Which band was the first band to perform after Richie Havens' opening set? Sweetwater was the first band to perform after Richie Havens at Woodstock.
Havens was not originally scheduled to be the festival’s opening performer. Sweetwater had been booked to open, but traffic and police delays prevented the group from reaching the site on time. Havens was moved into the opening slot and played an extended set while organizers waited for other performers.
After Havens finished, Swami Satchidananda delivered the festival’s invocation. Sweetwater then took the stage at about 6:15 p.m., making it the first band to perform, although the invocation came between the two musical appearances. That distinction explains why some accounts call Sweetwater the second act overall but the first band.
The Los Angeles group blended psychedelic rock, folk, jazz, classical instrumentation and percussion. Its Woodstock set included “Motherless Child,” “Why Oh Why” and “Let the Sunshine In.” Sweetwater later reunited for Woodstock ’94, but its original 1969 appearance remains the important answer to this question.