Newport Folk Festival 2010 (Part One)

I’m really learning to love the Newport Folk Festival. This was my second year in attendance and I have been consistently impressed not only with the quality of the line-up, but also with the relaxed atmosphere. Music runs from about 11:30am to 7:30pm on 3 stages in Fort Adams State Park, Newport, Rhode Island on the first weekend in August every year (they added a Friday evening off site this year). It’s that simple. Throw in a unbelievably gorgeous location (a historic fort on the waterfront) and an unrivaled history, and it’s pretty easy to see how I have become such a fan. But hey enough of that, let’s get to the music.

First up Saturday morning was Sarah Jarosz. I didn’t know much about Miss Jarosz before the festival. For instance, I didn’t know she was a stringed instrument prodigy and can play claw hammer banjo, guitar, and numerous other instruments. I didn’t know she was nominated for a Grammy for the instrumental “Manisinneedof” from her debut album Song Up In Her Head. I didn’t know that she currently attends the New England Conservatory in Cambridge, MA. I didn’t know she was only 19. So, I was a little surprised when she kicked my ass at her 11:30am set. Playing solo, Jarosz switched between guitar, banjo, and mandolin throughout the set. She has a big voice that reminded me faintly of Ruth Merenda (Sometymes Why, the Mammals). She mixed originals with an eclectic bunch of covers, paying homage to Tim O’Brien (whom she played with the night before), Dylan (because its Newport), the Decembrists (whom she covered on her debut record), and Doc Watson (who would grace the same stage 3 hours later). I particularly enjoyed her rendition of Dylan’s “Ring Them Bell’s” from 1989’s Oh Mercy. But, it was two originals that left me spell bound, “Edge of a Dream” and the aforementioned instrumental “Manisinneedof”. The former has a great chorus of “step to the left, step to the right/ the middle of the floor, feels safe tonight” and the latter is wonderfully lyrical instrumental well deserving of its Grammy nod.

After Jarosz, I wandered between the Low Anthem, who were playing the principal Fort Stage, and A.A. Bondy, who was bringing his folk noir sound to the newly curated Quad Stage inside the fort. A.A. had a 3 piece band that added some weight to his dark tunes, and while it was impressive, I spent more time over at the Low Anthem’s set. The quiet orchestral sound found on their records turned into a louder orchestral sound at the massive Fort Stage. They had energy galore as they mixed some blues rock stomps in between tunes from the critically acclaimed Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. Just one year previously the entire band had volunteered to work the festival to gain admission, this year they played to the entire harbor. After their set, I migrated through the festival grounds from the high energy O’Death to the tight set by Sam Bush to the killer closing 3 songs of Brandi Carlile (Folsom Prison Blues, Pride and Joy, Mad World).

Next, I had to make one of those difficult festival decisions: Calexico, Yim Yames, or Horse Feathers? Though I was sorely tempted by Calexico, I ended up staying for the entire Yim Yames set before heading over to catch the end of Horse Feathers. Yim Yames (aka. Jim James from My Morning Jacket) came out in brown suit and launched into “His Masters Plan” a Monsters of Folk tune. It was stunningly beautiful as James high lonesome voice rang out over the Fort grounds. It was, as James would later say about the Festival in general, magical. James stayed mostly with his acoustic guitar, but occasionally went to an electronic omni-chord. The rest of his ‘band’ joined him for the last half dozen songs, Ben Sollee on cello, Daniel Martin Moore on bass, and Dan Dorff on drums and percussion. Harmonizing beautifully on the folk classic “Slyvie”, this band (which is on tour supporting Sollee and Moore’s record Dear Companion and raising awareness about the evils of Mountain Top Removal) clearly has something special. Highlights included a spot on “Golden” (Sollee nailed the pedal steel part on cello), an engaging “Smokin’ From Shootin’”, and a MMJ like rendition (in other words rocking) of “Gideon”.

Though I only caught the last couple minutes of their set, Horse Feathers was an engaging live band. Front-man Justin Ringle’s soft voice brings to mind other lo-fi bard’s like Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam or Nick Drake. However, Ringle was backed by an intriguing array of stringed instruments, which made the band sound both familiar and unique at the same time. First listens to their latest record Thistled Spring sound promising as well.

Next up on my docket was an 87 year old guitar picker by the name of Doc Watson. Though he was backed up by a bass player and David Holt, who joined in on guitar, percussion, bando, and steel guitar, Doc didn’t need much help as he delicately picked his way through “Deep River Blues” and other bluegrass standards and classics (some of which Watson himself wrote). He even took a solo stand towards the end of his set that proved beyond a doubt that the blue grass legend still had chops. At one point, Doc apologized to the crowd for not playing as fast as he used to. David Holt said something about knowing a couple 87 year olds who would like to play liked Doc does. The bass player then chimed in with ‘most 37 year olds would too’. True that. In between songs, Holt would give us history and background and Watson would crack jokes, “I’ve been married 64 years and I wouldn’t trade places…..with my wife for anything”.

Headlining on Saturday night was one of America’s greatest songwriters. Though he probably only rises slightly above the status of cult artist, John Prine exudes stage presence and confidence. An why wouldn’t he? The man has released more than a dozen stone cold classic studio albums and written at least that many classic songs, “Angel from Montogomery”, “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”, and “Souvenirs” included. He came on stage backed by a hot shot guitarist Jason Wilber and bassist Dave Jacques (the same personnel that appear on this year’s excellent live record In Person & On Stage). Despite being a 3 piece, the band managed to rock out. Though “Angel From Montgomery” was slowed down to a crawl, the following “Bear Creek” rollicked and rolled like a Bob Dylan cut circa 1965. Prine also added his trademark wit into the set. Introducing “Fish and Whistle” by telling the audience that “I don’t know what this songs about, but it makes me happy.” He then told the story of the song, which was written as Prine was trying to convince a record producer that the record was done and did not need one more song. “I’ll write the worse song he’s ever heard, and then the record will be over with and I can go back on the road….but then I sang it a couple hundred times and started liking it”. He also included a monologue in “Lake Marie” that included the line “many years later we found ourselves up in Canada trying to save our marriage….or catch some fish, whichever came first.”

Prine closed with a duet with Jim James on “All the Best” followed by Jim Rooney and James joining the legend on his classic “Paradise”. Thus ended the first day at Newport, I could have listened to Prine all night, but alas I had to do with a battered copy of Sweet Revenge that spun in my dashboard throughout the long drive home.

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa wah oh wha oh
-John Prine “Lake Marie”

Check out NPR for more info and downloadable sets from Prine, Horse Feathers, and many others.

Special thanks to Michael Spencer for the gorgeous shots. You can find more of his work at his official website.

---

About the author:  Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd

---