For the first day of the “Folk On” portion of the second three days, the lineup told Suzanne and I one thing: we had to be there. Hiss Golden Messenger (lead by M.C. Taylor) was playing an acoustic solo set. The first act of the day however was Courtney Marie Andrews. She released “Old Flowers” in July of 2020, following up on the heels of her 2019 performance at the festival. Throughout the album, Andrews again conjured soaring vocals on downtempo tracks “Burlap String,” “May Your Kindness Remain,” and “If I Told” to tap into the consuming emotion that inspired the record. The songs clearly connected with the rawness of Andrews’ break-up feelings.
M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) came out by himself and opened with a moving rendition of “There’s a New World Coming.” Taylor shared his own heightened emotions at finally getting the chance to play and feel like a touring musician again. Then, he proceeded to play some of the most beautifully written songs in the last five years. “Jenny of the Roses,” “I Need a Teacher,” “Sanctuary” (featuring Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith), and “Heart Like a Levee” were all highlights of the set and the beautiful melodies as only Taylor can deliver. Taylor’s performance went beyond the usual with stories about his experiences in quarantine with his kids. He told about his son’s sixth-grade project about having a touring musician as a father and how it was such a hit piece that he’s still working his way through it in therapy. Taylor’s open sharing endeared him to the crowd immediately. Additionally, he mentioned how John Prine’s death had inspired the beautiful standout track “Sanctuary” from his 2021 record “Quietly Blowing It.”
The last act on the docket was Middle Brother’s rock set. The boys began with “Handle Me with Care” and followed it up with rocking versions of “Daydreaming,” “Blue Eyes,” and “Thanks for Nothing.” One might think that Middle Brother would need some variety, but the tunes had a completely different feel this time around. The three, all Newport Folk vets with various acts, felt like old friends.
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.