The upcoming presidential election was on the minds of many performers, and as a result this year's event conjured some of the '60s-era activism so closely associated with the early years of the folk scene. CS&N dedicated "Military Madness" to President Bush -- the song closed with a 7,000-strong chorus of voices chanting "no more war" -- and while the rest of CS&N's set was less overtly political, it was no less incendiary.
Saturday's set list included some of the group's most beloved tunes: "Carry On," "Marrakesh Express," "Helplessly Hoping," "Déjà Vu," "Wooden Ships," and "Teach Your Children." And the gray, grizzled trio not only put its signature harmonies in the pocket (which 35 years out would have been impressive in itself) but sounded absolutely invigorated.
Anchored by Stills's phenomenal and perennially underrated electric guitar, CS&N burrowed into generous, stretched-out arrangements of classics and a handful of new tunes -- David Crosby and Graham Nash have an album out this week and Stills's solo disc is due early next year -- that held their own next to the CS&N standards.
Political commentary ran the gamut from country rebel Steve Earle's thigh-slapping rendition of "(Expletive) the FCC" -- it inspired one audience member to stand and wave a giant American flag -- to Rufus Wainwright's rendition (with mom Kate McGarrigle on piano) of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with a revised lyric: "far from Bush and Cheney" replaced "that's where you'll find me." Wainwright's set yesterday was full of humor and eclecticism and proved a lush tonic in this comparatively serious musical setting.
Earle answered festival promoters' dreams by joining fellow maverick Lucinda Williams for a pair of tunes during her loose-limbed and mostly languid set, which included a slinky cover of Skip James's "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" and slow, juicy versions of gems from her recent album, "World Without Tears."
