Traffic was the bane of Sweetwater’s existence. Scheduled to open Woodstock, the band lost that slot to Richie Havens due to the traffic jams leading to the site. Four months later lead singer Nancy Nevens was nearly killed by a drunk driver and left with brain damage and a damaged vocal cord.
Remarkably the band was back together for the 1994 reunion and put together a website that looks like it hasn’t been updated in some time.
Their sound really captures hippy psychedelia. It isn’t for everyone, but if you’re into that period you’ll find it a stone cold groove. Here’s their set list and where to find some official cuts. I’ve always wondered if they were bummed following Richie Havens’s “Freedom” with their “Motherless Child.”
- Motherless Child
- Look Out (Woodstock 40 Years On: Back To Yasgur’s Farm (CD))
- For Pete’s Sake
- What’s Wrong (Cycles: The Reprise Collection (CD))
- Crystal Spider
- Two Worlds (Woodstock 40 Years On: Back To Yasgur’s Farm (CD))
- Why Oh Why
- Let the Sunshine In
- Oh Happy Day
- Day Song
Your official Woodstock soundtrack song count to date: 7
Update: On August 2, 2019, Rhino Records released Woodstock – Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive and changed the game forever. With exception to two Hendrix tracks and one Sha Na Na cut, the massive box set contains complete sets from every Woodstock artist—even those long believed lost or never recorded.
Here is Sweetwater‘s set as it appears on the Back to the Garden archive, including announcements, etc.:
1. John Morris – “We apologize for the noise of the choppity-choppity…”
2. MOTHERLESS CHILD
3. LOOK OUT
4. Alex Del Zoppo – “Kick out the jams, folks”
5. FOR PETE’S SAKE
6. DAY SONG
7. Nansi Nevins – “Guess it’s gonna take a little more time to get together”
8. WHAT’S WRONG
9. MY CRYSTAL SPIDER
10. TWO WORLDS
11. Nansi Nevins – “There sure are a lot of people here”
12. WHY OH WHY
13. LET THE SUNSHINE IN
14. OH HAPPY DAY
Why It Matters 
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