Photo Feature: Best Coast and Kaya Stewart Help The Go-Go’s Say Goodbye

Posted on 08/16/2016 by Corwin Wickersham IV

Photos and words by Nick Raygun

The Go-Go’s Farewell Tour hit Boston this past Monday with the support of West Coast’s Best Coast as well as up and coming singer/songwriter Kaya Stewart. In the spirit of The Go-Go’s Vacation, the House of Blues was absolutely jam packed with tank tops, flip flops and very exuberant umbrella drinks.

The sheer volume of fancy mixed drinks warranted the surprise guest appearance of the “Alcohol Compliance Supervisor.” His appearance was to ensure safe consumption habits and the overall well being of the patrons of the House of Blues. However, instead, the job title displayed on the man’s shirt attracted every drunk middle aged person wielding a smart phone and an umbrella drink to pose with the man and his shirt. I witnessed 4-5 different groups of people come to pose with the man before Kaya Stewart even kicked things off.
Kaya Stewart hit the stage first to get the crowd warmed up with deep backing synths, shredding guitar and incredible stage presence. The group played songs off their 2015 Debut EP In Love With A Boy and their newest single, Sleepover. After the first song alone, the crowd was red hot. Everybody was dancing. Some of the braver audience members were doing their best to learn the words and sing along (as most would do after 3 fancy umbrella drinks).

After Kaya Stewart’s performance and after all the tipsy middle aged audience members assured the Alcohol Compliance Supervisor that they were “alright” and “just having fun,” the LA duo Best Coast (Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno) took to the stage. Still touring off their incredible third album California Nights. Best Coast ripped through a nice variety of songs from all three of their releases, starting things off hot with When I’m With You from the first record. “When I’m with you, I have fun,” is what Bethany sings through the chorus and immediately the feeling was very mutual between all in attendance.

Now, here is where I would put the photos I shot of The Go-Go’s. Due to The Go-Go’s having an official photographer or something along those lines, all photo passes were voided. As The Go-Go’s came out to a wild and amped up crowd, I was sternly told that all photographers had to coat check their gear. Luckily, I was able to snipe a selfie of me being told to leave ft. The Go-Go’s.

PREMIERE: Pet Jail’s Debut Album, ‘Jail For Pets’

Posted on 08/15/2016 by Lauren Moquin

By Lauren Moquin

By Kelly Keltos

Pet Jail is what you could call an Allston supergroup. Forming within the final show of the members’ previous band, That’s Rugby, it became a project where a “neo-soul, jazzy hip-hop” sound could be explored. The original four members have been down the punk route with their other bands, People Like You, Animal Flag, and I Kill Giants, but inspired by the likes of Robert Glasper’s Black Radio and Hiatus Kaiyote’s Tawk Tomahawk, they were ready for a new avenue.

After member, Sai Boddupalli, left the band to focus on his project Yeehaw, a new bassist, Geoff McCloud, joined the three year adventure that is their debut album, Jail For Pets. Today, Pet Jail has decided to release the album into the world and drummer, Sander Bryce, shared its significance, “This album conveys a certain feeling without the use of words (mostly.) It is a celebration of the struggle to make sure this feeling reaches other ears. Seeing as how we started writing these songs three years ago and recorded them almost two years ago, it is a test of patience. This is a record that pushed all of us to our limits, at the time, and helped us grow as people and musicians.”

You can check out Pet Jail’s debut album, Jail For Pets, in full below, along with a live video for “Funk If I Know”.

Review: Hiatus Kaiyote at Paradise Rock Club

Posted on 08/09/2016 by Cliff

By Cliff Notez

Every once in a while you a band that catches you off guard. A band that has a lead singer that creates sounds you don’t expect to explode from their uniquely decorated frame. At first glance, thumb when you see Hiatus Kaiyote, stuff lead Nai Palm, you don’t necessarily except the music she creates. When you think about it; you don’t really know what to expect. When I first found out about Hiatus Kaiyote, I did that thing where you just listen to the music without having a visual of the artist, and I fell in love. There’s something distinct about the harmonies they create, the way they mesh as a band, and how two of their songs can sound like a complete EP. With a sold out show at Paradise Rock Club, I wasn’t surprised to find out I wasn’t the only one to agree.

Hiatus Kaiyote has been pumping out some clutch futuristic soul sounds for a few years now, and some people can recount an amazing show they put on last year in Boston, so it came with no surprise that this show had electricity in the air 2 hours before it started. Hiatus undoubtedly held their own, with no opener, and delivered a performance that was an oddly satisfying mix that landed 1960s Soul music and us somewhere between gangster rap with a bass player with stacked rig.

In May of Last year, HK released their second studio album, Choose Your Weapon. What the band would describe as being an extension of their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk, otherwise would describe it as an rhythmic outer-body experience. An experience that took them from far down under Australia, across the world and to the United States where sold out shows, and one of the most diverse demographics of fans you can think of.

You may have heard Haitus on that one random freestyle discreetly named, ‘Haitus’ or you may have heard them on the Anderson.Paak joint, ‘Without You’, on his brilliant Malibu tape. But even if you didn’t, and you came to the show on Monday, you found it very hard to leave not a fan. Despite playing at Osheaga although in Montreal just a couple days ago, Nai Palm undoubtedly brought the fire.

With their drummer, Perrin Moss, playing some unique patterns throughout the night, which sometimes sounded intentionally off beat, everything was precisely planned and well-executed. Simon Mavin played melodies on keys that the ‘Dise crowd embraced and celebrated, what seemed like, the exact millisecond he began playing them. One of the true champs of the night was Paul Bender; With a bass rig as thick as his beard, and an Ableton setup that augmented our realities into a musical hiatus, we had a flamboyant sound of Hiatus Kaiyote, plus Nai Palm, an ethereal force on her own.

After starting the show off with the song a rendition of the song, “Choose Your Weapon,” the warmed up Hiatus Kaiyote crew showed us that they indeed had many weapons to choose from. Whether it be the dynamic keys leading the way, or some Ableton/rig effects and plugins altering the path, or Nai Palm switching from her gold guitar to a hacking away at the keys herself, HK did a great job keeping us all entertained. From songs like “Laputa” and “Breathing Underwater”, to set the weird-ambient mood only to bust our faces in with hardcore-soul (which I never thought existed before) with songs like “Swamp Thing.” This band is continuously growing and leaving their fans aching to see what they will do next, sonically.

Featured Image from : http://www.laut.de/Hiatus-Kaiyote

Kevin Devine announces winter tour dates with Julien Baker, Pinegrove, Petal

Posted on 08/08/2016 by Jackie Swisshelm

by Jackie Swisshelm

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Another season, another Kevin Devine tour announcement. This time, Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band will be hitting up North America in November and December with the likes of Julien Baker, Pinegrove, and Petal in support of their upcoming fall release, Instigator, via Triple Crown Records and Procrastinate! Music Traitors (Brand New’s label).

And if there’s one category where Kevin Devine always comes thru, it’s curating flippin’ sick bills for his shows. That, and consistently making really catchy, really popular indie folk rock tunes for the last 14 years. Previously, tourmates have included Laura Stevenson, Field Mouse, The Front Bottoms (of course) and Now, Now.

But this time, Boston will see them with Pinegrove and Petal on December 10th at the Royale. It’s a bummer that breakout artist Julien Baker won’t be on the Boston bill, but she does have a tour date in Providence at Aurora on September 23rd (snag tickets here).

Tickets for the Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band show go on sale Friday (8/12) at noon. All tour dates are below.

Kevin Devine — 2016 Winter Tour Dates
09/03 – Philadelphia, PA – Made In America
10/03 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s^
10/04 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway^
10/05 – Norman, OK – Opolis^
10/07 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
10/08 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon^
11/01 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage#
11/02 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater#
11/03 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground*
11/04 – Orlando, FL – The Social*
11/05 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum*
11/06 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade*
11/08 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall*
11/09 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Bar N Grill*
11/11 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge#
11/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram#
11/13 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s#
11/15 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios#
11/16 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey#
11/18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Billboard Live#
11/19 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater#
11/20 – Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck#
11/22 – Nashville, TN – Basement East#
12/01 – Detroit, MI – Loving Touch#
12/02 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge#
12/03 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon#
12/04 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry#
12/06 – Columbus, OH – Ace Of Cups#
12/07 – Pittsburgh, PA – Cattivo#
12/08 – New York City, NY – Irving Plaza#
12/09 – New Haven, CT – The Ballroom At The Outer Space#
12/10 – Boston, MA – Royale#
12/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#

^ = Solo Show
* = w/ Julien Baker, Pinegrove & Petal
# = w/ Pinegrove & Petal

Home Is Everywhere Else: A Conversation with Kindling

Posted on 08/08/2016 by Tim Gagnon

By Tim Gagnon
Photos by Tiffany Law

Outside of Kindling’s Easthampton practice space, a stretch of fresh asphalt under the sweltering July sun and a couple hundred yards of woods separate us from the impossibly tall Pioneer Valley mountain range.

The instinctual reaction upon leaving the city for a view like this is to breathe in deeply as soon as the trees outweigh civilization. Clean air feels more like a given and less like a commodity outside a city, even if Boston is under a hundred miles away from Western Massachusetts.

Anyone that’s lived a few years of young adult life in rurality knows, though, how quickly the air can stale. The mountains become imposing rather than awe-inspiring, the long winters are almost always a test of sanity. If bigger cities sacrifice nature for a wider spread of culture and voices, the woods are where solitude distracts from bubbling anxiety and fading localism.

Stephen Pierce reminds me of this in the way he points out where the independent cinema used to be as we drive through Northampton in bandmate Gretchen Williams’s car. It’s in his mention later on of a big box store going up in Hadley at the expense of another mom and pop shop closing in town. While Kindling are by no means dour company (even though they jokingly attesting they “were through with sounding fun” after the first demo), it takes a layered kind of love/hate relationship between a band and their surroundings to make a shoegaze album as aggressively present as their upcoming debut, Everywhere Else.

Despite what the layers of menacing guitar and anxiousness of a Kindling record may suggest of its creators, the band are cheerily assembled in their practice space early on a Sunday afternoon.

Williams is behind the kit, leaving her post on guitar and vocals to play the opening of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey”. Co-vocalist/guitarist Pierce comes in, mimicking the original’s chiming guitarwork flawlessly as the rest of the band sets up around them.

Their next album is already graphed out on a whiteboard. Past show flyers are framed in a Christmas light shrine. The studio where both Everywhere Else and the next album will be recorded is a couple doors down. Kindling’s operation is concentrated, but intentional given the five-piece have been involved in each other’s lives and bands long before this band was even a thought.

“I was the last in a long line of bassists for the band The Last Forty Seconds, which is how I met Andy [Skelly, drummer],” Pierce recalls. “Yep, Stephen was maybe number seven or eight at that point,” Skelly adds. “He lasted longer than any of the others though.”

“I think there’s still a restlessness in our lyrics and their delivery. It’s not like we’re floating away… restlessness just fits us better.”

Upon The Last Forty Seconds’ eventual dissolution, Skelly and Pierce formed a handful of bands separately, but found regional notoriety together when joining revered Northampton screamo outfit Ampere. The four piece, rounded out by scene veterans Will Killingsworth and Meghan Minior, amassed a legion of fans and toured internationally, but Pierce still had an itch to defy his hardcore background.

“I think I just wanted to play some Superchunk-y guitar parts and just fart out songs like Guided by Voices does. Like, every half thought, for better or for worse,” Pierce recalled. “I had never not played in a hardcore band, so it was about trying to figure out how to write music that isn’t outwardly angsty or aggressive, that has more of a vibe to it.”

Upon briefly moving to Cambridge, Pierce met guitarist and singer Gretchen Williams. “It was winter and I just recorded this shitty pop song, like a minute-and-a-half, three chord song,” Pierce recalls. “Stephen asked me to sing on it and I had never sang in a band that had formally played any shows,” Williams says. “Like, never anything that got to this level.”

In a spurt of Robert Pollard-esque inspiration, the duo wrote and recorded nine songs in a little over two weeks, releasing the Spare Room demo as Kindling in February of 2014. Room is as intimate, but spacey as its name would suggest, tucking its bedroom power-pop under a blanket of distortion in a style the duo affectionately call “throwaway pop”. Even then, both Pierce and Williams began recognizing their shoegaze tendencies as the subgenre was entering its revival phase. Pierce joked that he “doesn’t want to be a guided tour of his pedal board” by identifying as a shoegaze band, but more than that, Kindling doesn’t necessarily want to be pigeonholed as a band doing, as Pierce refers to it, “My Bloody Valentine’s thing.”

“It’s not inaccurate, obviously. I heard Loveless when I was still solely into punk and hardcore and I couldn’t imagine a guitar could make those noises. I’ve spent pretty much my entire adult life with that record, so its influence would be hard to sidestep. At the same time though, I think their more song-driven stuff on the You Made Me Realize EP was more of a jumping-off point when we started playing together as a full band. There’s, like, a certain danger to those songs that we looked to.”

As Pierce and Williams decided to let Kindling out of its spare bedroom, the duo sought a band of trusted friends that would understand Pierce’s shift away from hardcore. Andy Skelly was the only choice for drummer because, according to Pierce, “he just plays the shit I have in my head.” A handful of bassists and guitarists rotated in until the band settled on Aaron Snow of prolific ambient pop act Landing and Grist’s Jeff Stevens, who, in standard Kindling fashion, was found a few doors down from them.

“Grist was neighbors with them at [our practice space] Sonelab, so we just stopped in on each other’s spaces all the time,” Stevens says. “I joined days before we went down to Florida for Fest and I remember being nervous because, like, we had only hung out before and being on the road with a band’s a whole different thing than just hanging out. It was just very fun and very positive though; it felt like where I wanted to be.”

Continue reading →

Hil Holla’s “Outside Providence” Now Available

Posted on 08/08/2016 by Casey Walker

Providence artist Hil Holla‘s mixtape Outside Providence is now available to stream and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. The rapper’s May release has been lauded as one of the top releases out of the Providence scene this year. Availability on the popular music platforms comes as a welcome addition for fans who want to purchase the tracks and listen offline.

Outside Providence is Hil Holla’s debut project. You can view the digital booklet for the tape here.

Allston Pudding Presents Elvis Depressedly and Teen Suicide

Posted on 08/06/2016 by Christine Varriale

By Christine Varriale

tbt to when Matthew Lee Cothran of Elvis Depressedly sang “no more sad songs” off of 2015’s New Alhambra, yet thankfully for us, him and bandmate Delaney Mills have not stopped. Their well-crafted sad pop songs are a staple of local label Run For Cover Records, and we’re excited to present them at ONCE with label mates Teen Suicide.

<a href="http://elvisdepressedly.bandcamp.com/album/new-alhambra">new alhambra by elvis depressedly</a>

Teen Suicide has been around for what feels like forever at this point. Their powerful, dark brand of punk will make for an exciting middle set for the show. We saw them at ONCE two years back, and we’re excited to bring them back to the venue for another show.

<a href="http://teensuicide.bandcamp.com/album/its-the-big-joyous-celebration-lets-stir-the-honeypot">It’s the Big Joyous Celebration, Let’s Stir the Honeypot by teen suicide</a>

First up for the evening is Nicole Dollanganger, an act not to be missed. She has been weaving beautiful pop music out with a work ethic I wish I also possessed. Combine the gothic aesthetics of Angel Olsen circa Burn Your Fire for No Witness with angelic beauty, and you get Dollanganger’s strange and eloquent music.

<a href="http://nicoledollanganger.bandcamp.com/album/natural-born-losers">Natural Born Losers by Nicole Dollanganger</a>

Make sure to RSVP on our Facebook event and purchase tickets for the show ahead of time. There is a high chance that this will sell out.

Elvis Depressedly, Teen Suicide and Nicole Dollanganger

ONCE Ballroom
156 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02143
Doors at 7:30 | All Ages | $13 adv, $16 dos

Norah Jones Announces New Album & Tour, Releases Video

Posted on 08/05/2016 by Harry Gustafson

By Harry Gustafson

Photo Courtesy of norahjones.com

Fans of Grammy Award-winner Norah Jones woke up to a lot of exciting news today, as the singer-songwriter set an October 7th release date for her new album Day Breaks, which will see her return to the piano roots that first popularized her in 2002 with songs like “Don’t Know Why” and “Come Away With Me.” The album will feature 9 original tracks and 3 covers of songs originally written by Neil Young, Duke Ellington, and Horace Silver. It will be released under the classic American jazz label Blue Note and will feature renowned musicians like saxophonist Wayne Shorter and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith.

On Wednesday, Jones released the dates of her upcoming tour, during which she will perform 25 shows in the U.S. and Europe. Among these is an December 10th performance at Boston’s Orpheum Theater, which will be the tour’s final show. While the fan presale is currently underway, the general public sale will start on Friday, August 12th at 10:00 AM.

To top it all off, she also released a video for the album’s first single, “Carry On,” a lovely, slow piano ballad that implores, “Let’s just forget, leave it behind, and carry on.” The video depicts Jones singing and playing piano while over her shoulder, an older couple dances romantically in the kitchen. Watch the video below.

Norah Jones Day Breaks Tour Dates

Aug. 10 – Denver, CO., Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Aug. 11 – Boulder, CO., Fox Theatre & Cafe

Sep. 23 – Denton, TX., Oaktopia

Oct. 18 – Vancouver, BC., Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Oct. 19 – Seattle, WA., Benaroya Hall

Oct. 20 – Portland, OR., Keller Auditorium

Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA., Greek Theatre

Oct. 27 – Santa Barbara, CA., Santa Barbara Bowl

Oct. 28 – Oakland, CA., Paramount Theatre

Nov. 8 – Milan, Italy, Teatro degli Arcimboldi

Nov. 9 – Padua, Italy, Gran Teatro Geox

Nov. 11 – Lyon, France, L’Amphitheatre

Nov. 12 – Lille, France, Theatre Sebastopol

Nov. 14 – London, England, London Palladium

Nov. 15 – Paris, France, Salle Pleyel

Nov. 16 – Bordeaux, France, Theatre Femina

Nov. 18 – Madrid, Spain, Auditorio A – Palacio Municipal de Congresos Campo

Nov. 21 – Paris, France, L’Olympia

Nov. 28 – Kingston, NY., Ulster PAC

Nov. 29 – New York, NY., Beacon Theatre

Dec. 2 – Philadelphia, PA., Academy of Music

Dec. 3 – Washington, DC., Lincoln Theatre

Dec. 8 – Providence, RI., The VETS

Dec. 9 – Portland, ME., State Theatre

Dec. 10 – Boston, MA., Orpheum Theatre

REVIEW: Dreambush releases debut EP, Butch Magic

Posted on 08/05/2016 by Jackie Swisshelm

by Jackie Swisshelm

With just four short tracks on their debut release, Dreambush (MD) is shredding, skulking, and slaying their way onto the DIY scene. Perfectly titled Butch Magic, the trio’s mesmerizing indiepop EP is equal parts harsh and delicate, sarcastic and sweet.

“I think I’m more of a Libra / when my head’s down in your lap,” groans Morgan Spaner (Princess Reason, Sugarpuss) on opening track “Más Que a Tu Mano.” While the guitar-work on this track is a sinister, almost anxiety-inducing repetition of a couple notes, Spaner’s voice comes in with all the snark and squeak of Guerilla Toss‘s Kassie Carlson, and the smart lyrical insurgence of Steph Knipe (Adult Mom) before harmonies from vocalist/bassist/guitarist Emily W. push the track into dreamier soundscapes.

Dreamier still are Emily’s backups on “Sad & Rad” and “Freezing Spell,” where Spaner takes the lead with yelping, vulnerable vocals that almost delve into a slacker rock sound, precisely sung along scaling guitar and bass. Meanwhile, Shanti Flagg’s steady, deliberate drum-work brings these songs home. Especially on the slow, sultry tune “French Song,” Flagg’s restrained percussion is essential, pushing idly on below Wagner’s faux-français ballad.

Though not yet totally cohesive, the interchanging vocalists’ sounds work together on these four tracks, and certainly set a precedent for the Baltimore band’s future releases– not to mention how totally sick it is to see queer women and PoC indulging themselves to some success in the DIY scene. Boston, take note.

The trio has already appeared on the same bills as Mass bands Paper Bee and Loone, among others more familiar to their respective region (i.e. The Hartford Pussies and EunB1), so it’s only a matter of time before this band expands their sound, and perhaps even tours the East Coast. But, we can only hope.

Listen to Dreambush’s Butch Magic, out 07/26, below.

<a href="http://dreambush.bandcamp.com/album/butch-magic">Butch Magic by Dreambush</a>

Review + Photos: Newport Folk Fest 2016

Posted on 08/05/2016 by Jeremy Stanley

By Jeremy Stanley
Photos By Corwin Wickersham

Newport Folk Festival continues to be a small wonder. Capped at just 10,000 tickets per day, it has consistently sold out in recent years – even before the lineup is announced. This year, despite the heat (from the sun, as well as the giant AEG Live-owned Panorama an Amtrak ride away), it remained as remarkable as it ever has been.

Heat aside, this year’s lineup was its most eclectic yet. The mix of headliners is evidence enough: Flight of the Conchords had people in the aisles doubling over in laughter fits. Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie’s brand of wit was the perfect fit for the festival’s first day. It brought out a lot of joy for fans of the HBO cult classic. Perhaps families might disagree with this sentiment: A common sight during the early moments of the set were parents with small children seeming to run an evacuation drill.

Listen, I get it. No one should ever subject their child to hearing a bunch of scary New Zealanders say the phrase “mother ‘uckers” or sing about scheduling sex and subsequently prematurely ejaculating. Or a song about seagulls, called “Seagulls,” which had its own meta-commentary. Too risqué. Too risky. No parent in their right mind would want to have a conversation with their child. About anything.

Saturday’s headliner was the legendary Patti Smith and her band. It was righteous and defiant and unpredictable. In a time of political and societal turbulence, Patti Smith had an urgent message for the folk faithful, at the end of a cover of the Who’s “My Generation.” “This is the only fucking weapon we need!” she said, holding up her Fender Stratocaster. “Don’t give up. Love one another, motherfuckers!” Newport Folk is no stranger to the protest song or call to action, and this year Smith’s message felt prescient. It’s a simple message: Music can fuel a movement. We need that reminder, sometimes. But perhaps 2016 could use the forceful message more than recent history.

Alabama Shakes had the honor of closing out the festival on Sunday, returning to the fort to deliver folk rock brilliance. Perhaps the band’s best run in the set was the trio of “Gimme All Your Love,” “I Don’t Wanna Fight No More” and “Sound & Color.” It was great to see Brittany Howard and her band deliver a great set. When Dawes joined for a cover of Bob Seeger’s “Night Moves” to close out the festival, that was just icing on the cake.

But the headlining acts are merely finales. Each day’s performances were full of surprises. Let’s go day-by-day:

Friday highlights

The Staves were a highlight of Friday’s performances. The band’s three-part harmonies played well to the Fort Stage’s crowd. Just after that set was the energetic St. Paul and the Broken Bones, playing tracks off their debut and teasing new songs from their forthcoming record.

Ray LaMontagne’s set served as a warmup for Flight of the Conchords, with members of My Morning Jacket filing in as the backing band. My Morning Jacket has made a habit of serving as the backing band for Newport Folk artists – just last year the band played a set and then played a full set with Roger Waters. A Newport Folk residency backing rock and folk legends is a good gig for any band, and MJJ serves that unofficial role well.

Earlier in the day, debut performances from Basia Bulat and Raury delivered heavily on their respective hype. Bulat’s performance was sweet without being too sweet; Raury’s was infectious and entertaining.

Saturday highlights

Saturday delivered a wide range of performances and Banditos on the Quad Stage early was a great kickoff. Mary Beth Richardson on vocals gave the set an impressive edge to it. Meanwhile, Rayland Baxter and his band gave a performance that mixed psychedelic with folk.

Ruby Amanfu was a revelation. Her voice and lyricism, along with the backing band that included members of Deer Tick, created a sound that was arresting. It was well worth inching to the front of a shady spot to the side of the stage, then inching back as the midday sun slowly eliminated the shade.

Later in the day, Frightened Rabbit played a set that seemed to be years in the making. It is a shame the Scotland-based act wasn’t booked right on the heels of 2008’s Midnight Organ Fight, but it is most certainly better late than never. Entertaining frontman Scott Hutchison joked that his band was a folk band once, but “then we discovered electricity.” The band earned multiple standing ovations, plugged in and all.

Father John Misty, coming off a widely publicized speech in front of a battleship, played a set that was challenging and humorous. His set served as an interesting contrast to Patti Smith’s that was to come. He made no secret of him feeling absolutely depressed about the “coronation of the Idiot King,” while acknowledging he was playing incredibly downtempo versions of his songs. While Father John Misty felt helpless, Smith’s set was fiery and impassioned. They’re both important messages.

Sunday highlights

Sunday saved some of the best for last. The weekend’s best set might as well go to Julien Baker, who performed on Sunday. The music and the lyrics moved through the quad stage area and hung over the hushed crowd. The emotional weight was palpable, evoking tears from many crowd members. A true reward for those sitting in the tent, who had to bear witness to the previous band singing about holding banjos in the air, despite… not having banjos. Anyway!

River Whyless had a captivating set to start off the day. The four piece band made songs to daydream to; the songs are less like songs and more like universes to get lost in. “Widows Walk” was a standout song from the set.

Ireland’s Conor O’Brien and his band, Villagers, played an intoxicating set of new versions of songs. “Nothing Arrived” kept the spirit of the album version, but transformed it with a new arrangement. Later, O’Brien served as an interview guest for NPR’s Bob Boilen in a promotion for Boilen’s book, Your Song Changed My Life. O’Brien’s song of choice was Radiohead’s “No Surprises” and played an incredible cover of the song.

Later in the day Phil Cook’s Southland Revue performance brought together the Blind Boys of Alabama and Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath for one of the most unique performances of the weekend. There were some great moments, but one standout was Meath’s leading vocals on a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” It was a set to get lost in, so lost that one could only make it back in time for Elvis Costello’s star-studded finale, featuring O’Brien and the folk supergroup Middle Brother.

The heat

It was hot at Fort Adams State Park. For this writer, it meant less running around to try and catch more artists for less time, and more full sets. It also meant more FOMO and an extra bottle of aloe vera, and about 10 refills of a water bottle per day.

With the weather being so harsh, it was surprising that there seemed to be only one notable instance of bad luck – Brett Dennen’s set on Friday was mired in technical difficulties with a dead soundboard (it’s unclear if the heat had anything to do with this, however). Dennen opted to play solo acoustic while technicians scrambled for replacement equipment.

There is a lot of talk about the festival bubble starting to burst, with many major festivals either closing down or suffering steep attendance drops. Many independent festivals have gone corporate in the face of mounting competition: Boston Calling was snatched up by MSG Live and Governor’s Ball is now a Live Nation production. Panorama, held the same weekend in NYC, is an AEG Live production. By all accounts, tickets didn’t sell too well – and Michael Nelson of Stereogum sums up the NYC drama well.

These are major, or aspiring to be major music festivals. So, should Newport Folk, which has a smaller capacity, be worried that the bubble collapse will adversely impact it? In a word, no. The festival, headed by Jay Sweet, has a winning formula – and nothing this year should keep people away next year. The three-day festival will go on sale and sell out completely in five months’ time, before a single artist is announced.

And that’s the way it should be. Newport Folk has a legacy to uphold, and its lean footprint and huge bookings make it a hot ticket.

Final thoughts

For me, Newport Folk is a year-round obsession for me. I jump back and listen to archived sets on NPR all the time. I think about who could possibly be a splashy headliner next year. I think about who should make their introduction to the Newport faithful (Mitski! Rick from Pile! Mutual Benefit!)

I’ve tried to explain it to acquaintances, and colleagues and have come up short. The incredible bookings, the music, the communal feel of the festival doesn’t really sum it all up. It’s kind of this innate connection to something.

I brought my partner to the festival for the first time. When the dust had settled after Alabama Shakes closed out their set, we started to pack up our stuff.

She turned to me and said: “I get why you keep coming back every year. Because I don’t want to leave.”