State Sen. Joseph Griffo reacts to HBO Woodstock 99 documentary

ROME – State Sen. Joseph Griffo said the people behind the recent HBO documentary on Woodstock ‘99 had a story they wanted to tell.
The senator did not fault them for this, but said there were several inaccuracies in the documentary and it had a storytelling lens he disagreed with.
“It was a story told from a particular point of view,” said Griffo, R-Rome.
"Woodstock 99: Peace, Love and Rage" is available through HBO and first aired Friday, July 23. HBO said the documentary is the first film to debut as part of Music Box, a collection of documentaries exploring pivotal moments in the music world.
According to HBO, the documentary tells the story of Woodstock ‘99, a music festival promoted to echo the idealism of the original 1969 concert, but would devolve into riots, looting and sexual assaults.
Griffo, Rome's mayor when Woodstock ‘99 took place in his city, watched the documentary at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, which showcased it the first night it aired on HBO.
One of Griffo’s takeaways was that those affiliated with the film used a 2021 lens to portray an event that took place in 1999. Griffo said the music industry journalists interviewed as part of the documentary were the ones particularly focusing through this lens.
Griffo said one of the areas the music journalists used the lens to look back on the festival was for demographic purposes.
The crowd at Woodstock ‘99 was predominantly white, with Griffo saying the tickets were available for whoever wanted to purchase them.
The documentary used footage of the late rapper DMX getting the crowd to chant back the N word during his performance as a way to showcase the racial divide. Commentators in the documentary said it must have been hard for the few Black attendees to witness this and possibly hear their friends use the word.
Transportation issues and how much money the festival brought to Rome were among the inaccuracies highlighted by Griffo.
The documentary highlighted traffic issues at the festival, including footage of cars backed up on the roads to Griffiss. The footage showed festival goers partying in the road and on top of their cars as they waited in traffic.
Griffo said he was interviewed for about six hours for the documentary and noted he had told producers that there was no issue with traffic.
“That was one of the things we’re most proud of,” Griffo said of traffic to and from the event.
Showcased on a placard as the movie ended, the documentary noted Rome had only made $200,000 from Woodstock ‘99 after all needed fees had been factored in.
Griffo said the monetary amount was true, but added the documentary took the liberty of not including such things as sales tax spent in the community.
The documentary highlights the events of the three-day festival, which culminated in the riots, vandalism and violence on Sunday. The fires and looting on the festival’s final night — Sunday, July 25, 1999 — left a black mark on Woodstock ’99 for many people.
The fires started shortly after the Red Hot Chili Peppers came back on stage for an encore and played its Jimi Hendrix cover of “Fire.” The arson and looting began shortly thereafter.
More than 700 state police gathered and began crowd control, a response that rivaled that of the 1971 Attica Prison riots — where more than 1,000 state police and National Guardsmen put down the bloodiest prison riot in history, according to an Observer-Dispatch article in 2019, highlighting the 20th anniversary of Woodstock ‘99. Police reported at least 15 arrests, one death and Mohawk Valley rape counselors received multiple sexual assault claims, archives show. Medical personnel also dealt with multiple instances of heat-related illnesses.
“Violence is unacceptable,” Griffo said. “There should be consequences for that.”
Griffo would go on to defend the decision to hold Woodstock ‘99 in Rome.
He said the event helped with short-term economics, exposure for the city and experience.
“I made the right decision at the right time,” Griffo said.
Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ed Harris at EHarris1@gannett.com.
Opening night
Rome’s Capitol Theatre was able to showcase the HBO documentary Woodstock 99: Peace, Love and Rage on Friday, July 23, the night it premiered.
"I have been talking with HBO for the past 18 months,” Lewis said. “I will have much footage in the movie and traveled around the city of Rome with their camera person who was acquiring "today in Rome" footage.”
“During that time, I asked for permission to screen the movie when it opens.”