Apparently, folk is the new world music: Anything and everything can fall under its umbrella, from bluegrass (Ralph Stanley) to Southern rock (Allman Brothers Band) to jam bands (John Butler Trio and Assembly of Dust). But there was one notable omission: contemporary avant-folk performers popular with hipsters. (Note to producers: try to get Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, and/or Antony and the Johnsons next year.)
As such, the festival looked and felt like its usual self, with a healthy (but not sold-out) crowd of wizened folkies mingling among the younger crowds.
Even though there were three other opening sets Saturday morning and Linda Ronstadt's concert the previous night, Martha Wainwright -- wiping her streaking mascara in the 90-degree heat -- launched the festival with a stellar performance. Later, Wainwright joined her aunt Sloan Wainwright (whose regal voice could fell a redwood) and half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche in a song circle that wrapped a pensive take on Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." It left Harris nodding and mouthing the words as she sat quietly on the sidelines.
Along with her band, the Nocturnals, Grace Potter, towering four inches taller in white leather boots, sang and played as if her amps had gone out -- with force and conviction. (A nice breeze from the water kept her mascara -- and there was plenty of it -- from running.) Too bad they were playingto pockets of empty seats.
But it was still early afternoon, and next up on the main Dunkin' Donuts Stage was the John Butler Trio, a spirited Australian band that got bronzed 20-somethings in flip-flops out of their seats to jam and dance to slogans disguised as song titles: "You Can Do Better Than That."
