Don't rock the boat

This year's fest was even-keeled to a fault

by Bob Gulla

Martin Sexton

OK, so yeah, it's changed since the '60s. This weekend, you The Ben & Jerry's Newport Folk Festival may have made a name for itself back in the '60s with controversy, riots, and the enthusiastic revitalization of forgotten blues icons like Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, and Skip James, but 1999's version proved about as sedate as any event involving nearly 10,000 people could possibly be. Gone, it seems, are the days when a folk festival meant politics and communication, when messages of peace, love, and understanding joined together with well-meaning and meaningful performances to create something memorable. Today, the Newport Folk Festival is about as loosely defined a gathering as Lillith or H.O.R.D.E. or any of the other big summer tours. Festival producer Bob Jones decided it was better to have something for everyone than have the festival remain true to its ever-distant roots.

Over the weekend, there were a couple of instances of political action and social responsibility. Ben and Jerry continued their lobbying efforts to decrease Pentagon spending, recruiting important cabinet and military officials to join their cause. Ben even wrote and performed a rap that addressed his crusade; plaudits all around, despite the tune and tempo problems. On the Harbor stage, Pamela Means, Lori McKenna, and Merrie Amsterberg came together as Project Respond to sing out against domestic abuse. For the most part, though, the festival this year turned out to be a gathering place for alt-lifestyle fans of some of the performers, a kind of weekend Ground Zero for fans of the Indigo Girls, Joan Armatrading, Catie Curtis, and Melissa Ferrick, among others. Festival Productions has almost painted itself into a corner by booking Amy and Emily nine of the last ten years. (Jim Gillis over at the Newport daily calls the festival the Ben & Jerry & Amy & Emily's Newport Folk Festival.) Don't invite them and you'll see 50 percent of ticket revenue wash out into the bay, while at the same time losing a very enthusiastic audience. Book them another year and you'll get the draw, but you'll lose more and more pop and conventional folk fans.

One thing that Bob Jones has always done well is nose around for good talent. With a strong songwriter-based mainstage line-up that featured among others Martin Sexton, Robert Earl Keen, Curtis, Wilco, and Beth Orton, the Saturday roster proved to be impressive throughout the day, at least to folks with an attention span long enough to notice solid, original songwriting. Unfortunately for some of the performers, a scorching sun turned the cloudless day into a microwave for a few hours just after midday, marring sets by Wilco, heady urban folk singer Cliff Eberhardt and the spunky Curtis, who was joined by Sunday performer Jennifer Kimball. Jeff Tweedy's Wilco, the only rock band on the card, seemed especially perturbed by the lack of response. Midway through "Misunderstood," the sheet-white singer kicked over his mike stand and launched into a stunning, Cobain-esque yowl that echoed angrily across the harbor. If nothing else, he at least made some folks look up momentarily from underneath their wide-brimmed hats. Luckily, the sea breeze picked up a bit as the sun eased its way towards Jamestown and the audience regained some of its energy.

In the meantime, soulful singer-songwriter Sexton, a ringer for early Van Morrison, performed a stunning set with his tactile and elegant three-octave vocal range. His skill got him one of the day's only encores, a chilling, a cappella version of "America the Beautiful." It was an appropriate outro given the day and the occasion, though one wonders whether the eccentric Sexton meant any irony by it. And speaking of irony, stellar writer and performer Robert Earl Keen brought a hefty dose of it Texas-style to Newport and the crowd responded well. Joan Armatrading, on the other hand, the day's headliner, played a tight but sterile set that lacked firepower and emotional depth.

The torrential downpour Sunday morning we all woke up to would have quashed the enthusiasm of most festival goers, but not on this day. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any obstacle -- natural or otherwise -- threatening enough to keep the fans of the day's headliners, the Indigo Girls, away from its beloved duet. Veterans of nine of the last 10 years in Newport, the Indigo Girls and their legions helped Sunday draw three thousand more fans than the Saturday line-up, filling the grounds from fort wall to water's edge with over 10,000 eager grrrls.

Despite the mid-morning storm that drenched early comers, the crowd -- cleaner than when they arrived -- showed no signs of dampness. Songwriters Ellis Paul and Jennifer Kimball, who also sang on Saturday with Catie Curtis, played well-received early sets, as did blues up-and-comer Susan Tedeschi. But it wasn't until Ladysmith Black Mambazo appeared that the crowd began coming to life. The eight-piece vocal group spiced its Zulu chants with good-humored, gymnastic-type dancing that gave the audience a break from the usual introspective acoustic storytelling. A trim Steve Earle kept the momentum going with a high-energy set of bluegrass and roots music, featuring guest Tim O'Brien. Mary Black, straight over from Dublin, sang like an angel, but the Celtic singer's band supported her with rather bland pop arrangements. Bland is also a word you could apply to penultimate Sunday performer Suzanne Vega. The folk singer played a serviceable, but predictable set with songs we've all heard too many times before, from "Tom's Diner" and "Luka" to "Caramel" and early favorite "Marlena." Vega's too talented to rest on those musty laurels. New material would have provided her with a more substantial raison d'etre.

New material wasn't a problem for the Indigo Girls, whose new albums hits stores next week. Though they opened with crowd favorite "Least Complicated" they tore into a couple of aggressive new numbers that for the moment turned what could have been a massive singalong into a mindful appreciation. Amy Ray strapped on a wide-body Gibson and electrified the crowd with some enthusiastic playing. She may not have stunned the audience the way Dylan stunned Newport back in '65, but for this rather dull and even-tempered weekend, it was the most we could expect.

WANDERING EYE. The Met sounds like a good place to be this weekend. Tonight (8/12), San Francisco's funky groove-adelics Vinyl could send like-minded boogie children into a danceable bliss. On Friday, Chick Graning joins Delta Clutch at the Met; Fuzzy, the Fly Seville, Brilliantine, and Sleepyhead fill'er up with sweet indie rock vibes on Saturday. If that weren't enough, on Sunday P Squared presents the Ivy Crown and a couple of Sampson bands, the Andrea Gale and Jetpack.

Friday means fun down at the Ocean Mist in Matunuck with the Amazing Crowns and Spring Heeled Jack show. Bring an extra T-shirtl should get kinda sweaty. Also on Saturday, 17-year-old blues rock guitarist Ricky Valente celebrates the release of his new disc, A Place In My Dreams, at the Century Lounge. Be prepared to be impressed.