It’s been 10 years since Woodstock ’99 brought together more than 60 bands and musicians.
The music was hot, but the fiery riots, sexual assaults and violent mobs that ensued may have overshadowed the lineup.
The mayhem helped to land the festival at No. 7 of 100 on VH1’s list of rock’s most shocking moments, but beyond the chaos, there’s no doubt this was music that defined a generation.
It brought artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Korn and the Tragically Hip to the same place for three days, and most of these bands were at the height of their careers.
Ten years later, the fires have long been extinguished. So where are those Woodstock ’99 bands?
Here’s the down-low on a few of them.
Kid Rock Then: Kid was at the peak of his stardom in 1999, reaching major success with the singles “Batwitdaba” and “Cowboy.”
Woodstock moment: Kid Rock walked on stage pimped out in a white fur coat, hat and cane.
Now: His most recent album, “Rock N Roll Jesus,” was released in October 2007. It featured the hit single “All Summer Long.”
Metallica Then: Metallica successfully pushed heavy metal into the mainstream music circuit, garnering respect for the genre and becoming one of the most famous metal bands of all time.
span style="font-weight:bold;">Woodstock moment: A haunting performance of “Nothing Else Matters.”
Now: Last year, the band released “Death Magnetic,” an album with a strong resemblance to its early-‘80s music.
Britney Spears Then: If Britney had a year all to herself, 1999 would have been it. It was a year after the release of the single, “Baby One More Time,” and Britney and her school-girl persona were hot.
Woodstock moment: Isn’t the fact that Britney actually got to perform at Woodstock enough?
Now: We all know what happened after her “Baby One More Time” album sold 13 million copies: Justin, Kevin, marriage, kids, divorce, hair loss, and finally, the comeback.
Dave Matthews Band Then: The group already had a few years of success behind them, and 1999 continued that trend.
Woodstock moment: Dave’s sweat-soaked shirt during a Saturday afternoon performance of “All Along the Watchtower.”
Now: Like Twinkies and cockroaches, these guys will never die. But unlike both, the group makes some good music.
Insane Clown Posse Then: 1999 proved a good year for these jokers. After years of struggling for fame and attention, their album “The Amazing Jeckel Brothers” topped the charts.
Woodstock moment: The Posse graced the Woodstock stage Friday night, starting the festival off with a song titled “---- the World.”
Now: Despite marketing schemes, publicity ploys and albums made since ’99, the group has fast fallen out of fame.
Jewel Then: She was the ‘90s Fantasia – without the whole “American Idol” thing. Jewel rose to instant fame when fans learned she had been living out of her car before music execs “saved her soul.”
Woodstock moment: In a truly human moment, the singer started over when the vocals in “Hands” didn’t start the way she wanted.
Now: Jewel’s all lullabies and country these days.
Limp Bizkit Then: The 1999 release of the single “Nookie” propelled the group to instant fame.
Woodstock moment: During their performance of “Break Stuff,” organizers pulled the plug, blaming the band for inciting the already unruly crowd into chaos.
Now: They’ve released a few albums since ‘99, several of which have done well, such as 2004’s “Behind Blue Eyes.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers Then: After decades of drug use and playing musical chairs with band members, the Chili Peppers came back strong in ’99 with the return of guitarist John Frusciante and a successful reunion album: “Californication.”
Woodstock moment: Despite burning rubble and fiery riots, the band performed “Fire” to the angry mob, later defending the choice as pre-determined.
Now: In 2006, they released “Stadium Arcadium,” which topped charts.
Alanis Morrissette Then: Morrissette was considered an unlikely success in the mid-90s with her “jagged” confessional singer/songwriter style, but still remained strong fhrough the ‘90s and into the millennium.
Woodstock moment: Our YouTube look at her performance of “Ironic” made us think there wasn’t a “no smoking sign” on Alanis’ “smoking break.”
Now: Last year, Morrissette released her seventh album, “Flavors of Entanglement,” which she touted as a record for her grown-up “Jagged Little Pill” fans.
Collective Soul Then: They scored big with “Shine” and “Where the River Flows” in 1994. In 1999, their single “Heavy” was topping the charts.
Woodstock moment: A crowd-pleasing version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”
Now: In 2007, the band released “Afterwords,” hailed critically as a success.
Source: www.allmusic.com
