The lineup announcements by the Newport Folk Festival have just started and I am already wowed by them! Of course this is what I have come to expect but that does not lessen the impact of the addition of some favorite artists as well as ones I have never seen but want to see! There are usually around 26-28 artists each day.

The announcements made so far are:

Taj Mahal – Not much needs to be said about Taj. I have seen him many times and he never fails to impress me whether he’s playing old or new music.

Clairo – I know nothing about Clairo, but I learned the name of a new genre – bedroom pop. Apparently she performed a few years ago at the Festival backing up another artist so I am looking forward to an introduction to her music.

Hermanos Gutiérrez – I listened to some clips and I really like what I heard. They have a very Latin sound and they appeal to me.

Silk Road Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens – I was lucky enough to see a performance of ‘Phoenix Rising’ in November and loved it. I have seen Silk Road Ensemble a number of times with Yo-Yo Ma, but their collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens is stunning.

Valerie June – I am not sure when or where I first saw Valerie perform, but I love her style of Americana. She is not only wonderful to listen to, but lovely to watch.

John Moreland – John is an amazing singer-songwriter who has the ability to silence a room as soon as he starts singing.

Skullcrusher – This is another artist who was unknown to me. Her style is characterized as indie folk and I enjoyed what I heard.

I plan to post the announcements until NFF has completed the entire lineup. At that point, I might offer my opinions on which acts to see, once I know who is performing which day.

At this point, the Festival is sold out; the right way to try to purchase a ticket is through their fan-to-fan ticket exchange on DICE. Get yourself on the waiting list – I know a lot of people who were able to purchase tickets last year through this site. This is an amazing festival – even going for one day is worth it. Get on the list now!!!

Friday:  Taj Mahal; Silk Road Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens; John Moreland

Saturday:  Clairo; Skullcrusher

Sunday: Hermanos Gutiérrez; Valerie June