2023 Newport Folk Festival: James Taylor makes surprise appearance on Day 1

The 2023 Newport Folk Festival kicked off in grand style on Friday, July 28. Friends old and new performed at the sold-out festival, the start of two weekends of musical magic at Fort Adams State Park. No doubt it was hot, literally and figuratively!

From headliners including My Morning Jacket, Maggie Rogers, and Nickel Creek to locally-based bands like Laden Valley and Eastern Medicine Singers, the festival provided a range of experiences for dedicated fans. There were highlights throughout the day, including high-energy sets from The Beths, Ron Gallo and The Heavy, Heavy.

The big surprise? Late in the day, the crowd got word that Noah Kahan, previously scheduled to appear on the Quad stage, was ill and unable to perform. So James Taylor, summering nearby in Jamestown, was called in to pinch-hit. Taylor learned he’d be playing literary about an hour before he arrived by boat at Fort Adams. His brief set was sublime; he sang several favorites, including “Something in the Way She Moves,” “Sweet Baby James,” and “Fire and Rain.”

Check out some great pictures of the festival from photographer Gary Alpert below.

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