Some 43 years ago, Bob Dylan shocked Newport by sledding electric. Yesterday, as the rains hit hard and furiously at the Newport Folk Festival, it was a monumental electric index outage that provided the surprise. But with author power on the 2 main stages, the express, amazingly, went on.
The folks were plentiful - over 7,five hundred attended - even if the tribe music was sometimes hard to rule at this revamped, revitalised fest.
Who was folky and who was not? That was a surprisingly surd question to answer.
Phish�s Trey Anastasio, one of the day�s least folky performers in hypothesis, was the only act to play unplugged and solo. He sounded as gentle as a mountain dulcimer. The crowd of Phish-heads mouthing his every lyric was hardly reacting to his simply strummed, acoustic advance, though. It was Anastasio�s cult-like condition that was paramount here. The only way Phish fans power be disappointed with his generous set? Anyone expecting electric guitar improvisations.
Steve Earle, meanwhile, unitary of the day�s near rootsy acts, actually used an electronic beatbox to augment his acoustic guitar. Since the folk purists have long ago been weaned from this festival�s fan base, no one was offended. Earle�s wife, Allison Moorer, joined him. The Earle set ranged from the politically incisive (�Christmas in Washington�) to the lyrically insipid (�City of Immigrants�).
Just like his dad, Bob, Jakob Dylan wore a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and a stubble beard. His band could have easily been employed by Bob, too. �In case you were speculative, my guitar is acoustic, but plugged in,�Dylan joked. His arenaceous voice is more tuneful than Bob�s, butJakob�s lightweight approach was merely likeable.
Among the strongest sets:Richie Havens, Jim James and the headlining Black Crowes. The Crowes played 90 proceedings of solid, swampy rock, giving jam-band fans some long, torture improvs. Cat Power was sane of temperament and supple of voice, backed by a band that sounded like classic turn down Manhattan tilt. No act went out of their way to fit the definition of a folk festival.
Actually, the name of this event is its only helplessness. Drop the word �folk� and the rootsy, acoustic expectations, and you�d have a finish artistic success. Rain, mud and all.
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