Following an energizing opening day, the Newport Folk Festival continued over the weekend at Fort Adams State Park. The low-key, welcoming vibe of the event allows artists to mingle freely with audience members. It also supports collaborative performances across the site.
Saturday’s headliners The Lumineers embraced both aspects of the event. After appearing on the Bike Stage on Friday, they closed out the Fort Stage on Saturday and Wesley Schultz (who has attended as a fan) explained how much the festival means to him. He later performed the band’s “Ophelia” while out in the audience and welcomed Nathaniel Rateliff to the stage for Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” changing the final lyrics to “I’m in a Newport state of mind.”
Rateliff, who is serving the first year of a three year terms as Newport Folk Steward also appeared during Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning set. The pair invited him out but he was otherwise engaged (perhaps with his baby who joined him on the side stage a bit later) which allowed them to call an audible with “Dark Hollow” before Rateliff contributed to a moving “Black Peter.” Welch and Rawlings appeared throughout their performance with their steady collaborator bassist Paul Kowert, who previously appeared on the stage as a member of Punch Bothers (who shared some music from their new album and offered a fitting “Sia chantey” via their cover of “Chandelier.”) Earlier on the Fort Stage, Lizzy McAlpine brought out Tiny Habits for “Pushing It Down and Praying” and “Spring into Summer.” Over on the Harbor Stage, the Barr Brothers opened their performance with Brad and Andrew performing in the middle of the crowd. Later, the Dawes Duo set concluded with John C. Reilly joining the pair for “All Your Favorite Bands,” and sang an alternative verse written solely for the festival.
Sunday featured many additional collaborative moments. Dave Rawlings and Griffin Goldsmith appeared with Father John Misty during his Fort Stage set on a couple newer songs. Brandon Flowers invited both Goldsmith brothers out for Dawes’ “When My Time Comes” during his performance. The much-anticipated collaboration of Peter Rowan, Sam Grisman, Sierra Hull, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams also included an appearance by Rawlings and Welch for Rowan’s song “Walls of Time.”
The concluding performance at this year’s event had been billed as Nathaniel Rateliff & Friends. These friends immediately included Dave Matthews, who noted that he’d long hoped to perform at NFF and “snuck in sideways” this year. He opened solo acoustic with “Save Me” and later invited Brandi Carlile for “Papertown.” Then he welcomed Rateliff, Tal Wilkenfeld, Eric Slick, Griffin Goldsmith, Charlie Shea and others in the house band for “Flowers.”
Matthews then stepped off while the core collective supported Flowers on John Prine’s “Paradise,” and “Atlantic City.” Welch and Rawlings came out for “Carry It All.” Courtney Marie Andrews appeared for Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” Reilly sang “It Had to Be You” and Mavis Staples sang Kevin Morby’s “Beautiful Strangers.” Joan Baez also emerged and danced with Matthews during a new Rateliff song. The performance concluded with the roster of artists out on stage for The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” and then “America the Beautiful,” bringing a lovely Newport weekend to a close.
