Michael Lang is an American concert promoter, producer and artistic manager who is best known as a co-creator of the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in 1969.
After he moved to Woodstock, New York and met Artie Kornfeld. The two developed the concept for a major festival event to celebrate the 1960s social movements, and planned to open a recording studio in the town of Woodstock. With Kornfeld and partners John P. Roberts and Joel Rosenman, Lang initiated the planning of Woodstock festival, which was held on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. Michael Lang was featured in many scenes of the 1970 documentary film, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music. Lang also produced Woodstock '94 with partners Roberts, Rosenman and co-producer John Scher, and Woodstock '99 with John Scher and Ossie Kilkenny. In May 2014, Lang revealed plans for a possible 50th anniversary concert in 2019 and that he is exploring various locations. On January 9, 2019, Lang announced that the official Woodstock 50 festival would take place on August 16–18, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York. On April 29, 2019, Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn announced Woodstock 50 had been cancelled, though Lang vehemently denied it.
Altamont free concert
Lang was not among the producers of the December 6, 1969, Altamont Free Concert which some had billed as a "Woodstock West", but was asked by the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead to assist with the last-moment re-location, from Sears Point Raceway to the Altamont Speedway, near Tracy, California. The concert was initially planned for Golden Gate Park, and was to feature The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The City of San Francisco revoked the permits for the Golden Gate venue, ostensibly due to a San Francisco 49ers football game at Kezar Stadium, located in the park, on the scheduled date. The concert was subsequently moved to Sears Point Raceway. However, a dispute over film rights led to its cancellation. Lang and Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully were then offered the Altamont Speedway – a rival to Sears Point Raceway – by owner Dick Carter. After the venue was set for the concert, Lang appeared, with his experience in moving the much larger Woodstock festival. The venue was moved on December 4 to the racetrack with the concert starting December 6. The venue change created major technical problems, including a stage built too low and close to the fans. The Hells Angels were then hired for stage security, which resulted in numerous fights with concertgoers, as well as an on-stage altercation with members of the Jefferson Airplane, in which singer Marty Balin was struck and knocked unconscious. Audience member Meredith Hunter was stabbed and killed when he rushed the stage with a gun while The Rolling Stones were performing. These incidents were captured on film and appear in the Maysles Brothers documentary film Gimme Shelter. There were also three accidental deaths among the crowd of 300,000. Lang is also seen in the film. He last appears on-stage, seen walking away during the Hells Angels/Jefferson Airplane scuffle on the stage.
