Newport Folk Festival 2020

As described in our “About”page, this blog was born out of the experience that is the Newport Folk Festival. The idea was to spread the festival’s pervasive sense of joy, good will, and community as widely as possible, throughout the year. Of course, this year the “folk family” stayed home. Nevertheless, via social media, the tremendous efforts of the Festival Foundation, Jay Sweet, and numerous other organizers and musicians, we all managed to be together even while apart. Thank you Jay Sweet, Caps, and everyone else for making the weekend happen.  

Instagram post from The Wood Brothers

“Here’s another one from our tiny attic sessions we did in January. We miss playing together and we miss playing for our fans but we feel inspired by the connection and community that’s resulted from everyone trying to get thru this together. This song is a good reminder not to sweat the small stuff. Enjoy and be safe!”

new song from Wilco

“Love conquers all, but not when it’s used as a sedative, right? I worry that I’m often comfortable and placated by my ability to recognize and feel the love that already exists around me. What I see in myself and others is a struggle to summon sufficient outrage to act and then retreat into the delusion that the love that exists will eventually triumph. But it won’t! For love to triumph I believe we’re duty bound to create more of it, and for more people – people we don’t know, even people we don’t like! And that takes courage I don’t always have. The song is a reminder to myself to act with more love and courage and less outrage and anesthetized fear.” –Jeff Tweedy

quoted from NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast