MUSIC: Woodstock Suburb

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This time around, the financial stakes were higher. To stage the first concert, promoters spent $3 million; Woodstock '94 cost more than $30 million. Tickets to the original were $18; this time they were $135 and had to be purchased in pairs. In 1969 there weren't even official T shirts; in 1994 there will be an official CD-ROM. The Eco-Village, ostensibly devoted to educating the public about the environment, resembled a strip mall where you could buy clothes, camping gear and even Woodstock air ($2 a bottle). The promoters will reap an estimated $5 million to $8 million from pay-per-view fees: the concert was broadcast in 27 countries.

Corporate sponsors included Pepsi, which paid $2 million to be the concert's official soft drink; Apple Computer; and Haagen-Dazs. A Haagen-Dazs spokesman explained why his company wanted to be linked to the festival: "This is a progressive event dedicated to the idea that people can have it all. Peace on earth, great music, high tech, great family life that blends perfectly with our message -- reward, indulgence and nutritional balancing." Also Vanilla Swiss Almond.

In an action that bespoke little peace and love, the organizers of Woodstock '94 lodged an $80 million lawsuit against rivals who tried to hold an event called Bethel '94. That festival was to take place on the original Woodstock site and was to include such performers as Melanie and Country Joe MacDonald, who appeared in 1969. The suit was settled out of court. Although Bethel '94 was later officially canceled, 12,000 people gathered there spontaneously, and Woodstock veterans like Arlo Guthrie stopped by to give free, impromptu performances.

The naked capitalism of Woodstock '94 ran counter to the professed ideals of many of the musicians who played there. The roster included such "alternative" groups as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Porno for Pyros and Candlebox, which are supposed to be anti-commercialism. Some top alternative acts, such as Pearl Jam, rejected invitations to appear at Saugerties, as did rocker Neil Young, another of those who played the first Woodstock. The morals vs. money debate raged among fans. "I refuse to participate in something I believe is nothing more than making money off people's lust for the past," said graduate student Tony Novosel, 41, in a message sent over the Internet. But commercialism wasn't a problem for Woodstock '94 attendee Suzanne Poretta, 24: "For three days of music, camping and parking space, $135 is not bad. But this no-alcohol thing I can't handle."

The promoters of Woodstock '94, and some of the musicians, say the commercialism can actually help support idealism. "((Woodstock)) is really corporate," admits bassist Mike Dirnt of the Berkeley punk band Green Day. "But that's one of the reasons we're playing. It's helping us make up a lot of the money we've lost touring, being out there keeping our ticket prices low." The best-paid acts received $250,000, and all will receive a share of ancillary royalties. Promoter Scher of Polygram Records says he turned down sponsorship offers from such companies as Marlboro, Coors, Budweiser and Seagram's. "This is 1994. This is not 1969. What everything costs is hundreds of times what it cost in 1969," he says. "Had we taken the beer sponsorships and liquor and tobacco ads that were offered us, we probably could have lowered the ticket price to $25."