedly Features Dead and Company and Black Keys
Even though recent rumors suggest Woodstock 50 was in trouble, the festival lineup has begun taking shape.
Though the list of artists performing has not been officially released, Variety is reporting that Dead & Company and the Black Keys will be among the headliners of the fest.
The event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1969 festival. The original lineup featured classic artists like the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The 2019 incarnation will reportedly slant toward modern bands.
Jay Z, Imagine Dragons, Chance the Rapper, Gary Clark Jr., Cage the Elephant, the Killers, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal. The Man, and Jack White’s Raconteurs are among the other artists allegedly scheduled to perform.
Still, classic artists won’t be completely shut out. In addition to Dead & Company, Robert Plant and Santana are reportedly in discussions to join the lineup. The Grateful Dead and Santana both played legendary sets at the original Woodstock. Led Zeppelin, Plant’s former band, had been invited to perform at the 1969 fest but declined.
“We are thrilled with all the excitement about Woodstock 50, but we have an obligation to our fans, artists and partners, to do things the right way,” festival organizer Michael Lang said in an email statement regarding the leaked lineup news. “We are in the final stages of laying the groundwork and can’t wait to stage this once-in-a-lifetime event. We’ll be officially announcing the lineup and ticket on-sale soon. Stay tuned!”
Woodstock 50 is scheduled for Aug. 16 through 18 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. A competing Woodstock anniversary celebration, the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival, will take place at the original site in Bethel, N.Y. Santana are also scheduled for this event, alongside Ringo Starr, Edgar Winter and the Doobie Brothers.