NEWPORT, RI | Hundreds of boats bobbed in the water alongside the festival’s perimeter, many paddling over to catch an earful of the sweet sounds of the final day of the Newport Folk Festival. The storms that were teased held off until after Saturday’s performance concluded, but brought a welcome break in the weekend heat, a reprieve to keep everyone going and wrap the weekend.
The distinct sounds of the festival only persisted in Sunday’s performances. From bluegrass to gospel and blues, Black Opry Revue showcased alternating artists, storytelling, and song, highlighting Black Americana musicians “working to reclaim their place in the American musical cannon.”
In her set on the Quad Stage, Remi Wolf stood out as a fireball come to life. Equally rebellious and tremendous, her set stretched the limits of the Folk Fest umbrella and might have made traditional folk-ers raise an eyebrow or two. Remi Wolf is a tornado of funk, indie, soul supported by an infectiously fun band.
In celebration of 50 years as a band, the Fort welcomed Los Lobos, whose melting pot of sound shone on the festival’s largest stage. The gentlemen were joined by a friend on this one: alt-folk wonder Neko Case.
Folk Fest Executive Director Jay Sweet spoke of a change in the festival’s mission statement, short and simple declaration, “To create moments of hope through the power of music and community. That’s it,” said Sweet. Over at the Harbor Stage, before introducing M. Ward, a recent add-on as of July 22, Sweet reiterated how important these moments of hope have been for this event.
“There’s a few artists who had to drop off, whether it be for exhaustion or mental health, or illness, and they need our support,” said Sweet. “But what’s even more incredible are those moments of hope, those quick moments when you realize things will all work out. So, when an artist can’t be there, you reach out to an old friend who says, “Yeah, let’s do this thing.” Please note that he came out of the woodwork to save our ass.”
Crowds shifted back to the largest open space the Fort offers to await Lana Del Rey, whose stage set up now looked a bit more whimsy with feathers and full-length mirrors on each end. Caroline Van Fossan of Chicago joined her sister Maggie in the dense crowd. “Some people are Taylor Swift people. I am a Lana Del Ray person,” Van Fossan said smiling, eagerly waiting for Lana to take the stage.
Across the Fort, the Folk Family Revue began featuring Robert Ellis, Phil Cook, Beau Bedford, and Chris and Dennis from Deer Tick. A whirlwind of special friends showed up, one-by-one: Valerie June dueting with Muppet Floyd Pepper, Abraham Alexander, and Miss Margo Price.
The curious buzz at Newport Folk is always which monumental guest will make their appearance in its conclusion. With last year’s star-studded Joni Jam with Joni Mitchell, there was some wonder among the crowd of who just might pop in for Billy Strings’ performance.
Spoiler alert: it was Billy Strings. And it was beyond amazing. This guitar picking wonder let loose, culminating the skill and excitement of the weekend in their performance. The audience savored it and the band seemed to feed off of this reciprocal energy. Billy and the boys have given everything to New England this past week—from Connecticut to two nights in Boston, two nights in Maine, concluding in Newport, Rhode Island. This full-out performance was a gift, as was the entire weekend experience for music lovers.
At Newport Folk, the group that gathers has music on their mind and they stay true to their agenda. The atmosphere is a mix of joy, but also a focus on the force of what music can really accomplish. With nearly everyone zeroing in on the music itself, of artists beloved and those newly discovered, it creates an unique environment, unlike any other festival scene —not rowdy, but respectful and already actively living out its new mission statement showcasing these moments of hope.
