Demetri Martin stars in 'Taking Woodstock', Prospect Park show status & other 40th Anniversary news

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Posted in comedy | movies | music | tour dates on May 28, 2009

Demetri Martin stars in 'Taking Woodstock', Prospect Park show status & other 40th Anniversary news

Kelli Garner, Demetri Martin & Paul Dano in Taking Woodstock

While [Woodstock Ventures'] most promising idea -- a one-day mini-Woodstock in Prospect Park in Brooklyn this August -- fizzled when they could not find sponsors, that doesn't mean others haven't coaxed a few more marketing miles from the creaky Woodstock bus.

Dozens of projects are planned to commemorate the August 1969 concert, including an Ang Lee movie called "Taking Woodstock" [starring Demetri Martin, trailer below], a Heroes of Woodstock concert tour (with Jefferson Starship and Melanie) and at least 13 books, including one for children co-authored by a second cousin of Max Yasgur, the farmer who lent his land in Bethel, N.Y., for the original event. Target is set to run a "Summer of Love" promotion featuring licensed Woodstock merchandise, like beach towels with the symbolic white dove perched on a guitar neck.

The operators of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, on the grounds of the original Woodstock concert, gave up trying to work with Woodstock Ventures and announced on May 4 that they were going ahead with their own commemorative concert Aug. 15, called the Bethel Woods Music Festival, which will include acts from the Heroes of Woodstock tour.

...[Woodstock promoter Michael Lang] has not given up hope that he can pull off another last-minute event. He said they were speaking with a potential sponsor and city officials for a free concert in Prospect Park in the fall. "We would have 150,000 ticketed and an overflow area for 150,000 more with video screens," he said, speaking more animatedly when the logistics of a show were being discussed than he was when the subject was finding sponsors and working out issues with Mr. Rosenman.

"It would be noon to 11 p.m., eight to 10 bands on the main stage," Mr. Lang continued. "On-site solar and wind power; biodiesel for generators; organic and local produce; recycled paper goods. We'd like to give away one-day free passes on city transit with a ticket." [NY Times]

Taking Woodstock, a film whose cast also includes Liev Schreiber, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy (as Max Yasgur) and others, is set for summer release on August 14th -- one day before the Fest's official 40th on August 15th.

As stated above, that's far from the only thing celebrating Woodstock this summer. Tickets are on sale for The Bethel Woods Center show. Levon Helm (who hosts regular jam sessions in his Woodstock, NY studio), Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat and others are on the bill.

And as stated above, many of the acts at that event will be traveling with the Heroes of Woodstock tour. That show has dates across the US, including a Wednesday, August 12th show at NYC's Nokia Theatre Times Square. Tickets are on sale.

NYC is also hosting its own set of Woodstock anniverary concerts at Castle Clinton, with four nights of free music planned. That kicks off with the Music of Sly & the Family Stone: "It's a Family Affair" on Thursday, July 16th.

Not actually related, but close enough... this weekend (May 29th-31st) in the Catskills, not too far from Woodstock, Mountain Jam is happening in Hunter, NY. Bands on the bill include the Gene Ween Band, The Hold Steady, Girl Talk, Coheed & Cambria, Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers Band and more. Tickets are still on sale.

One place that won't be having a "Woodstock" anniversary event is San Francisco, where its tribute concert organizers were recently served with a cease and desist order from Lang and Woodstock Venture for using the trademarked name.

Check out the trailer and poster for Taking Woodstock, with all Demetri Martin and Heroes of Woodstock dates, below...

'Taking Woodstock' Official Trailer

Taking Woodstock

Demetri Martin - 2009 Tour Dates
May 30 - Minneapolis MN - State Theatre
Jul 25 - San Diego CA - Spreckels Theatre

Heroes of Woodstock - 2009 Tour Dates
Fri 06/12/09 - Del Mar, CA - Del Mar Fairgrounds
Sat 08/01/09 - Mount Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Sun 08/02/09 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion For The Perf. Arts
Sun 08/09/09 - Livermore, ME - Barnyard All Terrain
Wed 08/12/09 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre Times Square
Thu 08/13/09 - Westbury, NY - The Capital One Bank Theatre At Westbury
Fri 08/14/09 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Resort Casino
Sat 08/15/09 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
Tue 08/18/09 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for Performing Arts
Thu 08/20/09 - Fort Worth, TX - Bass Performance Hall
Sat 08/22/09 - Winthrop, WA - Blues Ranch
Sun 08/23/09 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Wed 08/26/09 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery Appearing at "Sausalito Art Festival"
Mon 09/07/09 - Sausalito, CA - Bay Model
Fri 10/16/09 - Coachella, CA - Spotlight Showroom

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Tags: Demetri Martin, Prospect Park, Taking Woodstock, Woodstock

Posted on May 28, 2009 12:55 PM

Comments (15)

Fuck Woodstock

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 1:02 PM

Demetri martin is a genius. I love comedy that you don't have to think about.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 1:14 PM

The irony of a Woodstock event in Prospect Park makes my head explode.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 2:15 PM

SMOKE UP!

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 2:26 PM

Lang/Woodstock Ventures have reportedly allowed the SF'ans to call their event West Fest: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 2:41 PM

gonna turn 30 this year. by the time i'm 60, all of the boomers should be dead. then i'll get some peace and quiet.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 2:53 PM

enough with the woodstock shit. stop milking!

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 3:12 PM

Dear Baby Boomers,

Please fuck off and stop shoving your shit excuse of a culture down everyone else's throat.

Thanks,
Every other fucking generation

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 5:00 PM

Apparently there is still some anger left in the woodstock 99 generation.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 5:45 PM

dear non-baby boomers

fuck off and stop rehashing our music and calling it your own.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2009 6:32 PM

De-Meh-tri Martin

Posted by anon | May 28, 2009 7:26 PM

dear 6:32,

Yes, your music was so very original...whether we're discussing the rehashed folk music from the 20's & 30's that you stole...or the rock n roll music that you stole from black blues musicians..."originality" is definitely the word that comes to mind.

This is a prime example of why Baby Boomers suck; They're so self-absorbed & lacking in cultural & historical knowledge and relevance that they have actually convinced themselves that their generation was somehow, not only unique, but the epitome of what society was supposed to attain, and that they did it all on their own. The fact that they haven't let this delusion go for the past 4 decades just further emphasizes how deep this psychosis runs.

Posted by Check & Mate | May 28, 2009 8:28 PM

Yeah, but we were the FIRST generation to rip off those black blues musicians and "folk music from the 20's & 30's." What's your excuse?

Posted by August West | May 29, 2009 8:36 AM

Oh, stop arguing, for the past fifty years there has been some great music and then some crap bands, and it is going to continue to be that way until the earth explodes. I agree with Mr. West in that the music of the sixties was more original then most of the crap churned out these days....I mean, the Stones, The Beatles, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Clapton, the list of musical heroes goes on, and they are legendary for a reason. At the same time, being in my early twenties, I can understand what Check & Mate is talking about (though I do not agree with his approach, which comes off as close-minded as he is accusing the baby-boomers of being)....a lot of the older generations are stuck in the past, can't except or listen to new music even when it is great, because it is too new or different. That is what the hippies were all about though, they WANTED TO BE DIFFERENT AND FRESH! Both of your arguements have merit, I certainly love a lot of music these days, from hip-hop to indie rock to flat out fucking pop tunes...there are some excellent artists out there today as well, and this his is coming from a Keith Richards worshipper. It is all a matter of preference, really. Stop bickering, let's just listen to whatever music we want to, deal?

Posted by Crow | May 31, 2009 3:50 PM

hımm...

Posted by klip izle | July 11, 2009 3:09 PM