I've performed at quite a few folk festivals, but really none are anything quite like Newport. Whether or not it is actually a "folk" festival depends on whom you ask, as everyone seems to have an opinion about that. The definition of the word "Folk" has been in a pretty constant state of flux anyway, so why worry about? It is a fantastic place to see music. The ghosts of classic performances past resonate through the walls of Fort Adams, so for me there is always a feeling of that history being present. That gives certain energy to Newport you just don't find at other festivals. I've been there before, as a fan, and even as stage crew. But actually performing at the festival brought it all to a different level.
I was there due to a high rating last April on
OurStage.com, a website that lets the fans vote on new music, which in turn gives them a voice in the booking process of their favorite events. They have teamed up with festivals like Bonaroo and Rorthbury and recently announced a new relationship with Live Nation. It is a cool website because it gives completely unknown artists a chance to be heard. If you resonate with the voters, you get played more on
OurStage.com and reach a wider audience, and even get opportunities like Newport. The good people over at
Just Plain Folks also had a hand in my selection to play, so I'm extremely thankful to both.
Given that most of the shows I play are in the evening, festivals have a way of throwing me off center. I'd known for sometime that I was going to be performing at 11:30 AM, so I'd been forcing myself up early the week before so I would have less that "Good morning, I just rolled out of bed, let me play you some songs…" vibe when I performed. I think this helped, as I hit the road sometime around 7:30 AM, a time of day I usually only see after being up all night. It wasn't so bad though, I had enough sleep and as I drove south on I-95 the weather cleared and it began to look like a perfect day. The sunshine helped me wake up, and so did the 4 pack of red bull I bought, so I was doing OK by the time I got to Newport.
I have a passion for the water. Ever since I was a kid, after songwriting and guitars, my next favorite thing to do was get out on a boat. That hasn't changed much for me over the years, but as the amount of free time in my life has almost ceased to exist. Consequently I don't get out on the water much these days. I'm bringing this up because for years, Newport harbor has always been one of those places that sets my soul right. Just driving over the Newport bridges has always made me happy. It is absolutely beautiful. So, now I'm on my way to the festival, in one of my favorites spots on earth (you might as well be on a boat in the harbor when you look out from Fort Adams, it has the same effect), to do what I love to do most. It would be hard to make it a bad day!
I was even happier when I saw the waterside stage. It is the smallest stage at Newport, but just like everything there it has grown in size over the years. The last time I was there it was facing in towards the fort. This time, it was right up against the water, facing out over the harbor. So, the view from the Waterside stage was very similar to the main stage, which is breathtaking. Sound was being handled by Klondike Sound, the same company that does Falcon Ridge and has often provided Ani's live rig. When I told Klon that I use drop tunings and like unnatural amounts of bass on my guitar, he asked me if I meant "Ani Difranco bass?" I smiled and nodded, and he answered with "you've got a friend in Klon". Ironically, he also instantly asked me if I knew Peter Mulvey and Goody Goodrich (Goody is producing my new album, Mulvey is a friend and mentor). I knew this was going to be a cool set.
And it was. Kate Taylor (sibling of James and Liv) was going on directly after me, so she and her band set up first. They are just a great bunch of people, and all killer musicians also. Kate is an absolute sweetheart, who greeted me directly after my set with a huge smile and some very kind words. As soon as they were done with sound check, I set up.
It would just me, alone, for this show. Newport would have allowed the whole band, but for the logistics sake I decided to go solo. I've also been digging the hell out of playing more one-man shows recently. I've been using my ancient first generation Line 6 Pod amp modeler, and my equally beat up Crybaby wah pedal. I split the signal from my acoustic guitar, send one line acoustic to the soundboard, and send the other line to the Pod. Then on the Pod I use the small tweed setting and the Delay/Swell setting, exclusively. I can control the amount of electric sound mixed in with the sound of the acoustic guitar using the wah and the effects volume swell. I love the results;
Aquarium Drunkard just reviewed my sound as "somewhere between country music and horror soundtrack". I think he got it.
Man, did Klon (the sound engineer) ever dial it in! I opened with Cigarettes, a new song about addiction and mental illness. I figured I'd start happy. The tent had maybe 250 seats in it if that, and by halfway through the song, most of them were full. People started filling in around the edges. The guitar was cascading through the monitors, and I could feel the bass in my chest. When I finished, the response was huge, and it felt fantastic.
My second song was the ballad "Will My Mind", which is set in a resort town during the dead of winter, and ultimately about my Dad who died a few years back. With the exception of some people in the back, the tent was extremely quiet for this very subdued song. I'd love to have audiences like this one at every gig.
I moved directly into "Uneven Road", another new song using the electric guitar swelling underneath the acoustic sound. The energy built slowly as I pushed the song, and again, the monitors sounded incredible. I've never heard my guitar sound that great. So, I just held on a let the song take over. It was a blast.
To close my 20-minute set, I chose "Idle Hands", an older blues-groove song of mine that uses an extremely low tuning. Klon must have hit the Ani button on the board, because the bass was incredible. The whole stage was shaking. When I finished, the crowd response was awesome, complete with a standing ovation. The whole set was very dream-like for me, and it will definitely be hard to top!
The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. As an artist, I sold a good amount of CDs, signed some autographs, and talked with quite a few very receptive members of the press, so of course, that was great. The staff at the festival was top notch, everyone treated me very well, and the whole experience went off without even one logistical hitch.
As a fan, I found myself listening to some of my favorite musicians, with the strange experience of simultaneously being amongst my favorite musicians. Jim James from My Morning Jacket seemed to be everywhere I went. He wasn't even on the bill for Sunday (although he sat in Calexico), but he was there listening and clearly digging the whole festival. Jay Farrar and Son Volt sounded fantastic. I briefly meant the legendary Levon Helm, who was nice enough to come over to say hi at the request of my good friend Shawna who was working hospitality for him (that was all her idea, I didn't want to bother him). It was really great that someone of that stature would take the time. Larry Campbell is currently in his band, and their set was also unreal. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings set was full of new material and covers that made me anticipate a new recording from them even more. I was able to talk to David Rawlings for quite a while, who has been one of my favorite players for some time. I met Gillian extremely briefly too, and she was extremely nice. It is a surreal thing to be on the same bill, and face to face, with your heroes.
Jimmy Buffet started his set by saying "It took me 40 years to get to the Newport Folk Festival, I want to savor this". For me it was in a much smaller capacity, but I'm certainly honored it didn't take me that long. Thanks again to
OurStage.com and
Just Plain Folks for all of their help in making this happen. And thanks to everyone that voted. You can see video at Newport of me playing "Idle Hands' at
The OurStage Newport Blog and check out pictures from the festival on my MySpace site. I'll be posting more video and pictures soon!