Newport Folk 2019 - July 26-28

All good points. I definitely am guilty of also simplifying matters a bit in terms of cost so your stuff about the lodging and time off is also relevant.

I just feel like whenever I heard the "I can catch all/most of these acts at local shows so this lineup isn't doing it for me" (not necessarily what jongilbert is saying....i'm speaking generally now) I never fully agreed with it. The festival setting introduces a special factor for a lot of shows. As I mentioned, you're more likely to get special guests, surprise sets, and sometimes a more passionate performance from artists at a festival. So whether or not I could see a lot of acts on a lineup at a local gig never really comes up as a better option to me.

That said, I do think that every year the rolling lineup tends to make the lineup seem less special at times but then by the end it usually knocks it out of the park. This festival in particular with the special sets (For Pete's Sake, Dawes & friends, past unique sets) is what I look forward to the most. And I won't get stuff like that anywhere else.

I went last year, during the day it was very enjoyable but as night fell it turned into a bro fest. We had the ability to reenter 3 times a day so if you wanted to drink all day you would leave and go to the bar outside the gate for cheap drinks or you could stay in and walk right up to stages and enjoy the show. I really only dealt with the crowd during the social d set but could definitely see that a bunch of people were wasted as I was leaving and everyone else was going to watch jack johnson.

Never been, but I love Beacon so now I'm also considering heading up for Mavis and The Lone Bellow

The Lone Bellow just played last year, so I'd say chances are on the slim side they're back. Unless they've got a new album ready or potentially if they wanted to do one of their acoustic trio shows on the harbor stage

Could see them being around the fest though, and maybe as a part of If I Had a Song

listen to his cover of Fortunate Son

Regarding the lineup so far, I am a bit puzzled by the announcements. It just seems bizarre (to me, at least) that they'd announce a ton of the bigger, more well-known names in March, while announcing mostly smaller acts/artists in April.

I'm sure a lot of these artists that have been announced this month (so far) are great, but I don't think they're helping build more momentum and excitement for the festival.
Compare the amount of likes and reactions on Facebook to literally almost any artist announced this month and compare it with March when they announced Dawes & Friends, Sheryl Crow, Trey Anastasio, for example.

January was also a pretty big month too for announcements, I feel. We're about halfway through the month for announcements, so I'm hoping they're saving some of the best for last. When do you all think we'll have the final lineup by? Mid-May? 

I'm still very much looking forward to coming back to the Fort this year though, make no mistake! I also love discovering new artists, and it's one of my favorite aspects about this festival. 

I get what you're saying but one thing NFF is not is predictable 

BTW I happen to think Lucy Dacus and Our Native Daughters (I think this is the only show announced so far) are a pretty big deal and I also think the FB crowd trends much much older than twitter or Instagram where someone like Lucy had more likes or the same amount as Trey

Hence why I said I wasn't disputing your point

I think most of us ask for a good mix, but also this year's lineup already has a bunch of new names on it, so I think we also want to see some of the big tentpoles in there.

I'm with you on Iron & Wine, but Gillian hasn't played an actual set since 2011 and is one of the best songwriters of our time, that seems like a fair enough repeat to ask for. 

Ah man I love Todd Snider, this song always makes me laugh no matter how many times I've heard it

Béla Fleck just added Massachusetts dates starting on 7/30. I think we can assume him to bring his banjo on Sunday...Maybe for the Pete set.

I don't think Steve Martin at Newport ever happened, back when he was going around with Steep Canyon Rangers

Yeah, his music solo and with the Steep Canyon Rangers is straightforward, I've seen them a couple times and there wasn't any comedy involved. He's a really excellent player though.

Been there about 8 times over the past 25 years and well worth a one-day visit.  If Newport has a laid back vibe, Clearwater is sitting on the porch with Andy after an Aunt Bea dinner.  

I recommend it with caveats -- it's a smaller locale, the crowds are smaller and a bit older, the main acts are a step below Newport," and I just thought it was over after so many empty patches at the main stage last year.   On the other hand, I got to stand under a tree with Rhiannon Giddens and a dozen people, as she told stories and played an intimate acoustic set before taking to the main stage with a smoking band. I didn't get pushed around once standing up front with to see the Mavericks, who put on a great show;  and I decided to run off with Dave Allen and Jimmie Dale Gilmore after their set.   The river is beautiful; you can go on the boat; and a singer will think nothing of giving you his ticket to fetch a guitar case from the performer's tent. It's that laid back.

The downside -- a smaller crowd can be intimate; it can also cause some acts to mail in a performance (ahem, Lake Street Dive?).   if you want the big tent names, they will be few and far between.  This is primarily a folk/grassroots concert of the old and new -- always Paxton and Chapin; Amram and Ani DiFranco;  and an Arlo, Josh White, Langhorn Slim, or Punch Brothers thrown in.  Locals acts that would play the Museum will be on the smaller stages. But was very happy to see a group like Upstate (Rubdown) after catching them busking in Washington Square Park.

If NFF does wonders with their dollar budget, Pete and Toshi must have simply offered a big thank you to pull in their acts; their producers work with cents on the dollar.  Still, I've always felt that if Bruce is to make a surprise appearance it will be at Clearwater, truly Pete Seeger's landing spot.  (and was a little irked he didn't come to their aid when they had to cancel the fest a few years ago).

Fewer big names this year than ever, but let's see who Mavis brings.  One big plus -- you can pick the day you want to attend, and it doesn't sell out.  You can camp there.  And many performers play both days making it easier to choose.  And, if the whim hits you, bring a guitar, sit under a tree, and you'll get a small following.

To be fair, I haven’t seen anyone really plead for Iron and Wine. It seems most are interested in Calexico and Iron and Wine together (which can’t happen because they’ll be in Europe). Just like Better Oblivion, that’s an important distinction because it’s a buzzy folk act, playing songs that neither of them usually play on a regular solo tour, who will most likely only tour in 2019 and maybe 2020 and then after that will disappear again for who knows how long.

As for those upcoming artists, Newport always kills it in this regard. I would not be surprised that we don’t have a few of these already on our lineup: Nilufer, Lucy, and Charley.

That said, the lineup does seem to favor the long tail artists a little more this year than in year’s past. There seem to be a lot of artists on each day that I wouldn’t have thought would be more than one of the stage openers for that day. In some ways, this year’s lineup is more bimodal when it comes to artists. You have a lot of smaller artists ($10 to $15 for a ticket at a small club) and you have more (than in previous years) big hitters ($35+ tickets); but not much in the middle ($20-$30 ticket artists).

Free your mind and your ass will follow.