What We Saw At The 2016 Newport Folk Festival : All Songs ConsideredMore than four dozen bands played at this year's festival, which was full of serendipitous moments. Our photographer Adam Kissick captured it all.
Raury gets some serious air during his Friday-afternoon set at the Quad Stage.
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Margo Price and surprise guest Kris Kristofferson, backed by The Texas Gentlemen, performed a rousing version of "Me & Bobby McGee" together.
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Psych-blues band Amasa Hines, from Little Rock, Ark., kicked things off at the main stage on Friday morning.
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Backstage Friday at Newport Folk: Violent Femmes were here.
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Laura Veirs, k.d. lang and Neko Case played a stunning Friday-afternoon set as case/lang/veirs.
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"Leaving it all onstage" took on a slightly new meaning for Paul Janeway of St. Paul & the Broken Bones. (Don't worry: He sprang up to attack the next song with gusto.)
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There were some technical difficulties at the top of Brett Dennen's set, but he improvised and played his first few songs solo, with just one working microphone.
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The Arcs ushered in the Newport sunset on Friday evening.
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Flight Of The Conchords closed out Friday at Newport with plenty of laughs.
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In one of Newport's many surprise collaborations, unannounced artists Lucius and Shovels and Rope played at the tiny Museum Stage with The Decemberists' Chris Funk.
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Ruby Amanfu's sultry cover of "I Put A Spell On You" was a crowd favorite on Saturday.
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Oklahoma singer-songwriter John Moreland performed Saturday at the Harbor Stage.
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During Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats' set, Rateliff and special guest Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit engaged in a friendly dance-off...
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...but maybe it was lucky for them that they didn't invite The Oh Hellos to join in.
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Graham Nash gave a mighty performance at Newport on Saturday.
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Early exposure to folk festivals makes kids grow up stronger, smarter and healthier. We think.
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Norah Jones, who played Saturday, is the only artist performing at both Newport Folk and Jazz festivals this year.
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Patti Smith's inspiring, politically-charged set on Saturday evening included "People Have The Power" and her fiery version of The Who's "My Generation."
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Performing at the Newport Folk Festival for the fourth year in a row, the Berklee Gospel and Roots Choir opened the Fort Stage on Sunday morning.
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The Fort Stage is often home to the Newport Folk Festival's largest bands, but Glen Hansard played much of his set there solo.
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Phil Cook's Southland Revue performance included special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama and Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso.
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Julien Baker stunned the Quad Stage audience, who gave her several standing ovations during her set.
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The Preservation Hall Jazz Band brought a taste of New Orleans to Newport.
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Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard howled, snarled and swaggered her way through a powerful closing set on Sunday.
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Against a breathtaking sunset, Alabama Shakes brought the 2016 Newport Folk Festival to a close.
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One of the best Newport Folk traditions? The high-five line after Sunday's final performance.
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Festivalgoers celebrate another great year at Newport Folk.
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There was barely a cloud in the sky all weekend at the 2016 Newport Folk Festival this past weekend. But the uninterrupted stretch of three gloriously sunny days wasn't the only stroke of good fortune festivalgoers encountered. Each day at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I., was filled with surprise guests and moments of serendipity.
Take legendary country songwriter Kris Kristofferson showing up unannounced to perform "Me and Bobby McGee" with rising star Margo Price. Or Glen Hansard inviting an audience member onstage to sing a verse of the Irish folk song "The Auld Triangle." Or Lucius and Shovels & Rope joining forces at Newport's smallest stage for "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" — which was then sung the next day on the festival's biggest stage by Elvis Costello himself.
Fueled by adrenaline and plenty of cold-brew coffee, our intrepid photographer Adam Kissick documented it all. Here's some of what we saw. Here's some of what we heard.