Overview

• Bleachers opened the Newport Folk Festival on July 25 with a Newport edition of Antonoff’s annual Ally Coalition Talent Show.
• The benefit concert format raised funds and visibility for The Ally Coalition’s work on LGBTQ+ youth and equality initiatives.
• Guest artists included Jeff Tweedy, Rufus Wainwright, Weyes Blood, Waxahatchee, Dan Reeder and Maren Morris.
• The set featured live premieres and genre-spanning covers, from Williams’ “Mirtazapine” to Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet” and the jazz standard “Dream a Little Dream Of Me.”
• Video recordings and social media highlights from the surprise-filled performance have circulated online as the festival continues through the weekend.