Hi, Folks -

I was present at the 1969 first Atlanta Pop Festival. It wasn't as big as Woodstock would be, a month or so later, also not as muddy :), but it partook of the same spirit (peace and love). Here's the lineup:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_International_Pop_Festival_(1969)#Lineup

If I remember correctly, Sweetwater was first to perform, and I immediately loved their sound: amplified flute, cello, drums, congas, keyboards, bass, and the amazing voice of Nansi Nevins.

First to get a standing ovation from the crowd: Dave Brubeck. (!) I'd feel sure Brubeck found himself wondering how his trio got included in this lineup of mostly rock performers and then was surprised by that standing ovation. :)

Things were soon running behind schedule - I don't know if a concert event this large had happened before - but Led Zeppelin hogged the stage and wouldn't wrap it up when asked to do so.

Creedence Clearwater Revival started their set at about 4 a.m. - that's how far things were behind schedule. Stalwart fans and insomniacs left their tents and/or sleeping bags when sounds of 'Suzie Q' began and made their way to the stage. CCR played their entire intended set, even though the audience they were playing to was pretty small at that hour. (Respects, Mr. Fogerty. :)

Wikipedia remembers:

On the Monday following the festival, July 7, the festival promoters gave Atlanta's music fans a gift: a free concert in Atlanta's Piedmont Park featuring Chicago Transit Authority, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, and Spirit, all of whom had played at the festival, and Grateful Dead, who had not. According to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, the free event was the promoters' way of showing "their appreciation for the overwhelming success of the festival",[7] although Alex Cooley has also described their motivation as simple hippie guilt at making a few-thousand-dollar profit.[8] Piedmont Park had by then become the location of regular, free, and often impromptu rock concerts by mostly local Atlanta bands, and, beginning in mid-May 1969, by Macon's new Allman Brothers Band.

Any advance publicity for that free concert must have happened in areas I wasn't frequenting, because I didn't know about it ahead of time, but I stumbled upon the thing when Spirit was performing. The fact that they were there, providing their music for free to the community, impressed the heck out of me. :)

I remember being in Piedmont Park, which was a kind of tribal gathering place for both hippies and not-so-hip young folks at that time, and hearing music starting up a little distance away. As I approached, what caught my eye was the bald head and black turtleneck of Spirit's drummer, a very distinctive look in those days. :)

That drummer was Ed "Cass" Cassidy, who was Randy California's stepfather and was about 20 years older than the other band members. Cass's style added significantly to Spirit's musical 'signature'. One reason for that was his unique drum kit arrangement, which you'll see in the video below. Wikipedia succinctly describes it:

Cassidy sported a shaved head, which was unusual at that time;[3] always wore black; and instead of the double bass drum kit that was popular at the time, he used a single bass drum, and two large parade bass drums as floor toms.

From their 1978 appearance on Germany's 'Rockpalast', here's Spirit with "Nature's Way", written and lead vocal by Randy California.

Thanks to YouTuber Bruno S.

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https://youtu.be/gxchFl39rUE

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--hobie