Cue the dragonflies: Newport Folk Fest returns for its 65th installment

Hozier, Mavis Staples, Joan Baez highlights of the first day of the three-day music festival  

Photos by Emilee Angell | Newport Life

The Newport Folk Festival kicked off its 65th year on Friday, with a day of music that’s come to reflect the festival’s signature style: a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a few legends, some surprises, collaborative sets, new artists mixing with those who have returned for their second or third time, and a smattering of moments that can only be defined as magical.  

Or apocalyptic, depending on how you feel about thousands of dragonflies descending upon the fort, as if on cue, mesmerizing nearly everyone, and stealing the show.  

That’s what happened when the day’s surprise guest – Beck – took to the Quad Stage inside the fort a little after 3 p.m., the dragonflies soon after soaring from there towards the harbor, where Guster was playing on the main Fort Stage. “It’s the plague!” said Ryan Miller, one of the group’s lead singers, followed a few moments later with, “Cue the dragonflies!”  

For the remainder of Guster’s set, hundreds of people could be seen raising their hands in the air, hoping to catch a dragonfly at their fingertips, even if only for a moment and just long enough for a quick photo.  

“This is like a religious experience,” one woman in the crowd said, with awe. 

When Hozier took to the main stage for his closing set later that day, he too spoke of the dragonflies.  

“Good evening, Newport! It is such a joy and an honor to be back on this stage again,” he said to a crowd of thousands, stretching across the fort’s lawn and extending out onto the harbor. “What a beautiful day it is, for so many reasons. Such a gorgeous part of the world,” he said, adding, “There’ s a lot of dragonflies around – a condition for any performance: I must be surrounded by an overwhelming amount of insects,” he joked in his Irish lilt.    

He played many of his early songs, “Jackie and Wilson,” “From Eden,” “Work Song,” along with “Cherry Wine,” which he said was one of the first songs he ever wrote, one he’s been playing for nearly a decade. For that tune, the eight musicians accompanying him onstage exited, and he sang alone in a moment reminiscent of his first visit to the festival in 2014, when he was an up-and-coming Irish musician with only an LP, not yet a full-length album, singing on the Harbor Stage.  

“I repeat myself, but it’s such a joy to be here,” he said, “to be surrounded by so many artists, to be surrounded by the sense of goodwill and community that is so specific to Newport.”  

His new music sounded more expansive and sweeping, and his latest hit, “Too Sweet,” seemed to be the tune most in the crowd loudly sang along to, swaying under the setting sun. For that song, Joan Baez appeared on stage, dancing around, kissing Hozier on the cheek.  

“Oh my goodness, I’ll never get over that. That was such a joy,” Hozier said afterwards. 

He then went on to say that he owed much of his career and his musical influences to legends like Joan and Mavis Staples, who he performed with at the festival in 2019. He spoke of how the American Civil Rights Movement directly impacted events in Ireland, and that movements like that make international waves. He spoke of being in solidarity in the name of peace, and of how those historic movements are connected to current social movements.  

“I’m in favor of a ceasefire and asking to support a ceasefire,” he said, referring to events unfolding in Gaza, a call that received very loud cheers from the thousands gathered around the stage, with some in the crowd waving Palestinian flags and keffiyehs. “I’m for peace and safety and security for every people in that region, and of course that means an end of occupation in Palestine,” he added, encouraging those in attendance to reach out to their representatives and join his call for a ceasefire.  

At this point, the crowd was quiet, still, the spell of levity briefly broken to acknowledge the complexities of the world existing beyond the fort, beyond the moment, beyond the veneer of magic. And then, Hozier launched into “Take Me to Church.”   

For his closing numbers, Hozier was joined on stage by several legends, among them Mavis Staples and Joan Baez, along with Nathaniel Rateliff and Allison Russel, Melissa Cuningham, Kaia Kater, William Prince, and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers. Together, they sang The Band’s “The Weight” (a cover Mavis performed in 2018 in a similarly collaborative style at the festival in 2018).  

They closed with Joan Baez’s “We Shall Overcome,” which Hozier encouraged everyone to join in on. “At a time when it feels like there is so much heat and division, I would love to hear unity,” he said.   

Earlier in the day, Hozier joined Allison Russel on stage, not entirely a surprise as the two have been on tour together.  

“It is a joy to be back on this stage,” Allison told the crowd, who first played the festival in 2019, when she met Hozier. “Dreams and miracles happen here, and I am so grateful we get to return.” She spoke of being homeless at 14 or 15, and not thinking she would live past 18, let alone earn a Grammy, tour the world, or play with legends like Mavis or Joni Mitchell. “If you had told me life could get this good, I wouldn’t have believed you.” 

“All children are our children. Hope is a practice. Love is an action. And it never dies. But it requires courage. It’s a choice,” she mused from the stage, her words poetic, lyrical, poignant. “I believe resilience is our birthright… In particular, I send [this next song, “Persephone”] up and out to Sonya Massey… May we do better for each other seven generations and beyond.” Sonay Massey is the Black woman who was shot by a police officer in her Chicago home earlier this month.  

After that song, she continued her call that all children are our children. “We needed a ceasefire yesterday and the day before and the day before,” she said, also referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a sentiment that elicited loud cheers from the crowd. She remarked that it has become partisan or controversial to believe this, something she doesn’t believe to be true.  

She then launched into “Superlover,” modifying the song lyrics “From Inglewood to Nairobi / We need a super love” to “Palestine, Israel to Tennessee.” As she sang “tears of rage, tears of grief,” she herself was in tears, barely able to finish by the song’s end.  

“Thank you all for drawing this circle of magic and hope and possibility,” she said. “Holiest magic I know is when we come together – it’s an alchemy.” Together, she mused, we become less fearful and more loving. “Music is the mycelial network of humanity.”  

THIS & THAT 

• Rumors about the origins of the dragonflies and even if they were dragonflies swirled about all afternoon. Did Guster set them out on purpose? Was the world ending? Was it a good omen or bad? Were we all hallucinating? It seems most plausible that the crowd experienced a dragonfly migration, which does happen this time of year, as millions of the insects travel from Canada and the northern United States down to the Gulf Coast, Mexico, West Indies and beyond (via Vermont Center for Ecostudies). 

• And then there was the idea that Hozier would be available after the show as a snack – a literal snack. That story he started himself, onstage during his set, when he remarked on the heat and his choice to wear a blazer. Barbeque sauce was hidden inside his jacket, he joked in Irish lilt, at one point pausing to make sure he hadn’t made someone in the crowd uncomfortable. To be sure, more than one fan would likely love the chance to take a bite out of the fame-but-ever-so-humble musician.  

• The Eastern Medicine Singers, an intertribal American Indian Drum Group based of of Providence, led a spiritual circle in the crowd on the main lawn Friday morning, where people joined hands and moved in a circle as they played songs in traditional Algonquian dialects.  

• The Choir School of Newport County joined Allison Russel on stage for a few songs, taking to the stage just after Hozier joined her for one song, a few hours ahead of his closing set.  

• Beck, the surprise guest of the day, received a police escort to the fort following traffic caused by an accident on the bridge. He arrived at his set more casually on a golf cart, albeit later than expected, enough time for a large crowd to gather round the Quad Stage inside the fort. He was announced only as he took the stage, with Jay Sweet shouting, “Ladies and Gentlemen: Beck!” Most of his set was comprised of tributes and covers. “Some of the great history of the music I love happened here in the 50s, 60s,” Beck explained. “We have not rehearsed this,” he added with a laugh. “So, let’s see what happens.” He started with a Bob Dylan tune, “Maggie’s Farm,” and closed with another classic, this time one of his own: “Loser.” (Although it’s fair to say he was more of a winner on Friday).
   
• Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway took to the main stage just after noon, playing more traditional bluegrass music. The five artists stood in a line, one on violin, another on bajo, Molly Tuttle center with her guitar, next to her a standup base and then a mandolin. “Wow, it is so amazing to be back here at the amazing Folk stage,” Molly told the crowd. “I got to sing with Dolly Parton on this stage… one of the highlights of my life.” That experience, she said, was a dream come true. Towards the end of their set, Molly shared a story about being a young child and diagnosed with Alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. “It made me stronger and connected me with everyone,” she said. “I want to send [this next song] out to all the crooked trees.” She then announced a costume change and removed her wig, an act that received rousing applause of support.  
  
  
• During The Black Pumas set, Mavis Staples sat on the stage off to the side, clapping along to the music. In the middle of the set, during an instrumental interlude, the lead singe spent a good minute dancing with the star. She them accompanied the group for their closing number, “Colors,” joining in for the last verse.

• Glitterfox, a group out of Portland, Oregon, was the first act on the Bike Stage, where organizers (members of the band Illiterate Light, who’ve hosted the Bike Stage for a few summers) said they drew the largest crowd for a set that early in the day. The lead singer, Solange Igoa, sang the final tune in Basque, a hit with the crowd, and a marker of her vocal range. A fantastic Folk Fest debut and a band to follow.   

• Bike Newport parked 1,500 bicycles, 300 short of its single day record of 1,800 – which may beat this weekend. A new bike-only lane on Harrison Avenue, beginning at the corner of the corner of Harrison and Brenton Ave., made arriving at Fort Adams State Park a safer and smoother experience. Many cyclists could be heard remarking on how great this was as they arrived at the festival.  

• Sir Woman was the first act on the Quad Stage, marking their return to the festival (last year they played the Bike Stage), their soulful tunes perfect for easing into a day of music. “What a beautiful way to kick-off this festival – this is an honor, truly an honor,” one member said from the stage.  

• As the crowd dispersed for the day and festivalgoers joined lined for ferries, bikes or cars under a dusky pink sky, Jay Sweet took to the stage, his voicing carrying over the field: “Get home safely, and hydrate!”   

• Despite the thousands of people in attendance, Folk Fest remains a local event – it’s impossible not to see familiar faces at every turn, sparking sweaty hugs, quick catchups, and spontaneous set-watching. Of all the different kinds of Folk Family mentioned on stage, the local folk family is perhaps the best.