Newport Folk Festival is one of the most unique gatherings and settings on the festival circuit. Nowhere else can you sit on a blanket, crush oysters, drink wine and vibe out to some of the absolute best acts in the folk and Americana genres. Over the years, Newport has made its name on its immense history, and this year that was in full force as the festival honored the 50th anniversary of arguably its most famous moment–when Bob Dylan plugged in and went electric in 1965. 

This year was full of plenty of surprises–My Morning Jacket showed up to back Roger Waters, James Taylor strolled in off his sailboat (probably) for a touching and thoughtful acoustic set, Dawes held down the ’65 Revisited set, just to name a few, to go along with stellar sets from The Lone Bellow, Jon Batiste, Leon Bridges, Courtney Barnett and many more. 

Among all the acts, the Relix staff on-site decided to hand out some superlatives to some of our favorite bands throughout the weekend. 

Most Likely to Sit In | Sara Watkins

Few musicians were as busy as Sara Watkins of Watkins Family Hour over the weekend in Newport, RI. The violinist made the rounds, appearing at some of the most high profile gigs over the weekend (’65 Revisited, Roger Waters & My Morning Jacket), other bands (The Lone Bellow) as well as hosting her very own pre-party along with Watkins Family Hour where the band jammed with a variety of Newport favorites. Watch Watkins join The Lone Bellow for “Diners” from that show. 

Best Rick Moranis Impression | Taylor Goldsmith

Come on. It’s uncanny. Goldsmith and Dawes get a special shoutout for being the brightest spot of a particularly run of the mill tribute set to Bob Dylan’s famed 1965 set. The band managed to wrangle a slew of musicians close to them, including Deer Tick and Blake Mills, to jam on a variety of tunes. If the set was more of Dawes backing rock and roll Dylan tunes with their friends, it might’ve gone over better than it did. 

Best Grateful Dead Cover | Watkins Family Hour

As if Sara Watkins hadn’t already done enough, when she hit the stage with Watkins Family Hour, the group delivered a heartfelt and touching rendition of the Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” If the Fare Thee Well emotions were still lingering somewhere inside of you, they managed to bring them out as Watkins commanded the powerful lyrics and the band provided the type of delicate and thoughtful instrumentation needed on a quality “Brokedown Palace.” 

Sweatiest Band | The Lone Bellow

The new darlings of the folk/Americana world are also among the sweatiest. Touring around their stellar new Aaron Dessner-produced LP Then Came the Morning, The Lone Bellow bounced all around the stage, delivering every cut with the utmost intensity. It also didn’t help that Zach Williams and Brian Elmquist came out in all black on a hot day in Newport. Williams and Elmquist splashed around on stage all the while Kanene Pipkin, the other third of the core group (and “most talented” member), proved that angels are incapable of sweating. 

The sweat is a signifier of the passionate performance, which also included stellar sit-ins from Sara Watkins, Leon Bridges and Lucius, as the Brooklyn folk rockers delivered raw, emotional tunes to a festival that will gladly rock, and sweat, along with them. Listen to the full set here.

Biggest Crowd for a Non-Headliner | Lord Huron

Newport Folk Festival is a small gathering, with most people setting up chairs in a designated section in front of the Fort Stage and relaxing throughout the day with their various wines and cheeses as sailboats decorate the backdrop. For the headliners, the area fills in nicely, with most attendees flocking to the Fort Stage for the final act of the day. Rarely however did the area fill up quite like a headliner than it did for Lord Huron, who performed on the final day of the festival. The pit filled up so quickly before the band came on, security was funneling people to the back of the staging area on a crosswalk, with the overflow causing a ton of traffic by the stage. An impressive showing from the LA folk rockers as they stood and delivered for their overflowing, enthusiastic audience. 

Best Set Before Noon | The Ballroom Thieves

Emerging from the haze of Saturday night was The Ballroom Thieves, who provided the soundtrack to your morning coffee (and oyster) with their beautiful harmonies and, at times, rocking instrumentation. This is as versatile a band as you could’ve seen at Newport Folk, combining all of the sensibilities of the genre with a particular flare at times. One of the highlights was the above tune, “Bury Me Smiling,” led by the angelic voice of Calin Peters. 

Best Dylan Impression | Willie Watson

Another bright spot in the ’65 Revisited set came in the form of Willie Watson, who undoubtedly took home the award for Best Bob Impression in a set full of Dylan’s material. While Watson hung around for a few songs throughout the set, his moment in the spotlight came early on, with a solo rendition of Dylan’s “All I Really Want to Do.” From the hat to the voice to the harmonica solo, Watson is a dead ringer for Mr. Dylan. 

Best Rendition of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” | Jon Batiste & Stay Human

Colbert did good. He did real good. Jon Batiste & Stay Human continue to impress on stage, taking the crowd on a humorous journey with jazz arrangements of classics like “Home on the Range,” “Blackbird” and of course, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” which evolved into a full-on New Orleans throwdown. Batiste and his band have the ability to make you dance and laugh all at the same time, making them a pretty good pick for a late night comedy show. 

Best Backing Band | My Morning Jacket

Newport 2015 peaked on the very first day, as My Morning Jacket surprised to play their own set and then back Roger Waters on a set full of his music along with Pink Floyd favorites. The highlight, along with “Brain Damage” > “Eclipse,” was a closing singalong of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” Waters remarked that it wouldn’t be right to be on that stage and not honor Dylan, so the ensemble dropped into a rowdy closing number. That tune more than any others also showcased Jacket’s immense talent, as Jim James shared lead vocals with Waters and Carl Broemel handled a majority of the guitar work. 

Most High Profile Name Drops | James Taylor

James Taylor’s surprise set lasted all of 30-35 minutes and undoubtedly contained more high profile name drops than any human has ever put into that amount of time. A lot of people might forget that Taylor has basically seen it all. He told a story about recording “Carolina In My Mind” while watching The Beatles record The White Album shortly after being signed to Apple Records. He also mentioned his time with Carole King prior to “You’ve Got a Friend” and even brought out the legend George Wein at the end of his set. Taylor also recounted the night his set was cut short due to the moon landing. Which is still news to Lloyd Christmas. 

There wasn’t a hit of narcissism in these, either. Rather it was an incredible way of making an extremely intimate set feel even more intimate. It almost felt like we were all sitting around a campfire together with James Taylor as he told stories about the good ol’ days. 

Best Dressed | Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges has “next” in just about every category. An honest-to-God soul singer who can command a crowd with his voice, backed by a band rooted in jazz, funk, soul and R&B is a lethal combination in front of a crowd just begging for something to dance to. On top of all of it, these dudes also come in their finest threads. 

Best Non-Traditional Newport Act | Courtney Barnett

“Thank you for standing….in front of your seats,” Barnett said in her classic deadpan delivery. The Aussie rocker was one of the few non-folk bookings on the bill, along with The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson, but credit to both of them for not shying away from their authentic brand of rock and roll. Barnett was put on the Quad Stage, a setup that includes about 25 rows of seating. Not ideal for a rock show, but Barnett and her talented band made the most of it with their expert musicianship and compelling songwriting that has endeared Barnett to listeners.