MUSIC: The Newport Folk Fest Kicks Off At The Blues Cafe
Friday, July 26, 2013
The Rice Cakes helped kick off the legendary Newport Folk Festival last night with an impressive performance.
Christopher Paul Stelling
What I love most about Christopher Paul Stelling is the way his guitar sounds. It looks a tad weathered and rustic but when he strums it the sounds resonate pure beauty. "Flawless Executioner", "Brick x Brick", a rendition of the traditional spiritual "Motherless Child" along with "Who I Am" that had his girlfriend providing backing vocals and "Homesick Tributaries" that went completely unplugged with the audience singing along were my favorite parts of Christopher's performance. You got get his new album False Cities and next time you hear about Christopher Paul Stelling playing your favorite music venue you better go, he's one of those singer-songwriters who brings the entire energy of a band by himself when he performs.
Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons
You already know by my interview with Joe Fletcher yesterday how much I love him and The Wrong Reasons, and they came up next like a fistful of fury. Starting things off with "Sentimental Jury" they had people hootin' and hollerin'. "Flat Tire", "Every Heartbroken Man", "Ambulances", their infectious version of Bob Dylan's "Crash On The Levee" featuring new member of The Low Anthem Bryan Minto on harmonica, "Womanizer Blues" that had lead guitarist Greg Burgess (Who you might know from The Amazing Royal Crowns and The Throttles) ripping off a blistering solo, "Who Makes The Knives", "The Drowsy Surgeon", "Drunk & Single", "A Better Place" and "Georgia On A Fast Train" encompassed a performance that was awesome, spectacular, beautiful, wonderful and electrifying. What else can I say? Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons are one of the best live acts you'll ever see, I guarantee it.
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I've always found The Low Anthem to be very orchestral and Ben Knox Miller's voice to be incredibly soothing, the new edition of the band featuring new members Florence Wallis and Bryan Minto joining up with Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky aren't afraid to turn it up a notch while at the same time easing your mind. Speaking of easing minds,"Pepsi Moon" was like musical medicine to go along with Luke Randall's moth machine glistening over to the right of the stage. "Airport Mirror" with Randall on backing vocals using a megaphone became my new favorite song, "Dreamin' Drunk" with The Rice Cakes joining them gave the feeling of a bunch of people singing around a big jug of moonshine that had everybody rejoicing, "The Early Morning Of The Air Hockey Fire" told a chilling story about Knox Miller's best friend burning his house down using a light from his air hockey table, "I Always Wished I Could Be Like Ozzie Smith" had Joe Fletcher joining them on tambourine is a baseball classic that had the crowd singing along to every word, "Apothecary Love" was a louder departure from the recording off of their last album Smart Flesh, but that made me love it even more, "Crooks & Thieves" had Minto taking lead vocals on a taped up acoustic guitar for a down home folk ditty and "Dream Killer" ended it on an epic note with Knox Miller singing his heart out. The Low Anthem are coming out with a new album before the end of the year and a few songs they played on this night are on it. If those songs are as good as they are on the upcoming album then I can't wait.
The Rice Cakes
Who better to conclude an evening like this than The Rice Cakes? They had people digging every note by starting off with "Magma" and following it up with "Halloweenie". They then went right into "Push & Pull", "Floor Boards", "Zabudabudee" and "Yellow Fields" with Matt DeCosta from Roses on lap steel guitar to finish off an evening worthy of starting an amazing festival. The Rice Cakes will be playing the Newport Homegrown showcase being put on by The Low Anthem during the official 1st day of The Newport Folk Fest, make you sure check it out along with everything else going on at Fort Adams. For more information on whats going on during The Newport Folk Fest, log on to newportfolkfest.net to check out the schedules, artists and special aftershows going on this year. While your at it, log on to The Newport Blues Cafe's website at newportblues.com to check on of the best music venues in The City By The Sea.
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