Newport Folk Festival 2015: Day 2

Saturday, July 25, 2015 -- Newport, RI

Day two of the Newport Folk Festival kicked off with a rousing set by The Suffers. They really got the crowd going at the Fort Stage.

I dashed off to catch a bit of the Spirit Family Reunion before walking around. I stopped by the big wooden FOLK lettering and manned several mobile phones for people who wanted to have their photos taken with it. I stopped by the Late July tent where the Ghosts of Paul Revere were just starting before I headed off for a little break.

It was then off to the Fort Stage for a bit of The Barr Brothers. I seem to remember them starting late due to some technical issues.

I made my way over to the Quad to catch Traveller…Jonny Fritz, Robert Ellis and Cory Chisel.  This is your new favorite band, seriously.  "Hummingbird" is still stuck in my head and I don't mind one bit.  I reluctantly missed the end of their set to catch another band I wanted to see.

I just made it over to the Harbor Stage in time to grab a few photos of Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear and hear a few tunes before heading over to the Fort Stage to catch some of Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn.

Next up, Langhorne Slim on the Quad. If you haven't seen Slim and his band, you should, they're a world of fun. My camera had one heck of a time keeping up with Langhorne!  Then about four songs in, he took to the audience. Anyone who wasn't already into the set sure was after that.

My next stop was over to the Harbor Stage to catch Nikki Lane whose set was as fun as her outfit. Then it was off to the Fort Stage to catch Jason Isbell whose set was tight.

I made it over to catch some of Courtney Barnett who has been getting a lot of hype. I wasn't as into her as the rest of the crowd was but I did like her better live than on record.

It was then off to the Fort Stage for the days "Unannounced" set. Just like the previous day, everyone already knew who it was. James Taylor took the stage. His appearance back in the day was interrupted by the moon landing so he came to finish it. Yeah, sure he's been back to Newport between then and now but hey, the story sounded good.  Sadly, there were sound problems which had cropped up earlier in the day but didn't detour Sweet Baby James. While there was a lot of "new blood" at the festival, Taylor and fellow legend Roger Waters were probably the two most talked about sets amongst the audience members I encountered over the weekend.

After taking a little break, I went back to the Fort Stage to catch Sufjan Stevens. Some ladies along the front barrier swooned. I'm not much into him but the few tunes I caught were solid and the swooning ladies were probably glad to have one less photographer in front of them.

Since everything on the Fort Stage was running late, I nearly missed getting photos of Jose Gonzalez. I love his work but I only stuck around for a little bit of his set…so much to see and hear!

My next stop was the Quad where Brandi Carlile closed out that stage for the day.  She rocked a highly enjoyable set leaving a very satisfied crowd.

The Decemberists closed out the day on the Fort Stage. 

Check out more photos in the slideshow below or see the photo album HERE. 

Newport Folk Festival 2015: Day 1

Friday, July 24, 2015 -- Newport, RI

What would summer be without a music festival or two? My camera and I once again spent the weekend at scenic Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI for the 2015 Newport Folk Festival.  This is what day one looked like.

The day kicked off with the New Breed Brass Band playing some tunes at the gate while the crowd waited for the gates to open.

I made my first visit to the Harbor Stage to catch some of Haunt The House.

 

Then, It was off to the Quad stage to catch a bit of The Goodbye Girls. With so much to check out, I was off to another stage after a few songs.

Next, I made my way to the Fort Stage where the New Breed Brass Band played a lively set.

Already, that's a fair amount of music but this was only just the first hour!

I dashed over to catch some of Joe Pug's set on the Harbor Stage before making my way back to Quad for a bit of Bahamas before I had a short break.

Up next I caught a few songs from Elephant Revival on the Fort Stage before dashing off to see what Angel Olsen was all about on the Harbor Stage.

The day is only half way done!  Next I headed to the Quad to check out Leon Bridges who has been getting lots of hype and comparisons to Sam Cooke. He was good, worked up a sweat and the crowd loved him. I hate when people are really hyped because I always walk away feeling a little underwhelmed even though I enjoyed it well enough.

My next stop was the Fort Stage to catch The Lone Bellow. While I enjoyed their previous appearance at the festival, this time they really upped their game. They were on-point. They were joined by The New Breed Brass Band for a couple of songs, Sarah Watkins joined them for a bit as did Leon Bridges. They did a nice cover of "When Will I Be Loved" with Lucius, who popped up lending their vocal talents.

 

Up next was a trip to the Quad for Calexico before taking a break.

 

After my break, I headed to the Fort Stage to catch some of Tallest Man On Earth before running off to catch Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell. I'm not the biggest Iron & Wine fan and had only heard a little bit of Ben Bridwell so I figured I'd catch a few songs and move on. I found myself staying for more of their set than I initially planned.  Well done fellas.

 

I made my way over to the Harbor Stage to catch that stages last act of the day Heartless Bastards.

I soon dashed off to catch the weekends "Unannounced" main stage act. By that point, the audience had already figured out who it was and appeared seemingly en masse and packed themselves in for My Morning Jacket who did what they are known to do and was joined by Lucius for a bit.

I made a quick trip to the Quad to catch some of that stage's headliners the Watkins Family Hour which included Fiona Apple who was properly and satisfyingly dramatic.  

The day ended with rock legend Roger Waters closing out the the day with My Morning Jacket and GE Smith backing him.  Of course, the rain decided to join in on the festivities but, at least it was mild! Sara Watkins and Amy Helm joined him for a couple of songs.  I've never been much of a Pink Floyd or Roger Waters fan but he did "Wish You Were Here" one of my favorite songs and that's all I wanted and needed.

Check out more photos in the slideshow below or see the photo album HERE. 

Newport Jazz Festival 2015 Schedule

It's that time of year again…time to get your jazz on! The Newport Jazz Festival is happening this weekend and there's lots of musical goodness taking place over the weekend.  Tickets are still available here.

Check out the schedule below. For printer friendly versions click the images to enlarge or go to the festivals website to plan your weekend or, you can download their new app at iTunes for iPhone's and Google Play for Android's.

Newport Folk Festival 2015 Schedule

Have you planned out your must see sets for this weekends Newport Folk Festival? There's lots of goodness going on to choose from and if you're like me, sample a little bit of everything! For printer friendly versions of the schedule click the image to enlarge or go to the festivals website. You can also download the handy app from your phones app store.

Yuna To Play Rough Trade NYC, October 21

Singer-songwriter Yuna will be returning to New York for a show at Rough Trade NYC on October 21. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, July 24 at NOON. See below for more details. If you haven't had a chance to catch her live, I suggest you grab some tickets and go.

Yuna

Wednesday, October 21

Rough Trade NYC

64 N 9th Street

Brooklyn, NY

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM

Tickets: $25 adv / $30 dos

21+

Upcoming: R. Ring at The Bell House, 7/31

R. Ring (Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery) are hitting the road later this summer. They will be making a stop in New York, over in Brooklyn at The Bell House on Friday, July 31, see below for more details.

R. Ring will release a 7" split single "Singing Tower" / "A Tip to Trick the Tide" with Quailbones on July 7 on vinyl and digital via Sofaburn Records.

R. Ring

Steve Shiffman And The Land Of No

Friday, July 31

The Bell House

149 7th Street

Brooklyn, New York

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM

Tickets: $12 - $15

21+

R. RING'S RAD, WHITE & BLUE 2015 SUMMER TOUR DATES

• 7/25 - Detroit, MI - BFF Fest
• 7/26 - Youngstown, OH - Suzie's Dogs & Drafts
• 7/27 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas (w/special guest the Dead Milkmen's Joe Jack Talcum)
• 7/28 - Allston, MA - O'Brien's
• 7/29 - New Haven, CT - BAR
• 7/30 - Kingston, NY - BSP Kingston
• 7/31 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
• 8/01 - Washington, DC - Sixth and I
• 8/02 - Pittsburgh, PA - James St Speakeasy

Video of the Day: Cut Out Club - "Dead Club Med"

Check out this clip from the Cut Out Club.  The video is for the song, "Dead Club Med" and was created by Glendon & Izabela.  The track is from their upcoming self-titled album.

Upcoming: Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers at Bowery Ballroom, 8/28

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers released their Brian Deck produced album, Loved Wild Lost, this past April.  If you're hankering to see them live, they will be embarking on a North American tour beginning July 3. Bluhm and her Gramblers will be making a stop in New York at The Bowery Ballroom on Friday, August 28. See below for more details and additional tour dates.

Check out the video for the track "Waiting On Love".  The clip was directed by Todd Hurvitz.

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers

Andrew Combs

Friday, August 28

The Bowery Ballroom

6 Delancey St

New York, NY

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM

Tickets: $20

21+

North American Tour Dates

• JUL 03 | Quincy, CA | High Sierra Music Festival
• JUL 11 | Felton, CA | Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival
• JUL 12 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Seven Sisters Festival
• JUL 18 | North Plains, OR | Northwest String Summit
• JUL 19 | Beaver, UT | Roots of the Rock Revival
• JUL 23-24 | Floyd, VA | Floyd Fest 
• AUG 08 | Portland, ME | Portland Lights Music Festival
• AUG 13 | Victor, ID | Music on Main
• AUG 15 | Lyons, CO | Folks Festival
• AUG 17 | Omaha, NE | Reverb Lounge
• AUG 19 | Minneapolis, MN | The Cedar *
• AUG 20 | Madison, WI | Majestic %
• AUG 21 | Milwaukee, WI | Shank Hall *
• AUG 22 | Chicago, IL | Lincoln Hall *
• AUG 25 | Fairfield, CT | Stage One *
• AUG 26 | Pawling, NY | Daryl's House *
• AUG 27 | Cambridge, MA | The Sinclair *
• AUG 28 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom *
• AUG 29 | Philadelphia, PA | World Cafe Live *
• AUG 30 | Washington, DC | The Hamilton *
• SEP 01 | Charlottesville, VA | The Southern ^
• SEP 02 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle ^
• SEP 03 | Atlanta, GA | Terminal West ^
• SEP 04 | Charleston, SC | Pourhouse
• SEP 05 | St. Augustine, FL | St. Augustine's 450th Anniversary %
• SEP 09 | Albuquerque, NM | Launchpad
• SEP 11 | Phoenix, AZ | Valley Bar
• SEP 18 | Del Mar, CA | Kaaboo Festival
• SEP 19 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour
• SEP 20 | Coloma, CA | American River Festival

* - w/ Andrew Combs
% - w/ JJ Grey & Mofro
^ - w/ John Moreland

TONIGHT: Foam Ropes at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2

In celebration of the release of their self-titled album, Foam Ropes will be performing at  Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, TONIGHT, Tuesday, June 16. See below for full details.

Foam Ropes

Tuesday, June 16

Rockwood Music Hall

196 Allen Street

New York, NY

11:30 PM

Free

21+

One Drink Minimum

Video of the Day: Imagine Dragons - "Shots (Broiler Remix)"

Imagine Dragons released their latest video, "Shots (Broiler Remix)" a couple of weeks ago. I finally got a few moments to check it out and share it. Check the Matt Eastin directed video below.