Friday, July 23

James Brown

The hardest-working man in show business picked Woodstock to be lazy, not taking the stage until midway through his long and disappointing set. High note: Seeing what white clothes should look like.

Jamiroquai

The virtually insane Englishman brought possibly the most indescribable sound to the main stage but could have made a much earlier exit. High note: Jason Kay doing for hats what Cher did for dresses.

Live

Tossing a few new tunes into a set stocked with goodies — everything from the ancient “Pain Lies On The Riverside” to the recent “Lakini’s Juice” — Live were the true openers of Woodstock. High note: Frontman Ed Kowalczyk giving the festival’s only dedication to John F. Kennedy Jr. in his intro to “Lightning Crashes.”

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl didn’t need to cover Guns ‘N Roses to prove that she can rock, but she did anyway, and the crowd ate it up. High note: After chants of “Show us your tits,” the singer seductively teased the crowd by tagging on her spaghetti straps.

DMX

Where his dogs at ’cause they weren’t at Woodstock?High note: If you couldn’t see the testosterone in the air, all you had to do was stop and listen to the barking.

The Offspring

Picking up where Green Day left off, The Offspring showed why catchy punk is the perfect soundtrack for summer festivals. High note: Frontman Dexter Holland urging fans to let women body surf without being molested.

Korn

From the opening drum lick of “Blind” to the bagpipe solo in “Shoots And Ladders,” it was obvious Korn weren’t leaving until they had officially stolen the show. High note: Watching Jonathan Davis dive so deep into “Faggot,” he melted to the ground, where he lay finishing the final lines.

Bush

Unlikely headliners Bush reassured the fleeting fans that grunge, or bad grunge spoofs, is no doubt dead. High note: “Glycerine” providing the perfect mood music for hundreds of makeout sessions.

Saturday, July 24

The Tragically Hip

Canadian flags flooded the field for this rock ‘n’ roll wake-up call that begged for a snooze button. High note: Finding shade behind a flag.

Kid Rock

He busted “Bawittaba” and “Bullgod” early, leaving the rest of his show to impress with instrumental trade-offs and classic rock covers. High note: A cover of “Fortunate Son” that showed how much this Kid can Rock.

Wyclef Jean

If Wyclef would have played a song in its entirety, maybe he wouldn’t have had to rely on his DJ playing a straight-up version of “Jump Around” to get the crowd rolling. High note: Watching stoners stumble with the words to “Gone ‘Til November.”

Counting Crows

Adam Duritz proved he is still one of rock’s most honest and gifted songwriters, debuting a few new tunes and bringing out the best in their hits. High note: Duritz stretching the notes in “Round Here” to fit his swinging mood.

Dave Matthews Band

Woodstock’s pure rock headliner felt awkward seeing Metallica T-shirts in the crowd and it came off in his set, which was cut 30 minutes short and did not involve Alanis.High note: Dave showing vocal prowess on a solid cover of “All Along The Watchtower.”

Alanis Morissette

Alanis fought her riot grrl image by successfully slowing down “You Oughtta Know” and pacing the stage with a gleeful smile. High note: A chilling rendition of “Uninvited” as a cool wind crept from the nearby sun set.

Limp Bizkit

Fred Durst and crew rocked so hard it didn’t matter their set was plagued by speaker failure and organizers pushing them to calm the crowd. High note: Durst announcing, “I’m not here to mellow you out. That’s what Alanis was for.”

Rage Against The Machine

Not saying a word in the few breaks of their fierce set, Rage truly let the music speak for itself — and it sure as hell had a lot to sayigh note: Not only did bombtrack “No Shelter” make the setlist, it provided an explosive opening to a show that needed no refueling.

Metallica

As Woodstock veterans and pioneers of aggressive rock, Metallica is one of few acts who can follow Rage and not look like pussies. High note: “Enter Sandman” is the last great metal song and an ideal ending to Woodstock’s heaviest day.

Sunday, July 25

Willie Nelson

Big Willie stands for everything pure about music. Too bad he’s incredibly boring. High note: Everlast watching from the crowd.

Brian Setzer Orchestra

He jumped, jived and wailed almost enough to revive the swing revival, but his true love is rock-a-billy and it showed. High note: A just awakening crowd realizing dancing is more than jumping into each other with a fist in the air.

Everlast

Strong proof that rappers should not launch singing careers. High note: Former bandmate DJ Lethal watching proudly from the stage.

Creed

They are Metallica’s ugly stepchild but with potential. High note: In one of Woodstock’s few guest jams, The Doors’ Robbie Krieger joined the group for renditions of “Riders On The Storm” and “Roadhouse Blues.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Master Pepper Anthony Kiedis felt the group needed no shtick this time around — and he was right. High note: Nevermind that mounting fires set a perfect backdrop for “Fire,” how about how flawlessly the Peppers played the song for the first time in years.