From: ddean@granite.ma30.bull.com (Douglas J. DeAngelis)
Newsgroups: rec.music.folk
Subject: Newport Cost Rebuffed/Review Finished
Date: 13 Aug 92 05:23:56 GMT
Organization: Bull HN Information Systems Inc.

OK, so I got enough response that I will post my version of the first
day and a half of Newport.  The end of Sunday was posted earlier.

First, I feel I must rebutt the claim that Newport is a money mongering
event.  Let's do some quick math.  I get my tickets in advance from 
the festival people.  My 2-day ticket was $38.  We stayed with friends
outside of Providence, so we had to pay the obnoxious $2 toll both ways.
We also had to park for $6.  Being energy concious, however, we did have
four in the car.  So this means $10 split four ways.  In summary:

Saturday Ticket: $19.00
Car Fees:        $ 2.50
Total:           $21.50

We were treated to Yomo Toro, Patty Larkin, Dave Wilcox, Cris Williamson,
The Band, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Cockburn, and Suzanne Vega.  That averages
out to less than $3 per act *including car stuff*.  Last time I saw
Bruce Cockburn, I had to drive into Boston, *park the car* (yes, this 
happens often in civilization...) and sit far away for my $20+ticketmaster
rapeage fee.  Yes, the sets are short.  But the crew does a superb job
of transitioning; there is no "waiting to increase anticipation" either.
If you make the effort to get there by 9:30, you can get great seats.
In fact, you can get the kind of seats that are impossible to get at 
"theatre" type shows because they are all given out as political favors.

ENOUGH of that...I'll go through the acts one at a time...this may take
a while, so leave now if you're not interested...

Yomo Toro - the Jimi Hendrix of the cuatro, so we were told.  My general
impression was the same as I get with many virtuoso types; yeah, he's 
obviously good, but does it nice to *listen* to...in all fairness, it
probably would have been much better in context (like in Puerto Rico)
but as it was, it didn't do much.  Lots of people liked him, though.
What do I know.

Patty Larkin - I had seen her before, and I still enjoyed this set quite
a bit.  She opened with the Last Leviathan, which I thought was a bit
much the first time I heard it and it wasn't any better this time.  But
things picked up from there.  She pretty much stuck with the favorites,
as one would suspect from a green Newport performer.

David Wilcox - Of course, just when you think you know what a green Newport
performer is supposed to do, here comes Dave doing an 8 song set (too
short), 5 of which are unrecorded (all should be on the new album).
It appears as though he can still write, although he is a bit in danger
of repeating himself a bit too much.  The key for him is his guitar ability,
which enables him to turn the mundane into the interesting.  I remember
the first time I heard "Break in the Cup that Holds Love..." I thought it
was truly a bore.  Since that time, it has sounded different (and better)
until now I think he finally has something recordable.  [One thing I forgot
to mention in my prior review...Dave stayed all day on Sunday and had
the priviledge of singing with the IGs for "Love's Recovery".  He once
again looked like he was having an enormous amount of fun, but at least
this year you could actually hear him...]

Cris Williamson - I had been looking forward to this set, but it really
didn't blow me away as I had hoped.  God, she talked a lot; a cardinal 
sin at Newport when you only get 45 minutes to begin with.

The Band - The Band fans were totally into it, but I'm not too sure the
crowd was.  I personally didn't really get into it until they played
"Hand Jive".  Bruce Cockburn came on and played a couple songs with them.
They use the term "mamma" an awful lot in their songs.  Don't know what
made me think of that.

Shawn Colvin - She replaced Michelle Shocked in the order, a crushing blow
for Michelle fans such as myself.  I'm a Shawn fan too, but I had seen her
many times over the past year, so there wasn't much new.  Rather strange, I
know, because she played almost all new stuff, including "tenderness on the
block", "tennessee" (which will have Richard Thompson & Bela Fleck, we are
told, on the album...), "polaroids" as highlights.  She also played the
3 best (in my opinion) songs off of "steady on", namely "Diamond in the
Rough", "Shotgun down the Avalanche" and "Ricochet in Time".  The main
problem with the set was simply that alone she could not possibly, nor did
she try to, generate the energy of Michelle.

Bruce Cockburn - Easily the highlight of Saturday.  He was alone; about
half the set acoustic, the other half on a beautiful electric guitar.  He's
obviously still writing as he had some new songs just since I had seen him
last fall.  His guitar on Creation Dream and Rocket Launcher were just
immense.  He got the crowd a little miffed with his pre-"Call it Democracy"
comments about Bush having his "head up his bum...but that's OK because
all the canadian leaders have their heads up his bum too".  Personally,
I was amused.  He can say whatever he wants, just as long as he spends most
of his time playing the guitar.

Suzanne Vega - What a disaster of a set.  It seems as though I have spent
much of the last few years making up excuses for Suzanne live; I guess it
just isn't going to change.  Her set this year was almost identical to 
last year; right down to the stories in between.  If anything brings repeat
customers, it's Newport.  I can't imagine what she was thinking.  Finally,
toward the end of the set she did some new stuff all in a bunch, but by then
I had lost interest and the songs were not so interesting as to bring me
back.  

SUNDAY, August 9

Rachel Polisher - I wonder if I'm just in a bad mood while I write...nah,
I can honestly say that this was the worst performer I have ever seen
at Newport.  She obviously has connections with the organizers; I mean, she
doesn't even have a record out.  I can't think of any redeeming qualities, 
and I can think of about 50 other performers who could have made great use
of that spot on the bill

Fairfield Four - ...are actually 5 septagenarians who's last release was
a 78.  They have a new record on CD called "Standing in the Safety Zone"
which might almost be worth going for, regardless of your musical preference.
I imagined a warning label on it similar to the one on the 1812 overture
about how the cannons can blow your speakers if played too loud.  On their
disk, the baritone could do it.  I can't imagine making sounds of any type
as low as he was singing.  They were just so hot, and they didn't mind
the rain and the crowd was totally into them.

Nashville Bluegrass Band - Is it possible to play bluegrass *too* well?
I kind of wondered after this set.  I mean, one of the joys of bluegrass
is getting the feeling that the performers are on the edge of their ability
and any minute now they could throw a wheel and go riding of the road, 
although they never quite do.  You never got that feeling with these guys;
they were so tight it was revolting - in a positive way.  Am I making any
sense???

Well, that's it.  The rest of sunday was sent out earlier.  See you next
year...

-dug
-- 
===========================================================================
Douglas J. DeAngelis				Bull Worldwide Info Systems 
D.DeAngelis@bull.com (old ones still work)	300 Concord Road  MA30-852A
(508) 294-2552					Billerica, MA  01821
Newsgroups: rec.music.folk