Welcome to “At the Festival,” a blog series where I share my personal music festival experiences, with a focus on the performances of women and gender-diverse artists (that means I’ll be there early and might just completely skip the headliners). I’ll also be connecting with fellow festival-goers and sharing their stories, giving a crowd-sourced perspective of what makes each festival special. The goal is twofold: to share and spotlight often-overlooked artists, and to illustrate the power of music festivals in bringing people together and fostering communities.

Next up will be the Newport Jazz Festival, so be sure to sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the page if you want to be notified when stories like these are posted!

In 2024, Newport Folk Festival celebrated the 65th anniversary of its inaugural event. Founded in Newport, RI in 1959 by George Wein among others with inspiration from Odetta and Pete Seeger, the festival continued until 1969. It was revived in 1985, moving to its current home at Fort Adams State Park, eventually evolving into its current non-profit form in 2011.

Innumerable historic and memorable moments have taken place at Newport Folk over the years, from the emergences of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor, to Bob Dylan “going electric,” to modern reunions and once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. Civil rights, anti-war, and climate protests have been a defining element of the festival, weaving through decades and generations of artists and attendees. From the start, Newport Folk was more musically diverse than other “folk” events, and in recent years, has continued to widen its umbrella with an ongoing, modern redefining of the term “folk music.”

FRIDAY, JULY 26th

Newport Folk Festival is my favorite music festival. After I first attended in 2015, I told myself I would never miss it again. That year, the Sunday headlining set was “‘65 Revisited”— a celebration of Bob Dylan “going electric” at the festival 50 years prior. The bulk of the music was performed by mainstays (and 2024 Saturday headliners) Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, along with Dawes, with Taylor Goldsmith toting the same guitar used by Dylan for his famous set. They were joined by original 1965 performer Al Kooper, as well as Hozier, Willie Watson, Deer Tick, First Aid Kit, Robyn Hitchcock, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. It was the first Newport Folk Jam I got to witness, and I was hooked. The joy of collaboration on that stage was palpable and inspiring.

This year, as I drove over Narragansett Bay on Friday, I wondered once again who might jump on stage together and who might show up completely unannounced. When you start to approach the fort, you know it from the number of bicycles—nearly 2000 people ride bicycles to the festival each day. And once you turn onto the grounds, you are met with a sign presenting the festival’s guiding principles: “Be Present. Be Kind. Be Open. Be Together.” The first official set of the festival began at 11 AM on the Harbor stage, the smaller of the three main stages. Executive Producer Jay Sweet greeted the crowd with a traditional “Happy New Year!” and introduced the third annual winner of the John Prine Songwriter Fellowship, William Prince. I wandered around a bit, checking out a little of every early set, the vendors and new food options, and eventually settled at the main stage, the Fort Stage, just past noon. The sun was out in full force this year, and as always, the moms were too, making sure everyone had already reapplied sunscreen.

MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

If you’ve never been to Newport Folk or Jazz, the Fort Stage is a sight to behold. On a sunny day, artists look out to the dancing crowd in front, the sea of chairs and blankets, the actual sea (generally full of boats of every kind taking in the music from outside the grounds), the massive span of the Claiborne Pell Bridge, and the sky above. As a fan, it’s incredible. I can’t imagine what it must be like to perform to that view. The first artist I saw experience the Fort Stage this year was Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. The award-winning singer, guitarist, and songwriter took the stage with her equally talented bandmates and ripped through songs from their latest album, City of Gold. Into the second half of the set, the five-piece band gathered around a center mic and played a song from 2022’s Crooked Tree, “Big Backyard,” during which they seamlessly incorporated "This Land Is Your Land." Next, they played Tuttle’s “Dooley’s Farm,” which then became Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm.”

After the set I spoke with Alex, who regularly attends Newport Folk, but doesn’t generally listen to a lot of bluegrass music. His friend told him Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway was not to be missed, so he made sure to check out the set regardless. “I was really impressed by the storytelling and lyricism,” Alex told me, and noted the individual instrumentation skill of each member of Golden Highway as a highlight. He mentioned that the recommendation to see Molly Tuttle fit right in with his usual Newport Folk strategy. He always tries to catch the early Fort Stage sets, citing Jon Batiste’s 2015 set and Devon Gilfillian’s 2019 set as some of his most memorable Newport discoveries.

ALLISON RUSSELL — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

I wandered around again, catching bits of Rett Madison on the smaller Foundation Stage and Wednesday turning up the mid-afternoon noise on the Quad Stage, located within the walls of the Fort itself. But I was due back at the Fort Stage for one of my all-time favorites. The first time I saw Allison Russell perform live was at Newport Folk Festival 2018 with her Our Native Daughters bandmates. Singing in turns about the historical and modern injustices affecting black women, the set was deeply emotional and memorable. It was one of the rare sets where a standing ovation was deservedly given after each and every song. Fast-forward a few years: after Allison released her critically-acclaimed debut solo album, she was rightfully given the reigns to curate the Sunday finale set of 2021’s “Folk On,” a smaller-capacity Covid-era event. It was a triumphant, powerful, and intentional celebration of Black women, ending with a joyful singalong with Chaka Khan.

Returning this year with a second solo album released in 2023, Allison and band radiated joy as much as ever. Introducing her Grammy-winning song “Eve Was Black,” she spoke about the importance of “calling-in” rather than “calling-out”—a phrase that I’ve heard her speak many times and one that I think about constantly in the context of this project. Towards the end of the set, she told us that she was rejected by her school choir when she was young, so she was thrilled to bring out a local choir school group and sing two songs with them. For her last song, she brought out current tour-mate Hozier for a duet of “Requiem,” a heartfelt plea to fight for hope. Allison Russell is the very essence of Newport Folk Festival: a living example of the ability of music to heal, to bring us together, to teach, and to spread joy.

After Allison’s set, I spoke to Beau, a teenager from Massachusetts attending Newport Folk for the first time. It was also his first time seeing Allison Russell, though he had heard some of her music before. He was impressed by her vocals and the raw emotion she conveyed. He was particularly moved by the words she shared between songs, including her belief that “all children are our children.” As a young person in America, Beau is unfortunately very aware of the threat of gun violence and a culture where students and teachers are constantly preparing for the worst. His most anticipated artists of the weekend were MUNA and Adrianne Lenker, and he was excited to see them in such a different environment. Having only events like Boston Calling to compare to, Beau noted the intimacy and overall friendliness of Newport Folk, saying it felt like a place where everyone could safely be themselves.

MUNA — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

Next up was MUNA, another long-time personal favorite of mine. They are one of the bands this year that might have seemed unexpected for a folk festival, and I was happily surprised when they were announced. As Newport Folk continues to evolve, it has successfully incorporated a wider range of musical styles into the "folk" label. The festival has redefined folk music not just as a specific sound, but as a respect for musical and cultural traditions with an eye on the future. Folk is about people, community, protest, and change. This year, rap, alt-rock, and indie-pop were folk music too. MUNA singer Katie Gavin said she had worried about how they’d fit at a folk festival. The band toned down some of their songs and played “their most Newport set,” but they had nothing to worry about. The set was well-received and the crowd was attentive in the slower numbers, but ready to dance once they turned the pop up for closers “I Know a Place” and “Silk Chiffon.” The set also featured the live debut of “As Good as it Gets” from Katie’s newly announced solo record. More to come on that later!

I caught up with Beau once again, who had this marked as his most anticipated set. He had seen MUNA four times in the past, and said it was awesome to be able to see them in a different setting than usual, playing a totally unique set. With this being his first time at Newport Folk, I asked what his thoughts were generally on the phrase “folk music” before and after experiencing a bit of the festival. He said he would have before called folk music essentially “acoustic music,” but that Newport Folk had already changed his thoughts. He was really impressed how inclusive the festival seemed to be, letting in a variety of different sounds and expanding his own musical horizons. I asked if he would come back and he said “yes, if you bring me,” which is when I admit that Beau is my nephew and ok, I did interview my own relative because sometimes I’m anxious about talking to people. Also the reason he had heard Allison Russell’s music before is because I won’t ever stop talking about it.

The headliner that night was Hozier, who in turn invited Allison out to duet on “Work Song.” The last two songs of his set were quintessential Newport Folk moments, bringing out surprise guest Mavis Staples to lead “The Weight” along with Joan Baez, Nathaniel Rateliff, Kaia Kater, Allison Russell, William Prince, Wesley Schultz, and Madison Cunningham. For the finale, Hozier led one more sing-along of the Newport Folk protest mainstay “We Shall Overcome,” featuring the same impressive group of artists (sans Mavis). It wasn’t lost on me in that moment that Joan Baez has been leading others through that song for over 60 years. The next day, Baez shared that when asked if Mavis would like to join them for the final song, she—now 85 and first appearing at Newport Folk at age 25 with The Staple Singers—replied, “I overcame a long time ago!”

SATURDAY, JULY 27th

On Saturday, the heat continued, and I decided to take the ferry from downtown Newport to the Fort. There was a bit of waiting as a variety of boats loaded up and crossed the harbor, but it is an awesome way to arrive to the Festival. If you get the chance, it definitely adds to the uniqueness of a day at Newport Folk. The only thing I had to complain about this year was long security lines at the entrance. Because of this, I unfortunately missed most of the live SHEROES interview with Newport hero Joan Baez. Luckily, it can be heard in its entirety here!

REYNA TROPICAL — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

The first full set I would see on Saturday was Reyna Tropical on the Harbor Stage just after noon. Singing in Spanish, their music melds afro-indigenous beats and bright rhythms inspired by Congolese, Peruvian, and Colombian folk music. Fabi Reyna, joined by multi-instrumentalist Nay Mapalo, immediately brought the early afternoon crowd to their feet with an irresistible energy. The music is fueled by electronic beats, varied percussion, and Reyna’s unique percussive guitar. The project dates back several years, with Reyna starting it with DJ and producer Nectali Diaz. The duo released two EPs before Diaz died suddenly in 2022. Reyna Tropical’s debut full-length album was released in March 2024. The duality of the music, with themes of grief and queer joy, was also present in their performance. While they spent much of the set dancing, the emotion was evident as well. Recounting being told “that’s not very folk of you” while setting up the electronics on-stage, Reyna challenged the notion, telling us “this African-Indigenous sound is the most folk thing you will ever hear.”

Immediately after the set I asked a few questions to Eileen and Max who were enjoying the set from just outside the tent near me. Max had been to Newport several times, but this was Eileen’s first time there. Both were already fans and this was their most anticipated set, as neither had seen the band play live before. They both felt a connection to Reyna and their music because they had South-American fathers and hearing a similarly mixed-heritage person talk about their heritage on stage was special and empowering. Many of the styles were familiar to them, but Eileen noted that the mix of electronic elements with the percussion and airiness of Reyna’s guitar playing produced something both familiar but entirely new. I asked if they would travel to see the band play again, and it was an instant and resounding “YES!”

KATIE GAVIN — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

A few years ago, the band Illiterate Light brought an idea to Newport Folk, where it was immediately embraced. Thinking of a better touring industry future, the band’s idea was for a completely green stage, powered by fans riding bicycles. Thus was born the Bike Stage, a small stage within the Fort walls. Generally featuring smaller up-and-coming acts, on early Saturday afternoon, the Bike Stage was home to the debut solo festival performance of Katie Gavin, singer/songwriter of MUNA. Having released her first single just one week before, most of the songs would be heard for the first time ever. She played a six song set, giving us a preview of half of her upcoming October album What a Relief. Playing solo with an acoustic guitar, Katie said she hadn’t played a show like that since high school, and asked us to pretend any potential mistakes never happened. For “As Good as it Gets,” Katie was joined on harmonies by MUNA bandmate Naomi McPherson, standing in for Mitski who appears on the album version. She has defined the album style as “Lilith-Fair core” and based on her debut performance, fans should get excited for just that.

SUNDAY, JULY 28th

NEW DANGERFIELD — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

Just last year, New Dangerfield was formed by banjoist Tray Wellington as a four-part Black string band. His purpose was to carry on and build on the Black string band tradition. In their Newport set on the Fort Stage, the band showed no signs of their recent assembly as they played both traditional and original songs, including the Kaïa Kater-penned single “Put No Walls Around Your Garden.” Each player took turns introducing the origins or meanings of the songs, and although he is pursuing a Ph.D. in musicology & ethnomusicology, Jake Blount promised “no history, just tunes.” Inviting out perhaps their most direct influence as their “banjo auntie,” Rhiannon Giddens joined them in both song and dance. It may have been early, but the crowd built steadily as they played, and there was a lot of joyful dancing. Regardless of the promise from Blount not to lecture, I came away from New Dangerfield’s set with not only a smile, but a page-full of names from the past jotted down to learn about.

BRITTANY HOWARD — WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY APPLE

Brittany Howard has played the Fort Stage at Newport Folk before, but this year, it was for the first time as a solo artist. With two solo albums to play with including this year’s innovative What Now, Howard played an eclectic set, astonishing us all with her vocals and occasional guitar shredding. Her stage presence is unlike anyone else, and she seemed able to reach out every person in the field personally. Halfway through the set, she spoke about Newport, saying “this is my favorite festival in the world,” because she feels good and feels accepted. Her performance made me feel the exact same. I’m excited to relive it next weekend as Brittany pulls double duty, playing Newport Jazz as well.

The Sunday night closing set was billed as “Conan O’Brien and Real Musicians.” Dawes served as the primary backing band, with turns at lead by Langhorne Slim, Nick Lowe, Brittany Howard, Nathaniel Rateliff, Mavis Staples and Jack White. It started raining towards the beginning of the set, but everyone remained spirited regardless. Brittany Howard sang an energetic rendition of Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” and Mavis Staples leading the crowd through “I’ll Take You There” will forever be a sacred memory for everyone in attendance. The festival ended as it typically does, with dozens of musicians on stage, this time with the traditional “Midnight Special.”

As I said at the beginning of this feature, Newport Folk Festival is my favorite festival. Looking forward to it keeps me going throughout the year. If you have a wedding or something that weekend, I’m sorry. I won’t be there. The festival isn’t perfect. The percent of women on stage this year was about 25% (a down year from the last few). The photo above is almost entirely white artists. It’s not without faults, but I think there’s an understanding among organizers, artists, and fans alike that those faults exist, which is not always the case, and is half the battle. This year, there were more queer artists than ever, with Reyna Tropical, MUNA, and Orville Peck among others. Plus the Grateful Dead drag cover band BERTHA packed the Harbor stage. The definition of folk is widening to include more people, ideas, and sounds than ever and Newport Folk is leading the way. As Andrew Bird put it this year “I can’t even call it a festival—it’s something else.”

Thank you to Newport Folk Festival, the volunteers and staff, and all the fans who were gracious enough to share their stories with me!

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