It’s Tuesday, and I’m still flying pretty high from our experience at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival this weekend. To say it was the highlight of our musical adventure so far would be an understatement; it was a dream!
We didn’t have any performances on Saturday, so we were free to enjoy the festival. It was nice to be able to wander from stage to stage, with our only concern being what to eat next and when to re-apply sunscreen. The highlight of the day was without a doubt the main stage performance by The Fleet Foxes. We grabbed a coveted spot on the press platform high above the stage, which looked a lot like the scaffolding used by high-rise window washers. For the next hour we were treated to some of the most gorgeous harmonies I’ve ever heard. We had a great view of the band, as well as the 9000 or so onlookers, including all the sailboats and yachts that were anchored off shore.
On Sunday morning we awoke and got down to the serious business of writing our Newport set list. Our concert was scheduled for 11:30 am on the Waterside stage, the smallest of the three stages. Most people had no idea who we were, but thankfully they took a chance on us; by the end of our set the tent was absolutely packed! The most memorable moment of the concert for me was when we played ‘Ohio’. Playing it for Americans really made me feel the full weight of the lyrics.
The rest of the day felt like a walk through the Folk Music Hall of Fame. It was hard not to stare when Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie were hanging out around their trailors. At one point I was standing in the wings of the Main Stage, and Pete Seeger was right beside me. I noticed him looking up over my head, into the sky. After he walked away, I turned to see what had caught his eye: a lone American Flag waving high above the stage. Pretty inspiring.
Things got even more surreal when we were asked to do one song on the main stage, in between Neko Case and Arlo Guthrie. Amanda and I definitely floated up to that microphone. We sang “Levi Blues” for 10,000 people. Here’s what Amanda had to say about it:
“I can’t shake the image of standing out on that main stage, where so many folk legends still stand, singing my heart out to a crowd of thousands. This will be a memory that I will frequent for years to come. “
Check out all our photos and videos here:
You can also listen to our whole Newport concert here:
Here’s a review of the concert on National Public Radio’s official site:
Thanks Newport!!
**Sheila