Hil in the Dig this week: Newport Folk, Ladies Rock and more...

that's l'il ol' me interviewing taylor goldsmith of dawes and mr. john shade at newport folk 2010. photo: jess hodge

today, i ran out, bought a baguette, a hunk of manchego and a chocolate bar, and sat down on my couch with the fan pointed directly at me for a day-long Top Chef marathon. why the laziness/comfort food? after this past weekend, which was filled with the music festival of my dreams, quality time with best friends/partners in crime and some good ol' fashioned late night debauchery, i. am. beat.

it's cool, though, because i spent all day writing yesterday and today. what have i been working on? The Newport Folk Festival Run-Down, Day 1 and Day 2 for the Weekly Dig.

covering newport folk this year was inspiring and enlightening, to say the very least. i saw one of the best live sets of my life courtesy of Dawes. i hung out along the waterfront with Christian Letts of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros after their set that nearly had to be cancelled due to the insane crowd that swarmed the stage. i got to catch up with the Matt the Ice Cream Man and see how his road trippin' series is going.

to single out one moment of the weekend would be tricky. OH WAIT. no, actually, it wouldn't be tricky at all. i got to sit down with my favorite band, the Avett Brothers, and talk about their music and their contribution to the Newport Folk legacy before their set on sunday.

i gush about them in the second day of the Dig's Newport Folk blog writeups, but there's really so much more that could be said for these guys. maybe i'll post the transcript from the interview here eventually. in the meantime, i'll let you look at jess' absolutely phenomenal photographs [PLEASE look at her tumblr, by the way] that she snapped during the interview and the avett brothers set on the fort stage:

scott avett backstage. swoooooon?

seth avett backstage.

this man singing "the ballad of love and hate" brings me to tears, always.

JOE MOTHERLOVIN' KWON ON THE CELLO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

this dude is a four-stringed wailin' wonder.

bob crawford, aka one of the best bass players in existence.

can we talk about seth's hair here, please?

aaaaaand a banjo-gasm from scott avett.

please and thank you.

in addition to my newport fangirly glee, i also have a piece in print making the rounds this week - a lady rock showdown for an upcoming show at the middle east! if you pick up the dig this week, you'll find my feature on women in boston rock in the arts & entertainment section. this was one of the most fun photoshoots i've ever worked with mikey (mad props for such a stellar photo, mr. basu) and hanging out with the girls of this blue heaven, the downbeat 5, the sun lee sun beam, st. helena, do not forsake me oh my darling and naked on rollerskates was great great great. also, can we talk about this photo?

so, folks, that's what i've been up to :) pick up the dig or check it out online, but either way, you'll be reading some stuff of mine!

now, it's off to family dinner at dalí and hopefully a pimm's cup this evening or something. august, how did you show up so fast?

X H

my avett brothers fangirldom knows no bounds.

seriously, guys. i'm obsessed. since folk festival 50 i can't stop listening to the second gleam and emotionalism by the avett brothers. also, JOHN HUGHES DIED?! :( anyone down for a breakfast club/pretty in pink/sixteen candles/st elmo's fire/ferris bueller/home alone marathon this weekend? preferably sunday?

anyways. here's an adorable video of the avett brothers all up in the back of their tour bus playing my favorite song of theirs, "will you return". enjoy :D

TeaParty Boston at Newport Folk Festival 50, Lake George and more! EEEEEEP!!!!

image via cute overload.

i am happier than this happy bunny becaaaaause

a) on a whim, i took the last two days of this week off, and i'm going to be driving up to lake george tomorrow afternoon for two days of bliss in the wilderness of upstate new york with my absolute favorite new yorkers who have not seen in FOR EV ER. lake? beerz? best friends? SIGN ME UP.

b) on friday night, jessie and i are hopping in the car and leaving cambridge for newport, rhode island because TEAPARTY BOSTON IS COVERING THE NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL. it's the festival's 50th anniversary and anyone who follows american folk/rock/indie music knows that THIS IS A BIG DEAL. our press credentials were approved yesterday so we're going to be seeing some of our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BANDS [the avett brothers! the low anthem! the decemberists! iron & wine! elvis perkins in dearland! deer tick! ben kweller! EEEEE!!!!!!] and writing about it so that you guys can live vicariously through us for a bit. we'll be live blogging/tweeting the shows, too, so keep a look out.

in other news: works good, apartment's good, and boston fiiiinally decided it was summertime. i have never been so happy to sweat profusely in my LIFE.

i love this song.

the happy things list is still totally in effect, but for some reason this song can't get out of my head today.  i've been listening to the avett brothers for a couple of years now and their 2007 release, emotionalism, is one of my favorite albums of all time.  the following performance by seth avett is of one of only songs ever that actually move me to tears.  (you won't know the other ones unless you know me really well, and even then there's some guesswork involved.) "the ballad of love and hate" probably tops the list of the most beautifully tragic and gently heartbreaking ballads i've heard, ever, and the lyrics to me are pure poetry.

so, without further ado, here's the words to the avett brothers' ballad of love and hate.

Love writes a letter and sends it to Hate:

“My vacation’s ending, I’m coming home late.

The weather was fine and the ocean was great,

And I can’t wait to see you again.”

Hate reads the letter and throws it away.

“No one here cares if you go or you stay.

I barely even noticed that you were away.

I’ll see you, or I won’t.  Whatever.”

Love sings a song as she sails through the sky.

The water looks bluer through her pretty eyes

And everyone knows it whenever she flies

And also, when she comes down…

Hate keeps his head up and walks through the street.

Every stranger and drifter he greets,

And shakes hands with every loner he meets

With a serious look on his face.

Love arrives safely with suitcase in tow.

Carrying with her the good things we know:

A reason to live, and a reason to grow,

To trust, to hold, to care.

Hate sits alone on the hood of his car,

Without much regard to the moon or the stars

Lazily killing the last of a jar

Of the strongest stuff you can drink.

Love takes a taxi; a young man drives.

As soon as he sees her, hope fills his eyes.

But tears follow after at the end of the ride

‘Cause he might never see her again...

Hate gets home lucky to still be alive.

He screams o’er the sidewalk and into the drive.

The clock in the kitchen says 2:55,

And the clock in the kitchen is slow.

Love has been waiting, patient and kind.

Just wanting a phone call, or some kind of sign.

That the one that she cares for, who was out of his mind,

Will make it back safe to her arms.

Hate stumbles forward and leans in the door:

Weary head hung down, eyes to the floor.

He says, “Love, I’m sorry.”And she says, “What for?

I’m yours, and that’s it, whatever.”

“I should not have been gone for so long.

I’m yours, and that’s it, forever.

You’re mine, and that’s it, forever.”