So, there was Mitchell, holding court next to Carlile in antique easy chairs, flanked by Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, guitarist Blake Mills, vocal duo Lucius, Allison Russell, Marcus Mumford on percussion, and country scion Wynonna Judd. Carlile sought to recreate the vibe of “Joni Jams” that she frequented with fellow admirers like Elton John and Harry Styles at the 78-year-old legend’s Bel-Air home. She brought Dolly Parton to the Newport stage as part of an all-female set in 2019 and topped herself this year, though the connection with Mitchell was organic and lovingly shepherded. The twinkle-eyed Carlile, who headlines TD Garden in October, has become a star in her own right, but she relishes her sporadic role as a curator that Newport Folk producer Jay Sweet surely appreciates. One was aptly dubbed Clusterfolk, sporting such unbilled guests as Natalie Merchant (sounding wonderful on her “Carnival” and “Kind & Generous”), Lukas Nelson (channeling Neil Young’s “Tell Me Why”), and the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, who cracked “I thought I just came to hang out” before a collective run through Nick Lowe’s “(What’s so Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” But the weekend’s biggest secrets were cleanly hidden and tightly executed with the day-capping revelations of Simon and Mitchell. But for Mitchell to not only show up at Newport for the first time since 1969 but to sing lead on three songs (in a deeper register) and play another on guitar, which she relearned via online videos after a 2015 brain aneurysm, transcended dreams.įor its first full-capacity event in three years, the Newport Folk Festival navigated hot weather and dodged a few late-hour artist cancellations with shuffled sets and all-star song swaps. Not quite, but everybody who had just heard Joni Mitchell sing “ Both Sides Now” at her first full concert in more than two decades understood the feeling - and the awe, as reverberations quickly spread through social media.Īny other year, the buzz would be about Paul Simon taking a rare detour from his 2018 retirement from touring, emerging to lead the last four songs of Saturday’s all-star tribute to his music led by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. “Did the world just stop? Did everything that was wrong with it just go away?” Brandi Carlile asked the congregation at Sunday’s surprise finale of the Newport Folk Festival. Joni Mitchell at the Newport Folk Festival.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |