February 5, 2013

places I love more than most (newport folk fest).

Of Monsters and Men. 

Last spring, with a fistful of Hilton points and a free flight voucher, my sister and I were looking for adventure. On a whim we bought tickets to a music festival I hadn't heard of on the other side of the country. And I fell in love. 


When the rain started pouring during Jackson Browne's set on Sunday and I knew the end was near, my heart broke. It physically hurt to board the plane and fly away. I told a friend of mine that I had found my people. And I had. 

I love live music. Just about any kind. Put it outside, even better. And I have never loved it more than I did at Newport. 

There were a handful of bands I had heard of, but most I hadn't. Tucked away in the hidden stages of the Fort, I found my soul in bands I barely new. 

I found it when Nick Panken from Spirit Family Reunion told the crowd to sing "out over the harbor...loud and hard from the bottom of our souls". 

When Stephen Weinheimer made beautiful music with some forks and a washboard. 

When I looked to my left during My Morning Jacket to find half of The Apache Relay standing next to me happily bobbing along with the crowd. 

When Ben Sollee and his feisty cello popped up on every.single.stage that whole weekend. 

When I sang along to "Emmylou" with First Aid Kit in the rain. 

When a long-time dream was realized and I got to witness Brittany Howard and that epic mouth of hers belt out "I Ain't the Same". 

When I got to marvel in the quiet music of the Tunnel Sessions. 

When I watched Jonah Tolchin busk barefoot in the grass. 

When the Tallest Man on Earth performed a no-frills show that rocked it. 

When it didn't matter if you were an artist, a fan, a hipster 20-something or a guy who'd been coming for 50+ years. We were all there together. In it together. Hearing music that pulled us in. Together. 

Folk music can be a number of things. As the years have gone by, I hear that the bands at the festival have evolved to include some newer renditions of folk. At the end of the day, to me, folk music is a sound that speaks to you. That is timeless and enduring and at the same time fresh. 

That is in your soul. 

That keeps you coming back. 

(all photos by me)
 Spirit Family Reunion. 
 Spirit Family Reunion. 
 Spirit Family Reunion. 
 Blind Pilot. 
 My Morning Jacket. 
 The Apache Relay. 
 The Tallest Man on Earth.
 Jonah Tolchin. 

 Spirit Family Reunion. 
 Of Monsters and Men.
 Alabama Shakes. 
 The Apache Relay. 

love.lauren
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2 comments

  1. You are unbelievably eloquent. I will expect your first novel soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Lauren, Team Newport Folk here- we loved this piece about our Fest and want you to email us about a project we're doing right now- email us at newportfolkfest@gmail.com if you get this. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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