10 Most Memorable Moments of the 2014 Newport Folk Festival
Fifty-five years after its birth, the Newport Folk Festival is still a gathering of breakout talent and living legends.
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It’s an event that pays homage to the folk gods of yesteryear, while spotlighting the authentic young songwriters they helped inspire. And every July, this melting pot of artists, all connected by the sound of American roots music, convenes over three days on a stunning New England peninsula.
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This year, the festival honored the 75th birthday of Mavis Staples, who first appeared in Newport in 1964 with The Staple Singers and has celebrated her birthday at the festival many times. Staples made a number of unforgettable and surprise appearances throughout the weekend, but did not overshadow an endless list of special moments courtesy of the epic lineup, including Jack White, Ryan Adams, Lucius, Nickel Creek, Band of Horses and others. Here’s one perennial folk lover’s list of the 10 Top Moments From Newport Folk Fest 2014, in no particular order. —Garland Harwood
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>> Each day of the Festival, there was one stage that celebrated musicians who carry the spirit of the late Pete Seeger’s life work. During one session with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, Tweedy noticed a boy wearing a Wilco shirt and asked him, “What do you want to hear? You know any of my songs? Did your parents dress you up in a Wilco t-shirt?” The boy requested “Heavy Metal Drummer” and Tweedy played it for him.
>> Jack White’s highly-anticipated Newport debut drew the largest festival audience in years and featured material spanning his work under various banners, including The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and his latest solo album, Lazaretto. He closed his set with a tearful cover of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene,” backed by guest performers John C. Reilly, Pokey Lafarge and others. Yes, he cried up there.
(Lake Street Drive / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> Boston indie-jazz outfit Lake Street Dive were delivering the kind of soulful set that’s helped the band sell out show after show, when they invited headliner Mavis Staples onstage to help sing their song “Bad Self Portraits.” The crowd, which was already on their feet, roared as Staples sang the entire first verse and then belted out multiple choruses with LSD lead vocalist Rachael Price. I’ve never witnessed a more soulful performance.
>> Canadian-folksinger Leif Vollebekk was one the festival’s breakout acts this year. During his set on Sunday, Vollebekk was joined by a phenomenal backing band that only amplified his stage presence and delivered a gorgeous rendition of The Killers’ “Read My Mind.”
(Aoife O'Donovan / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> Aoife O’Donovan made her Newport debut performing a number of songs off of her 2013 album, Fossils (stream it free in Prime Music!). While O’Donovan has previously performed with a full band, her Newport set was a stripped down duet with Punch Brothers bassist Paul Kowert for a vibe that was much more intimate.
(Hozier / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> Irish bluesman Hozier, who has exploded in the last few months without a full-length album to his name, delivered one of the most celebrated sets of the weekend. Of note, Hozier had the full Berklee Gospel & Roots Choir join him for a stunning performance of “Work Song,” one of the hauntingly beautiful tracks off of his latest EP.
(The Deslondes / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> New Orleans-based country-soul group The Deslondes called their Newport debut a “dream come true.” While the band have yet to release their first album, their set of country-soul cowboy songs were much buzzed about at the Festival and felt refreshingly different.
(The Oh Hellos / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> After a morning of quiet folk acts, The Oh Hellos’ set felt like an explosion of strings with 10+ band members that kept the audience on their feet for nearly an hour – a defining moment for a band that has been growing in popularity since the release of their 2012 album, Through the Deep, Dark Valley.
>> During Mavis Staples’ set, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and Norah Jones joined her onstage to perform The Band’s legendary song “The Weight.” Goldsmith, who initially looked terrified, belted out a flawless verse and solidified his band’s place in the Folk Fest family.
(Group sing-along / Photos by Vi Luong and Richard Kluver/grass clippings blog)
>> Staples, who performed with The Staple Singers at numerous civil rights gatherings in the 1960s, closed the festival the way Pete Seeger always did – gathering all of the performers onstage and leading the entire audience in “We Shall Overcome.”
Garland Harwood writes the Brooklyn-based Americana & bluegrass blog, grass clippings.
