Philadelphia-based band SNACKTIME brought their high-energy funk sound to the Newport Folk Festival stage Friday morning, performing their debut set at the prestigious festival from 11:05 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. on the Quad Stage.
The early performance time proved no obstacle for the band, which describes its sound as “funk and roll and a whole lot of soul.” Despite waking up at 6:30 a.m. for the show, frontman Ben Stocker says the audience responded enthusiastically to their set.
“When we said get up, everybody who was sitting, who was able to get up got up,” Stocker said. “They were throwing their hands up and rocking with us the whole time. And that was just a beautiful, wonderful experience. Especially since a lot of them hadn’t seen us before.”
The Newport Folk Festival appearance represents a full-circle moment for Stocker, who attended the Newport Jazz Festival as a spectator more than a decade ago after high school graduation.
“I came to Newport Jazz Festival just to watch it. And it was like, mind-blowing. It was the most beautiful festival that I’ve ever been to,” Stocker said. “And I did not imagine that I’d be playing. Like, never thought of that.”
SNACKTIME joined the festival lineup alongside other performers, including Kenny Loggins, Big Freedia, and Remy Wolf. The band will also performed Friday evening at Newport Blues Cafe with Matthew Logan Vasquez.
The group recently released a new song called “Enough,” which is available on all streaming platforms. Band member Nico Bryant confirmed they are currently working on their first full-length album in the studio.
Snacktime will embark on a tour with established act Fitz and The Tantrums throughout August, covering venues across the East Coast. The tour includes stops at notable venues such as The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on Aug. 14, Citizens House of Blues Boston on Aug. 18, and the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 19.
“It’s a great pairing because we love coming to these audiences that truthfully might not know us. They might be like, who? And then we convert them into our best friends,” Stocker said about the upcoming tour dates.
The band’s musical style draws from multiple genres, incorporating elements of pop and hip hop into their funk foundation. “We draw from pop, we draw from hip hop, we draw from all these different sounds, and we just make it into something crazy,” Stocker explained.
Snacktime’s journey began during the summer of 2020 with free performances in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. These park shows attracted large crowds and led to their first headlining club show, which sold over 900 tickets. The success continued as the group began selling out headlining shows, supporting national touring artists, and performing at major music festivals.
The band’s 2025 schedule includes several high-profile festival appearances beyond Newport Folk, with confirmed dates at Roots Picnic, Boston Calling, and XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, New Jersey, scheduled for Sept. 19.
During their Newport Folk Festival performance, SNACKTIME was joined by the Choir School of Newport County for part of their set, adding a local element to their debut appearance at the festival.
Looking ahead to the rest of their Newport Folk Festival weekend, Stocker expressed particular excitement about seeing Kenny Loggins perform. “I want to see Kenny Loggins so bad,” he said, noting the band plans to stay for the entire festival weekend.
The group’s recent single “SUNSHINE” serves as what they call their “summer anthem” for 2025, complementing their busy touring schedule and festival appearances throughout the year.
The band maintains an active online presence through their website snacktimephilly.com and Instagram account @snacktime. They encourage fans to support them through streaming their music on all major platforms and attending their live performances.
