While I was driving into Newport, I was in absolute awe and said out loud, "This is gorgeous- I want to live here!" Because I got a late start (did I mention Ryan's call was at noon?), I didn't have much time to mosey around Newport. On Saturday afternoons, the traffic isn't necessarily desirable, and on top of that, the concert had already started. So, after a few wrong turns (naturally), I found Fort Adams State Park where the event was taking place. When I pulled in, I still wasn't sure that I wanted to go (the tickets were a little steep), so I turned around and got back on the main road. Less than five minutes later, I decided, "why not!" and came back to the park. Bonus: the parking lot attendant didn't make me pay the $15 fee.
Wow, am I glad I stayed or what?! It was a beautiful day... bright blue skies, sunshine, a slight breeze, the smell of water- just how I would have imagined it. This year happened to be the 50th anniversary of the event, so there was quite the buzz around Fort Adams. This was no ordinary concert. It had 3 different stages with staggered starting times to allow you to see more artists, so it was more like going to 4 or 5 mini concerts. There were people *everywhere,* but the crowd was very friendly. This may be the only concert I've been to where someone shushed (shhhhhhh) another attendee in the crowd AND they listened! There was a variety of age groups that were all very free-spirited... lots of dancing, singing, interpretive dance (I guess that's what you call it), and other visitors just relaxing. Nice change of pace for someone who's always on the go.
Here's one shot of the crowd...
... and this is the bridge to get onto the island.
The first group I heard was Fleet Foxes, which was definitely my favorite of the day. Lots of guitar but not too slow that you'll fall asleep. But the best part of all is the harmony of the vocals- just listen to any of their songs and you'll see what I mean. I downloaded one of their cd's from iTunes as soon as I got home!
Next up was Iron and Wine. I didn't realize that this was only one guy, or I would have made my way to his stage earlier. It was *packed,* and when I was at the perimeter of the crowd, I could barely hear him. So, using my crowd-weaving skills (Thanks, Ryan), I worked my way up to the 5-ish row. There were some chairs for this stage (it was smaller than the main stage Fleet Foxes played on) but standing was fine with me. He has a very soothing voice and was a great storyteller.
The last group was The Decemberists, which I enjoyed but probably wouldn't see again in concert (a little too hard core for me). They had a guest vocalist who was singing and moving her arms while onstage, which I found very distracting. I did like the accordion, though- it was a nice touch. (Made me think of Ron, who can also play the accordion).
At the end of the concert, Pete Seeger played onstage with his grandson- how sweet is that. I actually forgot to get any pictures, but I enjoyed their music as well. By this point, though, I was beat and ready to drive home. Rhode Island may be one of the smallestest states but it *still* took me over an hour to get home (New Englander driving to be explained in a upcoming post.)
This is what I'm talking about when I say it was a gorgeous day....
Thanks for the advice, Ryan- I probably wouldn't have gone had you not called me. I can't wait to go back to Newport and explore more! *If anyone knows someone who has a boat in Newport, could you please put in a good word for me? I would *love* to go sailing while the weather is still warm. (Although if you find someone, you can tell them I'll also go in the fall, too!)
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