A few days after we got home from this year’s Newport Folk Festival, a friend asked me if I was going to write a review. My feeling is that people probably get tired of hearing Suzy and I prattle on and on about the Festival. We love it so much that I’m fully aware we can talk about it non-stop for much longer than I imagine most people care to listen. Although they are, without exception, nice enough to at least pretend to be interested until they can politely extricate themselves from our clutches.
So my answer to this friend’s question was no. But now I’ve changed my mind.
Since she did ask, I will say quickly that the Festival was as awesome as ever, and this year’s standout performances, for me, were (in no particular order) The Deslondes, S.G. Goodman, Ken Pomeroy, Dan Reeder, Waxahatchee, Public Enemy, Jeff Tweedy, Stephen Wilson, Jr., and The Swell Season. I’m a little surprised to say I think my overall favorite was Kim Deal’s set on the Harbor stage. She completely blew me away.
But none of that is what I want to write about. This year we witnessed something we’d never seen before, and would have never imagined. And it didn’t happen on a stage.
For the first set of the day on Saturday morning we were standing directly behind the last row of chairs at the Harbor stage, watching Ken Pomeroy’s performance. Several songs into the set, a couple seated about four rows in front of us got up and left. Seating at Newport Folk is minimal and often highly coveted, so immediately two other couples standing at opposite ends of the row ran for the seats. The two men got there first, in an absolute tie. Both men got VERY serious looks on their faces, both were shaking their heads, hands were gesticulating, and words were being exchanged. Of course, we couldn’t hear them over the music. Generally speaking the Newport Folk Festival is an absolute haven of peace and kindness, but as this went on for several seconds I feel sure everyone watching the scenario was expecting the worst. Certainly Suzy and I were. I realized that even after attending NFF all these years, I had no idea what might be the fastest way to find a security person. I had never needed to know. Things looked to be going from bad to worse when both guys balled up a fist. And then….they shook them up and down once, twice, and on the third time they rock-paper-scissored for the seats! One guy went rock, the other went paper. The Paper guy literally took his hand and physically placed it over Rock guy’s fist, just like two kids on a playground. Then they shook hands, Rock guy gave Paper guy a pat on the shoulder and walked away, and Paper guy and his wife/girlfriend/whatever sat down as if nothing had ever happened.
It might be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. This is what I’m carrying with me from this year’s Festival.