The Newport Jazz Festival is back! Founded 70 years ago, the historic festival at Fort Adams State Park begins Friday, August 2, and runs through Sunday, August 4. With over 50 performances on the schedule, every fan has their favorite. Below are my “Six Picks” for 2024 with an important reminder – like last weekend’s […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
Inaugural Newport Design Week was a glorious tribute to Newport’s enchanting architecture
You would never have guessed that Newport Design Week was in its first year. Even with the packed crowds at the Newport Folk Festival, Newport Design Week managed to sell out, with fans of interior design attending events among the architecturally stunning buildings of Salve Regina University. Headlined by legendary names in design such as […]
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Isaac Bell House opens for guide-led tours on the weekend after extensive restoration work
After a multi-millionaire renovation project, Preservation Society of Newport County opened up the Isaac Bell House, one of the best surviving examples of Shingle Style architecture in the country. We joined a guide-led tour on Sunday on the opening weekend for the elegant landmark home, designed by the firm of McKim, Mead and White for […]
Posted inCity & Government
Exploring 2024-25 vision with Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain on Wednesday videocast
This may be the dog days of summer, but for school administrators they are days filled with planning for a new school year, which in Newport begins September 6. Superintendent of Schools Colleen Burns Jermain joins WhatsUpNewp for her monthly videocast tomorrow (July 31) at 1:30 p.m. And there’s no shortage of subjects to address. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Folk Festival artists Steve Poltz and John Craigie reflect on their Newport Folk Festival experience
John Craigie is an L.A.-born singer-songwriter who infuses comedic storytelling into his performances. He’s been compared to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and he has collaborated with artists like Jack Johnson, Gregory Alan Isakov, and the Shook Twins. Seattle Newspaper The Stranger has called Craigie “…the lovechild of John Prine and Mitch Hedberg with a […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
What’s Up Interview: Kamasi Washington, headlining the Newport Jazz Festival on Friday, August 2
NOTE: Portions of this story were originally published in May 2023. Kamasi Washington exists on the cutting edge of jazz. He is the avant-garde, who along with a group of fellow visionaries, is setting the tone in the jazz world. Like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, Washington’s music transcends what came before, pushing […]
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From Bike Stage to Harbor Stage: Palmyra’s Newport Folk Festival journey
Palmyra, a folk band, performed at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, marking their third appearance at the event. The trio has played approximately 150 shows and recorded a new album in the past year. “We’ve been keeping busy, for sure,” said one of the band members during an interview with What’sUpNewp on Saturday. After […]
Posted inReal Estate
What Sold: A look at 21 home sales across Newport County (July 22 – 26)
As we move into the third week of July, we are starting to feel a slight shift in the local real estate market. Overpriced inventory is resulting in a longer ‘days on market’ average and an increasing number of homes are experiencing price adjustments. Properties priced appropriately continue to sell quickly, with sellers gradually realizing […]
Posted inNews
What’s Up in Newport this week: July 29 – August 4
Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do in and around Newport, Rhode Island this week/weekend, July 29 – August 4, 2024. This story will be updated throughout the week as we learn of events, meetings, and listings, so please check back often. Do you have something to add to this list or an upcoming […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Stage Hopping at Newport Folk
I spent three wonderful days at the 65th Annual Newport Folk Festival and here’s what went down. Day 1 William Prince opened the festival at The Harbor Stage. His voice is so rich and calming that it lowers my blood pressure. He sang “Goldie Hawn”, a gorgeous tune for his fiancée, and He also gave […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Newport Folk Festival 2024: Conan and Friends wrap up 65th annual event – Day 3 recap and photos
The 2024 Newport Folk Festival is in the books, and oh, what a time it was. The 65th anniversary of the historic festival closed out on Sunday, July 28, with an all-star set led by musician, podcaster, and former late-night host Conan O’Brien. Sprinkling in a bit of comedy as a light rain fell in […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Mum’s the word on what’s driving GOP lackeys
Many decades ago, when I was a college student convinced I knew everything there was to know, in a conversation with my father I labelled someone a hypocrite. Dad stopped me in my tracks. “That is a very loaded word,” he said. “Take care how you use it.” Ever since, I’ve been wary of rushing […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport school dispute heads to what may be a final mediation session
With the opening of school just over a month away, the dispute between the Newport teachers’ union and school administration is still unsettled, with a third and perhaps final day of mediation scheduled for Tuesday, according to Jennifer Azevedo, deputy director of the National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI). “We are scheduled for a third […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Rising Folk trio Oliver Hazard talks about Newport experience
Oliver Hazard, a band from Waterville, Ohio, made their Newport Folk Festival debut on Jul. 27, 2024, opening the day’s performances. The trio, consisting of Michael Belazis, Devin East, and Nate Miner, expressed their surprise and gratitude for the reception at the festival. “It was amazing. We didn’t expect many people to come,” one of […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
From Baton Rouge to Newport: Britti’s Folk Festival journey
New Orleans-based singer Britti is making her debut at the Newport Folk Festival, performing on a bicycle-powered stage. The artist, originally from Baton Rouge, is set to showcase her unique blend of musical styles on a stage where audience members pedal bicycles to generate power for the amplifiers. “I feel like I’m in a dream,” […]
Posted inNews
Newport Folk Festival 2024: High energy at Fort Adams – Day 1 recap and photos
65 years since it was established by the late George Wein, the Newport Folk Festival still knows how to “rumble.” The festival got off to a great start Friday, July 26, with beautiful weather and a diverse line up of new and established stars in folk music and beyond. The Fort Stage opener, Medicine Singers, […]
Posted inNews
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, visits Newport and The Great Elephant Migration
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, made a trip to Rhode Island, in part to promote her latest novel A Most Intriguing Lady at the Ocean House in Watch Hill. The duchess made Newport a stop on her itinerary Thursday, July 25, to visit The Great Elephant Migration that has taken over parts of the Cliff […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Folk Family celebrates return of Newport Folk Festival
It’s hard to find fans anywhere more passionate about music than Newport Folk Festival fans. On Thursday, July 25, a pair of events were organized by members of the “Newport Folk Festival Family,” a Facebook fan group that was started in 2009 and has since grown to over 5,000 members. The afternoon began with a […]
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“A Complete Unknown,” Bob Dylan biopic trailer released – Movie due out in December
Music fans rejoice! The first trailer from the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” dropped earlier today. The two-minute trailer features official footage of Timothée Chalamet, who plays the iconic singer-songwriter, on the Dylan classic “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” with accompanying clips of iconic New York City clubs and concert venues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNNteP22gQ The […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Woods Hole Film Festival to feature documentary “Linda Perry: Let it Die Here” on July 29
A compelling new documentary, screening July 29 at the Woods Hole Film Festival in Woods Hole, MA, examines the life and career of singer, songwriter, and producer Linda Perry. We viewed an advance screener of Linda Perry: Let it Die Here and found it to be an often-disturbing look at a fearless artist in search […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical closes out summer Music Festival series with pianist Lara Downes at The Breakers
Classical pianist Lara Downes returned to Newport to conclude the 55th Newport Classical Music Festival. The closing night concert took place at The Breakers on Sunday, July 21. Attendees who came for the finale of Newport Classical’s summer music series were treated to the glitz and glamor of Gilded Age architecture, expansive ocean views, and […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
“Six Picks” Newport Folk Festival Edition – Don’t miss these sets at the annual festival this weekend
The Newport Folk Festival is back! Founded 65 years ago, the annual event begins on Friday, July 26, at Fort Adams State Park and runs through Sunday, July 28. With over 50 performances on the schedule, every fan has their favorite. Below are “Six Picks” for 2024 with an important reminder – you can’t go […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Concert Recap and Photos: Foo Fighters hit it out of the park at Fenway
One of rock and roll’s all-time greatest bands, the Foo Fighters brought an epic show to Fenway Park on Sunday, July 21, in their first trip to the historic ballpark since 2018. The band played for nearly three hours, powering through a robust set of new music, old favorites, and a few deep cuts to satisfy […]
Posted inNews
What Sold: A look at 20 home sales across Newport County (July 15 – 19)
As we move into the third week of July, we are starting to feel a slight shift in the local real estate market. Overpriced inventory is resulting in a longer ‘days on market’ average and an increasing number of homes are experiencing price adjustments. Properties priced appropriately continue to sell quickly, with sellers gradually realizing […]
Posted inNews
Week in Newport: International Tennis Hall of Fame shines
The Tennis Hall of Fame Open and Enshrinement Weekend was a tennis fan’s dream last week. Coming just after Wimbledon concluded, Newport paid homage to the greatest of the sport in the revered grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF), with legends of the game Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi, Stan Smith, […]