With only hours to go before James Brown officially kicks off Woodstock '99, there's no such thing as the calm before the storm at Griffiss Air Force Base.

On Thursday, the day before the Rome, New York location becomes the Mecca for modern music (at least for three days), the compound is abuzz with workers attending to last-minute details, concertgoers eager to get the party started, and musicians more than willing to help them.

By 7 p.m., the recently reunited New York hip-hop outfit 3rd Bass had the crowd gathered in front of the festival's west stage heated to the point where shirts were disappearing before Woodstock was even officially underway. Women roamed the grounds topless as the group revisited the days of "Pop Goes The Weasel" and "Gas Face" for the first time in seven years.

A desire to bare as much as possible coupled with an inability to grasp the concept of "pacing" had many ticketholders fighting a losing battle against the sun. The day before the starter's pistol cracked for the festival, many in the crowd were already sporting sunburns that looked as if they should have taken weeks to cultivate.

Woodstock's camping facilities opened to ticketholders on Wednesday, and by Thursday a sea of pup tents stretched far beyond the fences that border the performance areas. Enough fans had gathered that midway vendors were already doing a brisk business, peddling summer concert standbys such as falafel, chicken pitas, and fried dough.

But while sun worshipers and music lovers were busy jump-starting the party, Woodstock staffers were still attending to 11th hour details. Barriers were being secured, fences were being erected, and sound systems were being checked amid the thousands of revelers. Of course, when you're expecting some 300,000 people to turn up at your shindig, you've got a bit of planning to do.

Stay tuned to MTV News Online and on-air for continuous updates from Woodstock '99 throughout the weekend.