The third and final day of Newport’s 65th Folk Festival was finally blessed with mostly cloudy weather that set the scene for a day filled with exciting performances and anticipation for Conan O’Brien’s headlining set.
Chicago rock band Friko took to the Quad Stage for an exciting set of tunes from their debut album that was released earlier this year. The newcomers put on an impressive and energetic performance that oozed rockstar bravado. As they aspirationally signaled with the name of the album “Where We’ve Been, Where We Go from Here”, this year marks an exciting one for Friko, who has the makings of a new great indie rock band.
Newport Folk has a history of honoring folk heroes of the past, which was the perfect context for Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird to pay homage to the 1973 album “Buckingham Nicks” as the duo Cunningham/ Bird. The album was originally performed as a duo made of future Fleetwood Mac members Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Cunningham and Bird had revealed in the week leading up to the festival their plans to play the album front to back and another announcement came right after taking the stage on Sunday. The pair will also be releasing a record together that will be their take on the iconic folk album.
Brittany Howard, legendary frontwoman of the grammy-winning band Alabama Shakes, played a mid-day set on the festival’s main stage. Howard graced the crowd with her soulful vocals and spirited stage presence that enamored first-time listeners and solidified her place in the heart of long-time fans. The singer would also later return to the main stage one of Conan O’Brien’s many guest collaborator’s.
Another artist who has found success in both their solo work and their work with a band is Cory Wong. The fantastically talented guitarist played a set on Sunday with a number of other musicians, including fellow Vulfpeck member Theo Katzman. Wong’s guitar expertise crosses effortlessly through the genres of jazz, funk, and rock and his obvious passion for the instrument made his performance a joy to watch. One of the qualities of Newport Folk that keeps fans coming back every year is its casual and homey atmosphere. Most artists show up in the same casual attire as the fans, with worn-in denim and flowy garments being worn all over the festival grounds all weekend. This core value was a big part of Cory Wong’s set, which was advertised on the lineup as “Cory Wong & Friends”. Wong’s set had the friendly vibe of musicians just jamming together and making music for the love of the craft.
Long-time legends of different genres, De La Soul and Dropkick Murphys played back to back sets on the Quad stage before Conan’s headlining slot. The festival team cleared the chairs out of the Quad stage’s tent for the last two performances, allowing for dancing and movement, but encouraged festival goers to look out for each others’ safety. De La Soul, the New York hip hop group, has been in the rap scene since the late 80’s and were clearly experienced in front of a crowd. Frontman Kelvin Mercer encouraged singing and dancing from the crowd that got them moving and laughing in the tent as he rapped the group’s classic tracks.
Dropkick Murphys was a familiar favorite for the Massachusetts fans in the audience. The irish-punk group formed in Quincy in the 90’s and is a beloved staple of Irish culture in the Boston area. The crowd’s energy had been rising since De La Soul took the stage, and transferred to a more raucous spirit in the face of the punk phenomenon.
New England born late night host Conan O’Brien debuted an impressive and often comical folk musical set on the main stage accompanied by rock band Dawes. His set featured musicians from the whole weekend as well as special guest White Stripes’ Jack White. Conan riffed about his guests in between songs and had the audience laughing and cheering for each new performer he brought out. The clouds gave out for a bit of rain during Conan’s set but the fans were undeterred and many stayed through the end of the performance. Honoring guests like Mavis Staples, Brittany Howard, Langhorne Slim, and more was a great ending to the festival that emphasizes honoring folk history and community.
