The Cave Singers at Harbor Stage
During their performance this afternoon, frontman Pete Quirk described his band as “a power trio, if you can dig that.” The scruffy dudes jammed through their indie rock/folk set and brought the audience to their feet, clapping and dancing, during the final two songs. Be sure to check out WERS.org this week to see what Quirk had to say after the show in our final festival wrap-up!
-Sarah
Wanda Jackson At The Fort Stage!
The legendary Wanda Jackson played the main stage of Newport Folk Day 2, and (as usual) killed it! We love her at the station. Even better? Our lovely and talented Assistant Program Director Mariel got to introduce her!
Way to go, ladies! Great show!
Trampled by Turles
This bluegrass quintet’s sound has been compared to that of legendary Uncle Tupelo, and includes guitar, acoustic bass, banjo, mandolin, and fiddle. The crowd under the smaller quad tent is certainly impressed as Trampled by Turtles entertains with some new songs and some old favorites.
Secret Sisters Bring the Southern Charm
Alabama sibling duo The Secret Sisters breezed through drawling harmonies at the Quad Stage and shared their love of sad country songs with the audience. The pair covered songs from Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson (whom they have toured with) and performed originals such as “Tennessee Me,” the single from their debut album.
-Sarah
David Wax Museum at Newport Folk
Carolina Chocolate Drops heatin’ it Up
The old-time string band from, you guessed it, North Carolina, got cathartic beach-chair loungers up on their feet and stomping with crowd-pleasers like “[Don't get] Trouble in Your Mind,” “Georgia Buck,” and an experimental beatbox jam, “Diddly Dum.” Trading instruments interchangeably, this funky, “traditional” quartet’s repertoire includes banjo, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, snare drum, jug, and kazoo. The group won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album for their 2010 release, Genuine Negro Jig, of which you heard their cover of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘em up Style” on WERS!
Brown Bird Wows
Providence-based Brown Bird (so named for lead singer Dave Lamb’s dog, Bird, who is, unsurprisingly, brown) completely killed it at the Alex and Ani stage on Day 2 of Newport. Though there are a lot of bands that have wowed and are going to wow today, I was ready for Brown Bird to just play the rest of the festival. Their Americana-bluegrass sound quickly jumped from swing, to Southern rock, to sheer blues bliss and back again. They had an entirely seated crowd on their feet dancing. Their cover of “Jackson” was flawless, and played with just guitar and fiddle. I just can’t say enough good things about this band. So. Good.
Love,
Cady
The Seeger clogging All-Stars: Celebrating American Traditional Dancing
Led by Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner Pete Seeger’s grandson Tao Seeger, the Seeger Clogging All-Stars prove there’s still an appreciation for traditional Appalachian song and dance. Even when doing the “Appalachian Buck Dance,” which was performed without musical accompaniment, they made it hard to look away with their lightning footwork. Pete Seeger himself was hanging out backstage and reveling in the show. Lead clogger Matthew Olwell, who the All-Stars point to as their mastermind, hails from the DC area, while the other cloggers come from West Virginia. If you get a chance to see them, they’re unlike anything we’ve seen so far at Newport, and you won’t be disappointed.
-LT & CD
The Folks Rush In – Day Two
Newport Folk attracts thousands of attendees each day, and when the gates open at 10 am, it’s a mad rush to claim a good spot on the lawn.
Newport Day 1: Afternoon Snack
Despite the heat, the afternoon acts kept crowds happy and energy high. The Devil Makes Three blew us away with their unique mix of bluegrass, folk, blues, punk, and rockabilly–the three-piece act from Santa Cruz, California, had the harbor stage packed and dancing. And who could forget the unforgettable Mavis Staples, who took the crowd at the quad stage by storm, performing “The Weight,” with Decemberists’ Colin Meloy–or the soothing vocals of Gillian Welch with David Rawlings, described by the New Yorker as ”at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms.” The pair performed with Sara Watkins, who’s been filling in with the Decemberists while their keyboardist/vocalist Jenny Conlee battle breast cancer. And just as we’d hoped, Welch later took the stage with the Decemberists to close out day one. Saturday sure did set the bar high, but with this year’s stellar lineup we’re super psyched for what the day might bring. Stay tuned!
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