Sweetwater

Sweetwater was supposed to be the opening act of Woodstock, but traffic delayed them and Richie Havens went on instead. Maybe that would have altered their career, as they are now in obscurity.

A diverse group with black and white, male and female members, upon first listening they sound a lot like Jefferson Airplane, perhaps because lead singer Nansi Nevins sounds almost exactly like Grace Slick. Their sound is a bit more cheerful, though, with elements of the British folk revival. On any given track you can hear a flute and bongos.

On their first, eponymous album, they kick things off with a version of the old spiritual "Motherless Child," which is ironic because Havens, in his set, took that song and fashioned it into "Freedom," one of the most iconic moments from the festival.

That album is a fine example of psychedelic folk-rock. Most of it is positive, with a kind of "Up With People" vibe. There is one protest song of sort, "What's Wrong?"

"What's wrong in our schools?
Politicians are blowing their cools
Over they who refuse to follow the rules
Though they should be separate dealing"

There's also an experiment song with a traditionally psychedelic title, "Crystal Spider."

The band did put out three albums, but a devastating injuries from a car accident to Nevins stopped things. Three of the members did reunite for Woodstock 1994, but today Sweetwater is an answer to a trivia question.