Festival Recap: Newport Day Two
Words by Elizabeth Munn
Photos by Mae Krell
Ready for Day Two of Newport Folk to begin (despite running a little later than we were on Friday), we beelined for the Harbor Stage to catch what we could of Oklahoma-native Ken Pomeroy's 11 AM set. Laying out the thrifted quilt that's been glued to my side all weekend, we applied sunscreen to our already reddening skin and listened to Pomeroy perform a lineup of songs from her newest album, Cruel Joke, released this past May.
One song near the end of the set not featured on Pomeroy's last album was "Bound to Rain," which is yet to be released. "Bound to Rain" will appear on the upcoming series The Lowdown. Pomeroy revealed she will also be making her acting debut in the FX show, which is set to premier in September.
Diana Silvers at Newport Folk’s Bike Stage, Photo by Mae Krell
Our next set of the day was actress and model Diana Silvers, who was scheduled on the Bike Stage around noon. This was one artist I was really intrigued to see, not knowing what to expect. I've followed Silvers on Instagram for a while (being a big fan of the movie Booksmart and her artsy online posts), but I didn't realize she was launching a singer/songwriter career until I saw the Newport announcement. She doesn't have any music released yet, and this performance was not only her Newport debut, but her first live show ever.
Anaïs Mitchell of Bonny Light Horseman at Newport Folk’s Fort Stage, Photo by Mae Krell
What a lovely surprise to find that Silvers and Newport were a match made in folk music heaven. Silvers and her guitarist Paul Spring wowed the audience with a string of unreleased original songs as well as a cover of "California" by Joni Mitchell (not an easy feat). It felt like Silvers was channeling Joni throughout the set, not just during "California," with her soft voice and down-to-earth lyricism. She even looked the part of a 60s folk singer in her long sleeve prairie dress and leather knee high boots.
One particular highlight in Silvers' set was "Politician," which she wrote after what she likes to call "the big bastardly bill" was passed. "Waving his flag / With his dick in his hands / No he won't ever understand / what it means to be a real man." Silvers’ lyrics were met with applause and woops from the audience.
Before heading to the next set, I just had to ask Diana Silvers when she will be releasing music. She let me know it's going to be real soon, as in a couple weeks from now sort of soon. So keep a lookout; I know I will be.
Trekking over to the Fort Stage, we spied a decent spot to lay out our blanket for Bonny Light Horseman. The folk trio emerged in the midst of Covid with their debut eponymous album, releasing a new album every two years since.
The band played a good mix of songs from all three of their projects, from their first album's namesake song to Rolling Golden Holy's "California." A special moment during the set occurred when the trio played "Rock the Cradle," teaching the audience the chorus to sing along with them. All around me I heard the folk sing "I'll rock the cradle Annie / I'll rock the cradle on / I'll rock the cradle Annie / and keep the babies warm."
Before launching into "Exile," the group joked, "Fun fact: this will be the first banjo ever played at Newport Folk Festival," garnering lots of laughs from the audience.
As the set went on, the standing area in front of the Fort Stage continued to fill, but I chose to lay out along the green, close my eyes, and listen to some good, classic folk music until my stomach began to growl.
Mon Rovîa at Newport Folk’s Harbor Stage, Photo by Mae Krell
To fuel up for the next set, I grabbed a couple veggie tacos from the Little Fish food truck (which I'm still thinking about days later) and a platter of fries from Twin Beaks, for good measure.
Munching on some fries, we settled in at the Harbor Stage for Mon Rovîa. Janjay Lowe, who goes by the stage name Mon Rovîa, is an artist with a truly inspiring background. Born in Liberia, he was adopted and relocated by Christian missionaries at just seven years old during the country's civil war.
Before going into "To Watch The World Spin Without You," Lowe revealed how his background still impacts him from time to time. What has helped him deal with the lingering effects of his past is the community he has fostered. You can feel the importance of community in the song's closing lyrics, "So if you're stuck in a memory / Wishing then was now / Know you can call me / And I'll be around." Mon Rovîa's lyricism encourages hope and togetherness in light of whatever you might be going through. This sentiment was echoed in "Cleopatra," which Lowe paired with a message to the audience, thanking everyone who has struggled with their mental health for choosing to stick around.
Later in the set, Mon Rovîa showed his political side with songs such as "Heavy Foot," before inviting special guest Jesse Welles to the stage for his last song.
After Mon Rovîa, I hung around the Harbor Stage to hold our spot for Iron & Wine. Before Samuel Beam took the stage, the audience was led by Newport’s overall producer, Jay Sweet, to sing "Happy Birthday" to the artist as a surprise. Freshly fifty-one years old, Beam appeared in a blue suit and his signature long greying beard alongside Beth Goodfellow, his percussionist.
While starting with an Iron & Wine classic "On Your Wings," most of the set was dedicated to his more recent music from the 2024 album Light Verse.
Waxahatchee at Newport Folk’s Fort Stage, Photo by Mae Krell
Folk Supergroup I'm With Her hopped on to the Harbor Stage a few hours early to join Iron & Wine for the last couple songs of the set as well.
Next up was Waxahatchee at the Fort Stage, one of my most anticipated artists of the day. I knew it was going to be a fun set when Katie Crutchfield's walk-in music was set to Dolly Parton (living Saint and Queen of Country). The Newport returnee oozed cool girl energy topped off with a Southern accent as she took the stage in sunglasses, sparkly silver and black hot pants, and a red football jersey reminiscent of her home state’s biggest team. As a fellow Alabama native, all I could think of when I saw her was...Roll Tide, baby.
About halfway through the set MJ Lenderman joined Waxahatchee to play my favorite of the show, "Right Back To It." Lenderman stuck around to help out on a few others from Waxahatchee's most recent project Tiger's Blood.
After a cover of Kathleen Edwards’, "Six O’Clock News," I headed back to the Harbor Stage to catch a bit of I'm With Her's set. I arrived right in the middle of the trio singing a folksy acoustic cover of "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter. Following the pop cover, I'm With Her dove into a banjo-heavy tune. The band did John Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Waters" justice with their string-accompanied soft harmonies.
I'm With Her's set on Saturday was their third time here at Newport, having played in 2017 and 2019. I think I speak for everyone at their set when I say I'd love to see the trio back for a fourth year!
Luke Combs at Newport Folk’s Fort Stage, Photo by Mae Krell
Our headliner of the day was the famed country artist Luke Combs. The six-time CMA award winner had a little something special in store for his Newport set. Combs fostered an intimate feeling on the stage, with him and his band taking to stools and acoustic guitars in lieu of their usual high energy, electric-dominated performances. Newport Folk is different from other music festivals. There's a magic to it, and artists like Luke Combs clearly know how to give in to that magic.
Combs and his band laid out a lineup atypical for the singer, including highlights from multiple different albums and a Bob Dylan cover. The set was closed with Combs's iconic cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car."
Day two of Newport Folk Fest is over! After a day of a lot of good music and a lot of sun, I was more than ready to get back to our Airbnb and knock out (but not before stopping for some local New England ice cream at Clementine’s)!