PETE SEEGER 90th Birthday Concert to Air on PBS Great Performances !

     MUSIC NEWS -  The historic Pete Seeger 90th Birthday Concert at NYC's Madison Square Garden (May 3, 2009),  will be recorded live by THIRTEEN’s Great Performances (in HD) and aired in late summer on PBS.   Seeger is, of coures, the legendary folk artist, political activist, and avid environmentalist who throughout his career has demonstrated that the power of music can inspire change, takes center stage at Madison Square Garden with an all-star roster of performers to benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Founded by Seeger, the non-profit organization was created to protect and restore the Hudson River.

“Approaching 90, Pete Seeger's great deeds shine on and continue to remind us that nothing is beyond our reach,” said Jeff Rumpf, Executive Director for Clearwater. “Clearwater thanks the many gracious musicians gathering to celebrate Pete’s life and help create the next generation of environmental leaders.”

Joining Seeger for the once-in-a-lifetime concert are Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, Ani DiFranco, Taj Mahal, Ruby Dee, Ben Harper, Peggy Seeger, and Dave Matthews, among others who perform songs inspired by Seeger’s music and activism. Pete will perform one song (still secret) !

Back in February 2008, THIRTEEN co-produced and broadcast the first and only authorized biography of Seeger, American Masters: Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (buy the dvd below). The film was awarded with a Primetime Emmy.

Check local listings for Pete Seeger's 90th date/time airings, in NYC area, the show will be on July 30, 2009 at 8pm on WNET / 13 (with add'l airings). See promo clip below-

Comments

[Gretchen DeKok]

Does anyone know when it's going to be broadcast in the Sacramento CA area? Our PBS station is KVIE.

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Does KVIE normally air "Great Performances" ?

[Nilent]

We were sitting in a "nosebleed" section (on the side) where it was impossible to see the screens and the performers looked like microbes. Even binoculars didn't help much.

Still, the sound and the vibe/energy were fantastic and all had a great time!

There is no way you can edit this down to 60 or 90 minutes without loosing the heart and soul of the event.

Please, please please release a set of DVDs that simply shows the complete event as it happened in real time. Nothing less will do it justice. The cost of blank DVD media wholesale is such that all three would add up to less than a buck. The ideal would be to show different camera angles in split screens where required. (And lots of backstage footage and interviews etc would be nice too.......4 dvd's! Go for it!!!)

Please don't cut this baby in half!

[Stella]

I heartily second the above request-please make available a set of DVDs showing the complete concert!!

[Sam]

Yes! Release the whole thing. People will pay, I repeat, will pay for it if it costs a little more for the whole four and a half hours vs. an edited version. I know I will as will my whole family and everyone I work with.

[Cathy]

I TOTALLY AGREE! Please release the whole show. I was there and have been raving about the vibe of the entire concert to everyone I know. It was so moving and touching... awesome to have been a part of it. I want to share the experience with others and was really looking forward to purchasing a DVD set.