Woodstock 99 is the subject of a new HBO documentary and the first film from the network’s new documentary “Music Box” collection helmed by Bill Simmons.
Per HBO, “‘Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage’ tells the story of Woodstock 99, a three-day music festival promoted to echo unity and counterculture idealism of the original 1969 concert but instead devolved into riots, looting and sexual assaults. The grim outcome earned the event the infamous distinction of ‘the day the nineties died.’ ‘Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage’ focuses a spotlight on American youth at the end of the millennium, in the shadow of Columbine and the looming hysteria of Y2K, pinpointing a moment in time when the angst of a generation galvanized into a seismic, cultural shift…As much as Woodstock 69 became known as a celebration of peace and inclusion, Woodstock 99 became a flashpoint for burgeoning white toxic masculinity.”
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage features new interviews from a variety of people from organizers Michael Lang and John Scher to artists who performed at the festival including The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Moby, Jewel, The Offspring and Creed’s Scott Stapp. A number of fans who attended Woodstock 99 also share their experiences in the documentary.
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage premieres on HBO on Friday, July 23 at 9 PM ET. The film will also be available to stream on HBO Max. So far, there’s no word whether this film is related in any way to the previously reported Woodstock 99 docuseries being developed by Netflix.