Mitski also got our local venue's "don't you dare camp outside the venue" warning. First since Olivia Rodrigo.
Anyway, Newport Folk Fest observations. I won't go too painfully into details as it would be way too long and my brain is still fried from the heat of the weekend. Some highlights though of people I wanted to point out. Of note it was completely sweltering for most of the two days and miserable to be outside in the sun, so this may be addled
Goose - Third darn time I've written on them this year, but my GF is hunting shows now. They were all over the fest. We didn't go to NFF Friday, but we did get off the waitlist for their aftershow in a tiny Newport Venue (400ish people crammed in). The logistics stunk (this is a theme of the weekend) - they had lines in three different directions with no guidance on which line was valid. The severely overworked doorman pretty much went in a circle which really screwed over those waiting in the assumed line. I didn't really care that much but lots of grumbles. They opened 30 minutes later and started 30 minutes later. With that said, it was a really great set given they had to be stationary on the stage to not knock a ton of equipment over. Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes joined in (he was everywhere this weekend too) for covers of Atlantic City and Don't Do It, and they had some real runs in there. The crowd was your standard mixed bag - some conflicts around recording (someone had a stream going and people were talking near it so they clashed), the upstairs crew just listening was much more chills. They're firing on all cylinders right now. The band also popped into a lot of other sets through the fest.
Ballroom Thieves - They're a band I thought I was out on - I had a pretty big Ballroom Thieves phase a few years back and then lost touch. I may be back in on them. They were the first main stage act on Saturday when it was already 80+ in direct sun with major humidity and brought a ton of positive energy and a great live sound.
Adia Victoria - This may have been the best set of the day I saw that didn't prominently star someone else. She was moved from their smallest stage when Durand Jones had to drop out due to a death in the family to their main stage and...holy crap did she own that stage. There has been a huge influx of incredibly talented women of color in the larger Southern/Americana sphere - many of whom were at this year's NFF. I won't do a write up on Valerie June whose vocals sounded great on Sunday or Joy Oladokun who has an exceptional vocal range and stage charisma (and did a sick Nirvana cover this weekend) and Yasmin Williams who is as technically brilliant as always. I did want to highlight Adia. She is an absolute presence who occupies a unique bluesy, gothic, area of this revival. Her vocals and more mysterious style really cut through the casual atmosphere and I'm really looking forward to seeing her own show at some point
Bleachers - This was a really divisive set. I thoroughly enjoyed it and that Jack Antonoff was willing to try stripped down versions of his song, interesting covers, different guest spots. Others couldn't stand it.
Nathaniel Rateliff's American Tune Revue - I've really never been the biggest Nathaniel Rateliff fan per se. I saw him live at Boston Calling and wasn't hugely impressed, and after the explosive debut, none of the newer stuff really hit. With that said, the man is an exceptional ambassador. This set was a Paul Simon cover set with a wide variety of high quality and appropriate musicians tuned in. The band was on point the entire time and Rateliff knew exactly when to step back and step in. Of course, the big news is that they brought out Paul Simon and that was absolutely magical - to get four songs by Paul Simon after his retirement was more than could be asked for. They were plagued with some technical issues but it still left most everyone feeing good. Watch it all if you get a shot but the highlight from the set for me was one Paul Simon...played guitar on. Rhiannon Giddens blew us all away.
The Linda Lindas - It's borderline offensive that these four, ranging in age from 11-17, are this good at what they do Like, I think early on much of the appeal was that it was four pre-teens or teenage girls swinging riot grrl punk rock but you watch them and they have a GREAT stage presence, really strong playing skills, and even some crowd work chops. The crowd loved them, they got the kiddos to the front to watch, I was thoroughly entertained.
Taylor Goldsmith - I didn't see the full set but I saw two songs stuck in a line, he was inviting fans on stage to be his band (and Goose and Blake Mills in spots), teaching them in real time what to do, and then playing a legitimately entertaining set of Dawes and cover songs. Like...dude, hugely impressive.
The Roots - Their set wasn't really different than their normal set I don't think...it was still one of the 3-4 best things I saw this weekend. The guitar solos, the song mixing, the overall flow, it had the entire quad of AARP members and heat drenched mildly buzzed millennials jumping and dancing. Pardon the lack of focus but man...
Brandi Carlile / Joni Jam -This was one of the Top 3-5 musical moments of my entire life. The weather had turned into an eerie gray haze blocking out the beating sun of the weekend. Brandi Carlile, one of the single most composed and steady musicians in the game, was a nervous excited wreck. She wasn't doing crowd work, she left 30 minutes early from her set which had already been split in half the day - rumors of Joni were flying but the bravest folks got were to suggest a singalong or a tribute set she watched. Brandi led off with a five minute speech on the political environment, folk music, with rambling nerves, she led into how this came to be. It appears for the last half decade Joni Mitchell had been inviting musicians into her home to play, write songs, spend time together, drink, commiserate, and pretty much anything else. The circle had continued to grow and eventually evolved into what happened at the show (or has been happening that they brought to Newport). It was Joni covers but it was different - everyone on comfy seats in a circle. people jumping in, Joni singing along or taking a few words, it was magical and beautiful and enough. Celisse shredded Help Me, Marcus Mumford made people cry leading A Case of You, Joni was adding in her spots - the low ending on Big Yellow Taxi was a cheer and a highlight. Then Joni broke out the ax and did a fantastic solo of of Just Like This Train and it felt like that was the special moment. She prepped it, killed it, and had the crowd enraptured. Back to the covers. To some extent this was planned, but I'm also convinced the show was prepared for her not to do it - it was originally a two hour Brandi and Friends set that changed to a Brandi and Friends / Coyote Jam Split...and then Brandi and Friends lost half its time to the Coyote Jam.
And then Joni took the mic.
But man, no one off of that stage expected in their right mind for Joni to actually take the lead and do songs. She broke into Summertime and an entirely different vibe hit - the exceedingly rare kind of shock you just don't get in life usually without a lot of accompanying trauma or fallout. I won't lie and say it was silent - I was near a four year old eating ice out of the dirt, parents entertaining their children, I walked away from some people who were just a little too inebriated (there's something oddly beautiful to say about the power of parenthood in that but I don't have those words). But the crowd was just there for it, the entire crowd which has been notoriously out of it all weekend (because of the heat mostly) was there, eating out of her hand. A woman who had not performed like this for an audience in nearly a quarter of a century.
And here's the thing. She was good. Like, legitimately good. It's not to say she couldn't use the help and the support didn't make it possible (it did), but like...if you told me there was a Joni Mitchell show at her age and I got these performances I'd be quite happy. With the how we got here, it was pure magic. She still has that late career husk in her voice, that delivery, where you're seeing a musical poet. I feel like you can get that as well from the videos as being there and I implore you to take some time and watch them.
Joni Mitchell “Summertime “Live at Newport Folk Festival, Sunday, July 24, 2022
And hey, overpriced beers and white claws too!
