Who’s Going to Newport?

My intention was to get this post out last Tuesday, when the line-up for the 2011 Newport Folk Festival was announced. Life seems to have gotten in the way and it is just now that I have a free moment to write. Each spring my family (ok, maybe just me) eagerly awaits the Newport Folk Festival line-up. Typically, there is one day that has many more artists that we know/like and it is easy to decide which day we will be attending. This year the choice was not as clear-cut, at least initially. Here are the artists scheduled to perform:

First, Saturday’s line-up (July 30th):
The Decemberists, Gillian Welch, Gogol Bordello, Earl Scruggs, Ramblin Jack Elliot, Tegan & Sara, Mavis Staples, The Felice Brothers, Delta Spirit, Freelance Whales, Devils Makes Three, Song Circle w/ Dar Williams, Ellis Paul, John Gorka, Liz Queler, Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three, Typhoon, River CIty Extension, PS22 Chorus, The Wailin’ Jennys, The Ebony Hillbillies, and What Cheer? Brigade.

And here is Sunday’s line-up (July 31st):
EmmyLou Harris, Elvis Costello (acoustic), Amos Lee, M.Ward, Wanda Jackson, Middle Brother, Justin Townes Earle, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Civil Wars, Trampled By Turtles, The Cave Singers, The Head & The Heart, Secret Sisters, David Wax Museum, Mountain Man Brown Bird, The Seeger Clogging All-Stars.

Hmmmm, a tough choice. Nobody that I was super, super excited about. In the past, there have typically been a handful of performers I was really eager to get to see (Jakob Dylan, Cat Power, Cowboy Junkies, Neko Case, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, The Avett Brothers, just to name a few). After consulting with my husband and my dad (who joins us each year), we opted for Saturday’s line-up. Rob is not a big EmmyLou Harris fan and my dad really wanted to see the Decemberists. Oh, and my sister weighed in even though she can’t partake in the festivities. She gave a plug for Gogol Bordello, who I had not heard of, but she said is lots of fun. There you go….decision made. I really enjoy Gillian Welch and will be happy to see her perform as well as a few other bands that I am familiar with; Tegan & Sara, The Felice Brothers, Delta Spirit & Dar Williams. I would have liked to see The Civil Wars (I recently purchased their album) and Middle Brother (my friend Anne Marie just informed me that they are the next hot band). Rob and I are big Elvis fans and we’ll will miss seeing him, but we’ve seen him a number of times in the last few years.

So now that you know who’s going to Newport….who’s going to Newport?