Root Down in the Shadow

Next Saturday night, at the Newport Folk Festival, after Pokey Lafarge & the South City Three wrap up @ 4:15, there are three outstanding choices for the next to last slot of the night. The question of who to see is the toughest of the whole festival. I have some other decisions to make before next weekend, but I think this solitary decision may take until we arrive at Fort Adams State Park. Feel free to comment, but here's my list of contributing factors for each act: Gillian Welch: + Gillian is on the Main Stage.. no need to move before the Decemberists + 4:45 start gives 30 minutes to find a spot after Pokey Lafarge + Gillian Welch: Newport Folk Festival 2009 + The Fresh Air Interview: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings + Oh Brother Where Art Thou  fame!!! + Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings do awesome covers, such as 'Black Star' + I don't have much of her  material, but it's so easy to like +Clear veteran = better/experienced live show +...

As always Newport Folk Festival has been a constant on the summer music scene since 1959!  As 19 years my senior, I've always been aware of it, but never knew of it.  When I was much younger, I had a vision of rich folk in fancy hats and dresses, and something to do with cigarettes.  As I got older, I really forgot about the festival entirely, as my music tastes were mainly in alternative, but more in a Lollapalooza or even an Ozzfest vein.  However, it came back into focus for me two years ago within one of my favorite podcasts: NPR: Live Concerts from All Songs Considered Podcast .    From the 2009 version, there were available podcasts of full concerts for Iron & Wine , Neko Case & the Low Anthem . Whether looking for quieter music to listen to without disturbing my young child, or just looking for more quality in my music, I had fallen deep for the Folk Festival sound.  It's not that Folk hasn't been cool as "it" was when Newport w...

Gillian Welch has been in and out of my music consciousness for the better part of two decades now. She was the composer of 'Orphan Girl' on Emmylou Harris's 1995 Wrecking Ball. She was featured on 2000's O Brother, Where Art Thou? -tracks #9 'I'll Fly Away' with Alison Krauss & #10 'Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby' with Emmylou Harris, & Alison Krauss. In 2004 she co-wrote with David Rawlings  'Wouldn't Be so Bad', done by by Alison Krauss & Union Station on Lonely Runs Both Ways . Likewise in 2006 Elizabeth Mitchell sang 'Winter's Come and Gone' on You Are My Little Bird (also co-wrote by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings). However, it wasn't until the 2006 Black Star EP featuring the Radiohead cover of the title track, 'Black Star' that I really took a notice. The track (avail at iTunes ) is one of those covers that make you revisit the strength of the original. A very similar version by...