The weekend of July 26-28 was the 60th anniversary of the first Newport Folk Festival and the 100th anniversary of Pete Seeger’s birth. Newport was the first outdoor folk festival in America, and it served as the template for the modern music festival. And while attendance figures (10,000 per day) don’t match the numbers of larger festivals, the Festival is still a significant force in the music world.
The small city where Pete Seeger ruled and Dylan “plugged in” is a harbinger of the direction of folk music. This year, the unofficial theme was “the year of the woman,” with female-led bands and artists comprising at least half of acts.
Highlights abound at Newport Folk. A new supergroup debuted this year, the Highwomen, a band which includes Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby. They played several from there soon to be released self-titled album including “Redesigning Women,” and covered Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” They were backed by several artists including Shire’s husband Jason Isbell, who noted in an interview that he was “pleased to be playing the role of sideman.”
A day later, the Highwomen backed the biggest surprise of the weekend, Dolly Parton, the seventy-something-year-old county artist and feminist icon who’s life force is contagious. Parton’s appearance was kept a secret and she was hustled into Fort Adams State Park in a motorcade of three limousines. Parton noted she was doing the show for free; “I love seeing all this girl power,” she announced from the stage. She joined Brandi Carlile, the curator of “The Collaboration” set for her classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” before bringing out everyone for the finale, “9 to 5,” an American classic if there ever was one.
The full set known as “The Collaboration” was a celebration of female artists organized by 2019 Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile. The set featured folk hero Judy Collins on a stunning duet of “Both Sides Now” with Carlile, as well as Indigo Girls Amy Ray with Lucy Dacus on “Go.” Sheryl Crow (image left) sang a couple of favourites, “If It Makes You Happy,” with country star Maren Morris and “Strong Enough” with Maggie Rogers and London-based Yola (main image with Brandi Carlile).
Another genre-defying collaboration, Our Native Daughters played an extraordinary set at the Festival. The supergroup, comprised of Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell played songs from their new release “Songs of Our Native Daughters,” an album that chronicles the experience of African American women from the slavery period to present times (reviewed here). It was perhaps the most moving set of the weekend, with the artists themselves close to tears on several occasions.
Another highlight was a complete run-through of Graham Nash’s 1971 classic album “A Song for Beginners.” Artists including Hiss Golden Messenger, Amy Ray, Mountain Man and The Ballroom Thieves played songs including “Military Madness,’ “Chicago,” and “I Used to Be King.” Although Nash did not appear (he played there in 2016), his spirit was certainly in the air.
The festival introduced several artists this year, along with some Festival veterans. Cimarrón, a band that plays Joropo music from the eastern plains of Columbia, travelled the furthest to Newport. They presented a buoyant set on the Museum Stage, the only indoor stage at the Festival. Other newcomers who impressed included Adia Victoria (image left), J.S. Ondara (image above), Courtney Marie Andrews and Liz Cooper and the Stampede.
Judy Collins followed, along with singer-songwriter Ari Heist, the two trading songs and stories. Folk Festival original Ramblin’ Jack Elliott was there, sharing the stage with Andy Hedges. Elliott also joined in the grand finale on Sunday, leading all assembled in “Goodnight Irene.”
The finale featured a big surprise, the Sesame Street Muppet, Kermit the Frog, as iconic a figure in America as anyone, who kicked off the finale with “The Rainbow Connection.” He was joined by Jim James midway through the song, in a set dedicated to Pete Seeger. Once again, there were collaborations everywhere. Benmont Tench of the Heartbreakers led “A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall,” Trey Anastasio and Rachel Price sang a beautiful version of “God Only Knows,” backed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Judy Collins returned to the stage for a huge moment as she joined the Eric D. Johnson, James Mercer and Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) for the song written by a love-struck Stephen Stills, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” She also performed “Turn, Turn, Turn,” before the set ended with Colin Meloy leading “This Land is Your Land” and “Goodnight Irene,” featuring all assembled.
Newport has built a reputation on expanding musical boundaries and challenging audiences. No doubt, that was certainly the case again this year, to the satisfaction of all in attendance.