Review of concert from 1999-07-25: Woodstock, NY
Launch.com, 1999-07-26
- Darren Davis and Gary Graff
Costello, Setzer, Everlast Play Woodstock On Sunday
(7/26/99, 3 p.m. PDT) - After soul legend Al Green canceled (LAUNCH, 7/23) the task of opening Woodstock on Sunday (July 25) fell to the more-than-capable Willie Nelson, country music's sole representative on the bill.
Following his traditional opener "Whiskey River," Nelson and his band played a set that included staples such as "Crazy," "Me and Paul," "Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," and "On the Road Again." He also played "Funny How Time Slips Away," which Green recorded with Lyle Lovett several years ago, and provided a bit of church music with "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "Amazing Grace," which had the crowding singing along.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra's Sunday set on the East Stage demonstrated that even nude people can swing dance. The guitarist and his ensemble got the crowd hopping and bopping to the themes from "Hawaii Five-O" and "The Pink Panther," "The Dirty Boogie," "Jump, Jive, An' Wail," and the Stray Cats favorites "Rumble In Brighton," "Rock This Town," and "Stray Cat Strut."
Giving Woodstock doses of both hip-hop and rootsy folk, Everlast played his radio hits "Ends" and "What It's Like" during his Sunday performance on the East Stage. He also included a cover of the late Motown great Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man."
With Sunday's rains on the horizon, Elvis Costello played an engrossing set that was seemingly lost on much of the crowd at the East Stage. Costello started solo with "Pads, Paws And Claws," one of his songwriting collaborations with Paul McCartney, before bringing on pianist Steve Nieve for "Mystery Dance."
The rest of the set included: "Accidents Will Happen," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," "New Amsterdam"--which led into the Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"--"Everyday I Write The Book," his version of "What Do You Get When You Fall In Love" from the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, "(Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes," "God's Comic," "Peace, Love & Understanding," and encores of "Alison" and "Pump It Up."
With a short cloudburst bringing some welcome relief to the fans crammed before her, Jewel was in an ebullient mood, gushing, "Today I have the coolest job in the world."
Jewel was joined for most of the set by musician Steve Poltz, an ex-boyfriend and the co-writer of some songs on her first album, Pieces Of You. Her set included the hits "Hands," "You Were Meant For Me," and "Who Will Save Your Soul"; she also debuted some new songs, including a guitar-driven pop number called "I'll Take You Down" that was a considerable departure from her usual sound.
Modern hard rockers Creed followed Jewel and preceded the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the West Stage with a workmanlike, crowd-pleasing set that opened with "Torn" and continued with "Ode," "America," "Unforgiven," "Say I," "Illusion," "Faceless Man," "My Own Prison," and "One."
At one point, the group was then joined by former Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger for renditions of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" and "Riders On The Storm," the latter of which Creed recorded for an upcoming Doors tribute album. Creed finished on its own with "What's This Life For."
-- Darren Davis and Gary Graff, Rome, N.Y.