Newport Festival Foundation Gull and Stars Event f. Laden Valley, the Ballroom Thieves, and Chance Emerson - 4/12/25 Jane Pickens Theatre

Bring It On Home

Every Newport Festivals show has a certain feel to it, and tonight's annual member was evident of that. Held at the venerable Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport, RI, this years member event starred local favorites Laden Valley, Boston-based the Ballroom Thieves, and Chance Emerson - a recent Brown graduate.

Rather than three separate sets, this show juggled the artists every few songs in a very conscious way, highlighting the individual artists, and then bringing them all together collectively, building in intensity. After a few of their songs, Laden Valley brought out students from the Newport Music Lab for a cover of "Come Together", and then the Ballroom Thieves for the single they recorded together, the beautiful "There Was A Light".

The setlist featured some great covers - Chance Emerson, who has a powerful voice, did "Graceland" and later on a fantastic "Midnight Rider". The Ballroom Thieves did "These Days" (Jackson Browne), and the whole ensemble did "I Love You Always Forever" (Donna Lewis), and encored with "Country Roads" (John Denver).

This night reminded me of all the things I love about this community, and how much those days in July mean to so many folks.