Sweetwater was stopped by police while traveling to Woodstock, helping move Richie Havens into the festival’s opening performance slot. Traffic and delays prevented several scheduled acts from reaching the stage on time, so the running order changed before the concert fully got underway.
Havens was originally scheduled to perform later, but he was repeatedly asked to keep playing as organizers waited for other musicians. His set expanded into an extended opening performance, including the improvised song “Freedom,” which became one of the most celebrated moments associated with the festival. Sweetwater eventually performed after him once the group reached the site.
This logistical story is easy to blur with the festival’s other delays. Canned Heat, Mountain, and Quill were all part of the Woodstock lineup, but Sweetwater is the act specifically identified as having been stopped by police en route. Woodstock’s traffic problems were so severe that helicopters were used to move some performers and supplies. The disruptions helped produce the festival sequence audiences later saw in concert footage and the 1970 documentary.