Newport Folk Festival day two saw seemingly larger crowds of people, drawn to Fort Adams’ perfect breeze coming off the bay and the allure of endless music. Amidst heaping lobster rolls (so good, Ryan Adams even improvised a song about them on Friday) and stuffed to the rim frozen lemonades, folk acts serenaded and rockers thrashed through sets. From the quieter sounds of The Milk Carton Kids and John Reilly and Friends, to the grunge rock of Kurt Vile, day two did not disappoint.
J Roddy Walston, Harbor Stage, “Most Rock n’ Roll”
“How loud do you like your music?” was the introduction that preceded Tennessee rockers J Roddy Walston and the Business. And even those in the crowd who thought they were familiar with their sound had no clue what they were in for when the set began. While it doesn’t make much sense to call the music these guys make folk, no one seemed to care when they were dancing their asses off to “Heavy Bells” and wailing along verse after verse to “Midnight Cry”. It’s a mystery how Walston manages to avoid literally banging his head on his piano while he’s swinging around that glorious head of hair. This band is pure rock n’ roll, and their gritty, dirty Southern sound left many a jaw on the floor. Even Jack White stopped by, captivated, and snapped some polaroids.
Benjamin Booker, Quad Stage, “Best Natural Swagger”
New Orleans-based rocker Benjamin Booker drew an impressive crowd with his sultry, smoky vocals and loud electric sound. At times a rich howl and at times a sensual whisper, Booker’s singing was simply unforgettable. His soulful set included “Have You Seen My Son” and “Chippewa Blues”, and sounded like nothing else offered at the festival this year. It’s acts like this that make Newport Folk Festival worth it.
Deer Tick, Fort Stage, “Best Folk Fest Triumph”
You might say Rhode Islanders Deer Tick have come of age at Newport Folk Festival, now in their fifth year on the bill. What made this year so special, though, was their debut on the main stage. Dressed to the nines in matching three-piece white and baby blue tuxedos with captain hats, Deer Tick made their little piece of Folk Fest history today. They played a mostly mellowed out set, sticking to slower tunes like “Hey Doll” and “Christ Jesus”, and duets with Vanessa Carlton (aka Mrs. John MacCauley—and expecting) and Liz Eisenberg (“In Our Time” and “Friday XII”, respectively). As usual, their fans are psyched to see them and even more psyched to sing along (“Ashamed” and “Not So Dense”), and both Ian and Dennis shared singing duty. MacCauley may have chilled out a bit since his Folk Fest debut, but the beer holder on his mic stand and dangling cigarette between his teeth tell us he’s still rock n’ roll.
Jack White, Fort Stage, “Weirdest Folk Fest Persona”
There’s no doubt that Jack White is a musical force to be reckoned with, but it does get difficult to separate him from the character that is “Jack White”. His weird and inconsistent cartoonish accent when he’s speaking to the audience about the importance of “authenticity” just rings with a certain level of phoniness. However, if you can put all that aside (along with his apparent hatred of photographers), his set was pretty perfect. Between the bluegrass-y band (with an eye-catching chrome upright bass) and finale cover of Pete Seeger’s “Goodnight Irene” (accompanied by Benjamin Booker, Milk Carton Kids and John C Reilly), White’s vocals sounded amazing. The crowd that gathered was massive, too, and appreciated his inclusion of old favorites like “Icky Thump”, but also got into newer stuff from his latest record Lazaretto, like “Three Women”. He claimed it was Rolling Stone magazine’s first time covering Newport Folk Festival (“they don’t like to rush into things,” he told us), and it’s no surprise that he is the headliner when it finally happens. Jack White was pretty much made for Folk Fest, and he did not fail to remind us of that on Saturday.
Check out our RECAP and PHOTO GALLERY from Friday!
Photos by Gerry Hardy and Nancy Lasher
