Newport Folk Festival, 2019
“This might be the most ‘Newport’ thing ever,” MC Taylor said when he joined the stage as part of the multi-artist performance of Graham Nash’s 1971 album, Songs for Beginners. Kyle Craft and his band formed the house band for the set and it featured a revolving door of singers and players: Taylor, Jonathan Wilson, Mountain Man, The Tallest Man on Earth, Lake Street Dive, Ballroom Thieves, Amy Ray, The Milk Carton Kids, Colin Meloy, and Anais Mitchell all jumped on stage for different tunes.
So if that was the most “Newport” thing ever, 2019 was the most “Newport” Newport Folk Festival I’ve attended. It had this beautiful spirit of inclusivity, belonging, collaboration, and joy that Pete Seeger always preached. I once heard Seeger say in concert, encouraging people to sing with him, “If I am singing one note, and you happen to be singing a different note, that’s called ‘harmony.’” So the goal is not a perfect performance–the goal is community. When you see a picture of Pete’s banjo, inscribed with the words “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender,” you have to understand that the way music does that is by bringing people together: community surrounds hate and forces it to surrender. Indeed, the Festival’s entrance gate is framed by Seeger’s words: “We’re stronger when we sing together.”
Women Run The World
About 40% of the acts at Newport this year were fronted by women, whereas 67% of US music festivals in 2019 featured all-male line-ups (www.bookmorewomen.com). Re-read that: all-male line-ups. But it wasn’t just the percentage of women at Newport, it was their rightful place on the bill: at the top. At last year’s Festival, Margo Price quipped to Brandi that maybe a woman would headline someday, after they performed Dolly Parton’s “9-to-5” together. It was really too bad that Margo wasn’t there this year, because her public statement pushed the conversation ahead. But she was there in spirit.
The most anticipated announced sets of the Festival might have been The Highwomen on Friday and Our Native Daughters on Sunday. They both lived up to the hype and then-some. When The Highwomen were introduced, the entire crowd surged and stood, and they stayed standing the whole time. Yola joined for the first song, the group’s eponymous track that traces the many heroic, unsung roles women have played in the face of oppression. The lyrics of this song stand in stark contrast to those of “Highwayman,” the song featuring Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings. In “Highwayman,” it’s all about the individual, solitary figure setting off on adventures; in “Highwomen,” it’s about sacrifices for others and a selfless willingness to “take that ride again, and again, and again, and again.”
The song is not a rebuke of The Highwaymen, though: it’s telling a different story. Indeed, Brandi reimagined an unreleased Ray Lamontagne song, “Heaven is a Honky Tonk,” as a tribute to the group’s musical heroes, including The Highwaymen. But this group is making space for other stories, and that is part of what is special about their partnership. Shires, Jason Isbell, and Chris Tompkins wrote, “If She Ever Leaves Me,” which they wrote as a gay country song for Brandi to sing. Isbell said on stage that once they wrote it, he realized, “we’re going to have to take this song to Brandi Carlile–and I’m not gay, not all the way–and I thought this is kind of like taking my civil rights movie to Spike Lee.” The song is funny and sharp and I wonder if Jason and Amanda would have thought about this song in a broader context without this collaboration. Maybe they would have, but this is part of what I mean about telling a broader story and having a “crowded table.” Making space for others includes Natalie Hemby, a songwriter from Nashville who was invited to join the group. Hemby’s voice is as good as any I’ve heard, and was a reminder of the immense amount of talent in the world; were it not for this group, would I know her name? I also loved the vulnerability of this set. Brandi said, “This is our first time performing together! We’re fucking terrified!” and the crowd roared in support. In a beautiful moment, while singing a song for her father, Amanda Shires got choked up and couldn’t get the verse out; Maren Morris stepped up and sang the words for her. That’s the type of spirit that is so special about live performance and creating community together.
While the crowd was on its feet for the entire Highwomen set, it was one standing ovation after another as Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla shared their songs that are destined to be timeless. That’s part of how you knew how good this set was: we’d all settle back down in our chairs under the Quad Stage tent and then sit there, wide-eyed and crying sometimes as these incredible artists blew us away, and then we’d all stand up again to let them know. The vocal performances were all staggering–totally, utterly staggering–and featuring four multi-instrumentalists impacts their incredible sense of adding depth to the songs.
These are songs with urgency and vulnerability, and we felt it: when Rhiannon wept during “Mama’s Cryin’ Long,” the audience surged in response. The song is specifically about a lynching; on a broader level, it is about our capacity for brutality, yours and mine. Allison dedicated “You’re Not Alone,” to the families separated at the border by our government as she reflected on how special it has been to have their families on this tour with them. Amythyst Kiah introduced the song “Polly Ann’s Hammer,” as telling the story of John Henry’s wife–a person who is referenced in most versions of “John Henry” but has never had her own story told. In a different vein, Allison wrote “Quasheba, Quasheba,” in dedication to her newly-discovered ancestor, who had been enslaved. How many stories of enslaved people are utterly lost? This album and performance was a reckoning of sorts, with a history too often erased and ignored. Untold stories. Deeper histories.
And we knew Saturday’s final set would be special, but we didn’t know it would be an all-woman collaboration, curated by Brandi Carlile. And this is what I love about how Newport responded to Margo and Brandi’s call for women to headline: they could have just asked Kacey Musgraves or Mavis Staples to headline. But by asking Brandi to curate the set, she was able to make this an intergenerational and wide-sweeping celebration. Courtney Marie Andrews, a rising talent, opened the set with Joni Mitchell’s class, “Big Yellow Taxi.” The First Ladies of Bluegrass were jaw-droppingly good. Linda Perry insisted that everybody shout-along to her anthem “What’s Up?” and Sheryl Crow remarked before her glorious performance of “If It Makes You Happy,” that there was “so much estrogen on stage I might have a baby.” Judy Collins and Brandi’s duet, singing Joni’s “Both Sides, Now,” was just so subtle and gorgeous.
And I frankly have never seen a sensational rumor at Newport come true before, so it was pretty shocking to actually see Dolly Parton walk on stage. Dolly is completely unique and until you have seen her in person, you really don’t know. She is a walking lesson in being yourself and not giving one red cent about what people think of you. She told great stories, was so funny and gracious, and then just really damn good. It was poignant to see Brandi walk over to the other Highwomen after performing “I Will Always Love You” with Dolly and show them her shaking hands. This is the woman who burned down the Grammy Awards last year, but, at the end of the day, it’s singing a duet with one of your heroes. So, pretty cool that Amanda Shires’ and Jason Isbell’s daughter can already cross that off her list, as she joined everyone on stage for the finale, “9-to-5.”
Collaboration is Community
For many fans, the inspiring part of this Festival is that musicians are eager to jump on stage with each other. Some of these collaborations are planned out, like The Highwomen, last year’s incredible set from Glorietta, or one of the best sets of this year, Bonnie Light Horseman. This group, featuring Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats), and Josh Kaufman, reinterpreting and building off old folk songs. God, this was gorgeous. Honestly, I laid down on the grass and put my hat over my face so I could just listen. It felt like the right way to experience their new turns on “Greenland Whale Fisheries” or “Green, Green Rocky Road.”
Cooks in the Kitchen was a blast. Phil Cook just brings so much joy and I loved his self-admonishment to not get too emotional at 1:00 on day one because there was “a long way to go.” But having The Tallest Man on Earth, Anais, Amy Ray and most of her band join Phil and Brad was totally unreal. I especially loved The Tallest Man’s rendition of Gillian Welch’s tune, “Wayside/Back in Time.” Phil was grinning the whole time.
The Molly Tuttle & Billy Strings duo set was inspiring: so creative, so much mutual respect, so much joyous playing and telepathic communication. There were so many looks passed between the two of them, and little smirks while playing rhythm and watching what the other was doing with a solo.
The after show featuring Mountain Man, Hiss Golden Messenger, and Jonathan Wilson called “Let Us Go Into The House,” was damn beautiful. It was held in Newport’s Congregational Church and you felt this kind of peace come over you as you walked in, anticipating a special evening. I loved MC Taylor and Anais’s duet on “When The Wall Comes Down,” which Anais then followed up with “Why We Build The Wall” from her Tony-award winning musical, Hadestown. Erin Rae’s songs filled the sanctuary with so much ache and beauty and Gregory Alan Isakov’s mini-orchestra gathered around one microphone for a couple of songs. Isakov’s band and Mountain Man both made me reflect on the critical importance of listening in musical performance–of attending to each other, of being responsive, of being in a moment with your friends. The finale for the night, “Soul of Man,” by Blind Willie Johnson called out with a hope and faith and uncertainty a lot of us are feeling right now.
With all of that said, it’s the impromptu collaborations that always feel so special. “Songs For Beginners,” as I mentioned before, started with a tweet from Jay Sweet a couple of weeks before the Festival about the album and the song “I Used to Be a King.” People learned songs in the interim, sometimes the day before or the day of the performance. That’s crazy. It requires so much trust and faith not only that you can pull it off, but that the audience will be there for you. Because it will not be perfect, and, not for nothing, the crowd at Newport gets that. They appreciate it and value it. They are, of course, ready for greatness and respond with both quiet listening and uproarious applause; but they also fully expect that if you’re trying to do something special and harness the energy of artists collaborating without a ton of rehearsal time, there are going to be some hiccups. But it was mostly greatness. The Tallest Man bounced around, light on his feet, singing harmony on a few songs, and then wrung himself out singing, “Chicago,” with the chorus: “We can change the world!” After the set, I saw Kristian and Anais catch each other’s eye, then exchange a can-you-believe-that-just-happened? expression before a big hug.
Dawes’ entire collaborative set was amazing. Jason Isbell, Jonathan Wilson, Yola, and Lake Street Dive all joined them for songs from their first record, “North Hills.” One thing we learned this time around is that if you want your collaboration to be amazing, call Yola. Holy mother of god. She changes a song. She gives everything and she pulls everyone along with her. I mean, I think she made Dawes like their own song more when she joined them for “When You Call My Name.” It was the type of performance where she owns that song now.
Dawes was also part of JS Ondara’s truly special set on Sunday. They joined him onstage for his last four tunes and were truly there in service of the songs. His last one, “Saying Goodbye,” had everyone in the crowd singing along. He made the most of his Newport debut, also joining Preservation Hall Jazz Band for their Sunday set on the Fort Stage. He’ll most certainly be back.
What Did I Miss?
So one of the things you know is that you’re going to miss stuff. It’s part of going to Newport. So you just have to be in the moment, enjoy what you do experience and not worry about it. But I do have some regrets which I will need to rectify by seeing these artists live, and soon.
The set I am most disappointed that I missed all weekend was Adia Victoria. She and I have had two opportunities to chat over the past couple of years (here, in advance of Newport, and this one a couple of years ago) and I got to the Festival later than I’d planned and missed her set. The photos and comments from folks about it were amazing. Adia herself said that someone approached her, asking if she worshipped the devil. Amazing. I caught the last songs of Illiterate Light and The Nude Party and immediately wished I’d seen more. Illiterate Light was just boundless energy. They held nothing back–well, maybe they held a little back: I did see Jake Cochran go over to the light pole on the side of the stage and give it a little test shake–if it had been a little sturdier, I think he was going up. I also had to get back to my family so I left before Kermit hit the big stage. (I know. I missed a lot in that last set.) I have some regrets, but I am mostly filled with gratitude.
Go All Out
Part of what has stayed with me in this month since leaving the Fort are those artists who played with such passion and openness and energy that they actively gave that feeling to the audience. Lukas Nelson and Promise of The Real built so much tension and release in their set and it just erupted with their finale of “Keep On Rockin In The Free World.” Lukas is on another level: he plays the hell out of the guitar and he can belt a song. And the band plays with swagger–not arrogance, but they know exactly how to perform.
Devon Gilfillian opened Saturday’s Fort Stage with a blaze of blistering guitar work and soaring vocals. Maggie Rogers lit up the stage, running all over the damn place, smiling the whole time. Jupiter & Okwess waved the crowd into the aisles of the Quad Stage tent and have everybody dancing; the bass player would periodically shout, “Are you Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay?” and the whole crowd would roar in response.
And the set that might have been my favorite of the whole weekend because of its energy, its world-class musicianship, its unabashed enjoyment of music making, was Cimarron. A string band from Colombia, their guitar players played so fast that everyone else at the Festival looked like they were moving in slow motion. I can feel that energy even now and that is the power of live music: that set will never happen again but it will never leave me either. I hope you are finding that kind of power in music these days.
One Final Note
Thanks to all of the staff, volunteers, security personnel, sound engineers, and unsung heroes who make the Festival happen. I talked to one security guard who’s been working Newport for twenty-three years. “I just love it,” he said. Honestly, honestly, how many music festivals create that kind of loyalty? This was only my fourth time at Newport, and I hope to be there next year and the year after and the year after that.
Check out the full gallery here.