The best moments of day two—or day five, depending on how you look at it—of the second part of Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk On” event came from new voices. While there was clearly an instinct to book plenty of familiar faces to the festival who’ve played, in some cases, a handful of a times in the past, it would be incredible to see more artists like S.G. Goodman, who blew the roof off the stage tent from the first few notes of a song (“Space and Time”) off her 2020 release Old Time Feeling. One of the best records to come out of last year, and a powerful introduction to a formidable new talent, Goodman’s debut deserved every bit of the large crowd that gathered for her. Other highlights like the rollicking “The Way I Talk” and the captivating “Red Bird Morning” were made more intriguing by Goodman’s hilarious musings about online dating and her other job on a farm in her home state of Kentucky.
Elsewhere, Steve Gunn carried on the pattern of this year’s festival with a one-man, acoustic set. Pastoral beauties like “Morning is Mended” and “Water Wheel” were meditative, even as the sun beat down mercilessly. It was the type of performance that makes you miss that smaller, shady stage between the two larger ones—the usual third at this fest. Allison Russell stunning rasp and devastating stories of hardship made her performance of songs off this year’s glorious Persephone a memorable one. And beloved Newport fixture Langhorne Slim brought his darkly humorous tales of anxiety and recovery to the fort, attracting what felt like one of the biggest audiences of the day, as people sang along to “Life is Confusing” (a duet with special guest vocalist Vasthy Mompoint) and happily jumped along to “Panic Attack.”
As many acts forgo a full band setup, the performances at “Folk On” feel tailored to suit smaller, more intimate crowds (remember, there are about half as many people at each of this year’s three-day events). But one can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t it also be a thrill to see Sharon Van Etten with an actual drummer over a drum machine? To see Beck not just aimlessly noodling on his guitar with computerized bossa nova beats, in the headlining spot no less? Both artists delivered special sets, Van Etten in particular with her stellar performance of what is, perhaps, the most defining theme song of emerging from a global pandemic “Like I Used To” (normally a duet with Angel Olsen).
Sets by Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers and Fred Armisen (yes, that Fred Armisen) felt out of place and confusing, especially following a year of fantastic releases from so many artists deserving of such an iconic platform. It is fun to see Beck do a cover of Chris Bell’s lovely “I Am the Cosmos,” but by the time the crowd is chanting along to his 1994 hit “Loser,” we’re left wondering, is this it? Yes, Newport Folk has always been about getting “the family” back together, but welcoming in new members only makes the fabric of said family richer and more colorful.
Photos by Andrew Benedict
