Some Unpopular Thoughts
About music, the Olympics, and more
The Newport Folk Festival has disappointed me the past couple of years. It started when the music returned after the pandemic lay off.
The festival once sported four stages, three main ones and one intimate stage called the Museum Stage. It was where lesser known artists played and where surprises . I saw a hurdy gurdy played by Donald and Anicet Heller. From two Swedish women I learned about their country’s native instrument the nyckelharpa.
I saw artists up close and personal, just them and a guitar, like Jeff Tweedy and Kris Kristofferson.
And I saw special moments like this that made Jay Sweet weep:
They closed the Museum Stage after the pandemic. When my wife and I were asked to busk at the festival we said the Museum Stage steps is where we wanted to set up. It held a special place in our hearts, and always will.
The festival added two small stages outdoors. Festival goers seem to like them, but I don’t. Both are near the main stages and artists get to perform mabe twenty minutes between sets on the bigger stages. Sometimes the sound checks from the bigger stages interferes and cuts a set short.
The Museum stage was quiet. People could and did just listen. I saw music from around the world, you know, the folk music, the obscure not necessarily in vogue let alone famous. I miss that.
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One year Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance at the festival. That was fun to see. The next year, Brandi Carlile, who convinced Parton to show up, worked her magic on Joni Mitchell. They set up the stage to look like Mitchell’s living room. Mitchell sat on her “throne” and eventually played some songs herself. It was nice to hear, but because the stage was lower than in previous years, only people standing in the front area could actually see much.
That was okay. I know Mitchell is an icon, but to be honest, I never really cared that much for her music. Same thing with the Beach Boys.
I told you it might be unpopular opinions here today.
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The Paris Olympics are finally over. The French were French. The Opening Ceremony was, uh, kinda weird and kinda cool at the same time. The Barcelona Olympic torch lighting remains the coolest of all time.
Muhammed Ali lighting the torch in Atlanta remains the most touching for me.
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As for this year’s Olympics, or any Olympics, some I loved and always will. Some I just don’t understand. Some unpopluar thoughts:
Breakdancing is NOT a sport. Yes, it was fun to watch, I don’t know why they included it.
I will never be able to do a backflip or jump nine feet in the air while twisting and summersaulting, but anything that involves judges determining the winner should not be in the Olympics. I prefer faster, higher, stronger, farther things. Things that can objectively determine who is best on a particular day.
Equestrian competition in basically for elite rich people.
Esther Williams made synchronized swimming popular in the movies. That’s where it should stay.
I still think rhythmic gymnastics is for people who can’t do regular gymnastics.
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Last thoughts about the Newport Folk Festival.
My wife and I didn’t go this year. Of all the acts that were announced this year, only one would we have truly wanted to see. Ten of so performers we have seen before, some numerous times. The rest, with every every new lineup announcement, our reaction was either “who?” or “huh?”
At the 2022 festival, Willi Carlisle said he was walking around the grounds, wondering “Where’s the folk?” Yeah, I know Louis Armstong famously said, “It’s all folk music. I ain’t hear no horse playing,” but I ‘ve been wondering that, too. Where are the Hurdy Gurdy Band, the nyckelharpa players and others?
We had to wear ear plugs last year for the first time. Music doesn’t have to be loud to be enjoyable. If the people on the beer dock and in the harbor in their boats want to hear the music, let them get tickets.
And about those tickets. The first two years I went to the festival, I went online the day they went on sale. I had no problem getting two three day passes. Then the Festival Foundation started offering early bird opportunities for donations to the Foundation. Once word got out about that, more and more people started donating to the Foundation. Now tickets sell out almost immediately.
They have a strict policy of renewing membership only during the festival. This leaves only those in attendance the opportunity to get early bird status. And as more and more people do this, it decreases the number of passes allowed to the general public.
It might seem like a good idea, but I think there’s a point of diminishing return. Instead of where’s the folk, I fear it will lead to just the same folk, the same fans if not the same artists.