Newport Folk Festival 2017

So now we're thinking the biggest artist announced so far is not a headliner?

Yeah, I'm talking about the Avett Brothers, who are bigger than John Prine or Fleet Foxes.

That's true, but John Prine couldn't headline Madison Square Garden

EDIT: You could consider "biggest" in this sense to mean "most expensive"

It's worth noting that decemberists have a show on folk Friday. Not sure how "for petes sake" will be curated if Funk is not in town. Maybe it will be Saturday and Sunday only.

From the Decemberists today:

We Decemberists are very proud to announce the arrival of Offa Rex, our collaboration with Olivia Chaney. Visit Decemberists.com to learn more about the project, pre-order the album, and listen to the title track - “The Queen of Hearts.”

Offa Rex will be playing a pair of shows in Portland and New York City in late July, leading into XPoNential Festival in Philadelphia and Newport Folk Festival. We’re also playing Travelers’ Rest, the festival the band is hosting in Missoula, Montana in August.

We’ll be performing songs from the record as well as songs from the Olivia Chaney and Decemberists catalogues, reimagined through the lens of Offa Rex.

And expect to see Offa Rex appear, mid-set, for a couple songs when Olivia opens The Decemberists’ summer tour dates.

I'm gonna go pretty far out and say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Please don't peg this as "unreasonable expectations" or whatever Jay said. Hell I'm a huge TPATH fan but I'd be just as happy with another solid act since I will see them elsewhere. I just think it could happen. Never thought they'd play a fest like Mountain Jam and they are (a fest who has a ticket price hike next week). Benmont at Newport last year and tweeting about Regina Spektor. All the signs are there that's all.

Love dreaming big!  It's not about unreasonable or compounding expectations, it's just the hope that some of our favorite big artists will appreciate the greatness we see in Newport and make the pilgrimage one year.  My biggest dream artists are Springsteen and Tom Petty without a doubt.

Hope you're right about Petty and he is an unannounced artist on Sunday.

Solid way to wrap things up! Interested to see what surprises Newport has in store for us this year

Damn. I was just getting used to the idea of Missing this year and they go and drop Wilco. As usual the lineup does not disappoint

Avetts are too big to close the Quad, right? Jim on the Quad, Avetts > Wilco?

Kudos to Jay, as always. Nice job buddy.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing him during that Speak Out set. And hopefully during Jim James'. But I agree that he definitely seems like one of the more surprising non-inclusions, along w/ Charles Bradley and Gary Clark Jr. who are both long overdue for a return to the Fort 

New song today, not as good as Smell the Roses but still quality. Praying that Lucius is on the tour.

Gary Clark Jr. Worked on the New Chuck Berry album. Not trying to build expectations but if he'd play anywhere at NFF this year I'd imagine it'd be at the Check Berry tribute.