West Coasters Get Woodstocky

Long story short, a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock is expected to take place in October in San Francisco, after organizers of both the new event and the original shook hands.

San Francisco concert promoter Boots Hughston, a veteran of ’60s promotion company Family Dog, held a press conference in S.F. May 27 alongside “Country” Joe McDonald, Barry “The Fish” Melton and Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers.

The press conference was originally planned to denounce a decision by Michael Lang, one of the organizers of the original Woodstock, to not allow the name “40th Anniversary of Woodstock” on the anniversary celebration.

But cooler heads prevailed. The press conference took place, but with a different message.

“This morning there was a flurry of phone calls between Michael and myself,” Hughston told Pollstar. “We finally came to a resolution where it’s OK with him if we call it ‘West Fest: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock.’ Basically, it’s good news. It’s back to peace, love and tranquility; the real deal.”

Attorneys for Woodstock Ventures, the partnership that staged Woodstock in 1969, had been sending cease and desist letters to Hughston for months, Houghston said.

Jonathan Reichman, attorney for Woodstock Ventures, told the Poughkeepsie Journal his clients wanted to head off any confusion. There was also concern that the festival would use the famous bird-on-a-fretboard logo.

“That came from Michael Lang, that didn’t come from me,” Hughston said. “We never used the logo, ever.”

The concert is expected to take place in Golden Gate Park Oct. 25, marking an anniversary of San Francisco’s “Human Be-In,” which preceded Woodstock.

Lang was unavailable for comment at press time.