Newport Folk Festival Live
In this Series
At the Newport Folk Festival, former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio took the "folk challenge" and went completely solo for one of the first times in his career. He played songs from both his solo albums and Phish's long discography to an ecstatic audience.
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See upcoming concerts and add them to your calendar.Hear the Concerts
Still to Come
- Calexico
- Brandi Carlile
- Cowboy Junkies
- Levon Helm
- Young @ Heart Chorus
About Newport Folk
When all the electricity in Newport, R.I., went out, Stephen Marley's emcee proudly announced that their generator stage was one of the few places in the town still wired. Sharing both the stage and their songs — including one by their father — brothers Stephen and Damian Marley tag-teamed a celebratory concert at the Newport Folk Festival.
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The solo sets of Jim James have become somewhat of a hushed spectacle, the kind that leaves a person spellbound for days afterward. Performing with just an acoustic guitar and a little help from M. Ward, the bearded singer practically hypnotized the audience with his stunning voice.
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Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings filled the Newport air with their gorgeous harmonies throughout this sunny Sunday-afternoon set. They cherry-picked from the whole catalog, but fans were also treated to three brand-new songs, including a cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's "Jackson."
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At 24, Mason already sounds like a withered man. Accompanied by a musical-saw player and members of his family on stage, he opened Sunday's Newport Folk Festival in a somber mood. But a sweet moment came when Mason invited his parents — local to the area — on stage and lightened up the set just before noon.
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Technical difficulties didn't deter M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel from plugging on ahead, even if that meant plugging in an electric guitar instead of an acoustic guitar. And then Newport's infamous rain came down hard. But that didn't stop them, either, nor did it prevent special guest appearances by Jim James and Becky Stark.
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Right from the beginning, Steve Earle openly channeled the spirit of Woody Guthrie, noting that we need him now more than ever. Out of all the artists at the Newport Folk Festival, Earle's invocation is arguably the most appropriate — he would have fit in well at the festival's inception.
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With a small backing band, Jakob Dylan came to the Newport Folk Festival armed with not only songs from his first solo album, Seeing Things, but also music from the entire Wallflowers catalog.
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The Newport Folk Festival moved well beyond just folk music in 2008, with a lineup that included the likes of Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), Calexico, and She & Him. NPR.org webcast live performances from these acts and more on Aug. 2-3.
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Calexico played a cinematic set to the Newport Folk Festival crowd Sunday. Which makes sense, given that Jim James of My Morning Jacket joined Calexico on stage for "Goin' to Acapulco," the song they performed together in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There.
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Brandi Carlile lit the Newport stage on fire with her voice — a voice that can rip right through the soul as quickly as it can soothe it. Carlile and her band tore through her small catalog, and surprised the audience with a tribute to Newport Folk Festival alum Johnny Cash.
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