'Garden' Not Much Of A Party To Some Fans

08/17/1998 2:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(8/17/98, 12 p.m. PDT) - "A Day In The Garden," the first festival held on the site of the original Woodstock since the historic 1969 concert, wrapped up over the weekend, and the response was decidedly mixed.

The crowds over the three-day event were smaller than expected. On two of the three days, attendance fell far below the 30,000-person limit established by promoters. Only 12,000 tickets were sold on Friday. The numbers we up to 18,000 on Saturday, and actually swelled to the 30,000 mark for Sunday's bargain-priced contemporary rock lineup, according to reports by the Associated Press.

By most accounts, the Friday and Saturday shows--headlined by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley, and Pete Townshend and Joni Mitchell, respectively--were downright mellow affairs.

However, things got a bit out of hand on Sunday, which featured performances by Third Eye Blind, Marcy Playground, the Goo Goo Dolls and Joan Osborne. When the crowd got a little too rowdy, beer sales were discontinued. Upset fans began chanting and throwing water bottles during Osborne's set, prompting the singer to leave the stage in a huff.

Perhaps Goo Goo Dolls singer Johnny Rzeznik summed up the event and its inspiration best. "In 30 years, I hope you guys aren't going to get stupidly nostalgic, come back here in your BMWs and try to relive all this," he told the crowd.

Those who are into the Woodstock trip won't have to wait 30 years. As we previously reported, plans are already in the works for Woodstock 1999 (myLAUNCH, 8/12).