This year's Newport Folk Festival boasted one of the most impressive lineups the event has ever billed, including Tom Morello, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, The Avett Brothers, Iron & Wine and more. IYS was there to see the magic, and show reviews for both Morello and Fleet Foxes are after the break.

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When I first read the lineup for this year’s Newport Folk Festival, I can honestly say that no act really excited me quite as much as Tom Morello. I mean, I was interested in almost all of the bands, but I’ve been a fan of Morello’s for a long time. From his days as guitarist extraordinaire with both Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, to downloading podcasts of his Axis of Justice radio program, which entertained me on many a bus ride to school. I’ve also been enamored of his Nightwatchman project, so much so that I remember the exact day I first listened to his album, One Man Revolution. Taken in conjunction, these factors might explain why I inevitably held his performance to much higher standards than those of the other artists. Read on after the jump.

His show had a personal feel to it, as it was in a small tent and there were less people than I had originally expected. However, this intimacy ultimately made the act more enjoyable and a more thrilling experience for all. Morello kicked off his set with the expected “One Man Revolution”, followed by the title track from his latest album “The Fabled City”, which were executed perfectly, as were all the songs he performed. The thing that really grabbed me about his set though, was not the music so much as his humor and easy-going interactions with the crowd. A very political person, Morello was able to channel his political rage through Springsteen-esque crowd-play, telling stories and getting the audience involved in his songs. With an overwhelmingly liberal audience, it was no surprise to me that Morello was able to act in this way so comfortably; though, with his lively spirit and motto of “whatever it takes,” I don’t think he would’ve cared much if he was playing at the Republican National Convention.

Taking an occasional break from the faster-paced tracks, Morello slowed it down a little when he hit songs like “Saint Isabelle”, which he explained as having been about his Aunt Isabelle, who was physically and mentally disabled, and saw the world through Tom’s eyes, as he sent her postcards and photos as he toured. Tom also debuted a brand new song from his forthcoming Nightwatchman album, a track tentatively titled “Dogs of Tijuana.”

As he began what he intended to be his last song, Tom Morello jested “Since the last time I played here, two years ago, we have a new president, and while I’m as relieved as anybody that we have a man who can read at above a 3rd grade level in the Oval Office, there is still work to be done.” With that said, Tom Morello rolled right into a Woodie Guthrie classic that most anybody who went to elementary school in the United States knows by heart: “This Land Is Your Land.” Tom sang the classic verses, but also interjected a few other verses written by Guthrie, that you may not be so familiar with: “As I went walking I saw a sign there/And on the sign it said "No Trespassing”/But on the other side it didn't say nothing/That side was made for you and me/Nobody living can ever stop me/As I go walking that freedom highway/Nobody living can ever make me turn back/This land was made for you and me/In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple/By the relief office, I'd seen my people/As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking/Is this land made for you and me?”

After that Tom decided to play “Just one more song” and he was able to sedate the lively crowd with his mesmerizing “Rise to Power”, but just when he was wrapping up and taking down his guitar and people were preparing to exit the tent, Tom turned to the audience and said “I feel like I’d be cheating the festival if I didn’t use my full allotted time,” and with that he steamrolled through a rousing rendition of “Maximum Firepower”.

The departure from the Harborside Tent, was a disappointing one for me, but only because an hour didn’t seem like anywhere near enough time for the spectacular show put on by Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, and on this point I'm sure there are many who were in that tent who would agree.

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One of the greatest attractions for many of the attendees of this year’s Newport Folk Festival was the group of Seattle-based indie-folkers, Fleet Foxes. The baroque-pop champions were launched into a sort of superstardom in the world of independent music last year, with the release of their highly acclaimed debut album, Fleet Foxes and their second EP, Sun Giant. The group gained quite the following in that time, and though they have played a good number of shows, the look on frontman Robin Pecknold’s face when he peered out across the screaming crowd on that beautiful Newport day, was a look of unfeigned surprise.

The first moments after Fleet Foxes took the the main stage were filled with mic checks and mic failures, but when those first few words of their song, “Sun Giant” were finally uttered, the crowd’s response was magnificent, and Robin Pecknold once again seemed truly taken aback by their unbridled enthusiasm.
The band went on to play an excellent set that included a healthy mix of songs from the aforementioned EP and full length. The vocals were harmonized perfectly, and the instrumental accompaniment only fueled the audience’s excitement further. But, despite all of the Fleet Foxes fans present, there were still the unlucky few who had not been fortunate enough to hear them before. These onlookers were easily identified, as their mouths were always agape, and many were in a trace-like state of disbelief at what they were hearing. Those who were able to speak through this trance could do nothing but gush about the general awesomeness of what they were beholding. One elderly man standing next to me, and wearing an autographed Pete Seeger shirt, turned and said to his wife, “It sounds just like a symphony! I can’t believe it!”

Robin and his crew took a bit of time in between their songs to tell the crowd how fantastic they were, joking with them too, telling the crowd how awesome they all thought it would be to take a jet-ski to work. They proceeded to dive right into an excellent rendition of “English House,” followed by “Bedouin Dress.”

I caught Pecknold in the private dining area (as he was mixing salt with water, for gargling purposes), we chatted for a few minutes and he explained to me how elated they all were to be playing the 50th anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival. “They just contacted us and asked us if we wanted to play. Of course we immediately said yes, I mean, this is the Newport Folk Festival, and the 50th anniversary at that. It’s legendary! This is such a huge honor for us,” he told me. Robin went on to say that, “When you make a record you should never expect anything, but this wasn’t even in our wildest dreams.”

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a set-time conflict between Iron & Wine and Fleet Foxes, so a portion of people started to mosey their way on over to the Harborside Stage before Fleet Foxes were done. Their loss to say the least, they missed perhaps the best song of the evening; a beautifully executed “Blue Ridge Mountains.” All in all, Fleet Foxes played an excellent set, they used their full allotted time, played a great variety of songs, and really entertained the crowd. I’m truly looking forward to hearing more of them in future.