Kermit The Frog has just delivered one of the strangest indie-rock collaborations in history, teaming up with members of My Morning Jacket and Sleater-Kinney at the Newport Folk Festival.
Back in July of 1965, the Newport Folk Festival was the site of one of the most divisive moments in musical history. When Bob Dylan decided to plug in his electric guitar in favour of his trademark acoustic, hardcore folk fans hit back, kicking off a controversy that still generates debate to this day.
Over 54 years later, the Newport Folk Festival is still going, but it seems as though folk fanatics have eased up when it comes to following the guidelines of the genre to the letter.
Wrapping up this year’s three-day event on Sunday, the final day of the festival included performances from the likes of Portugal. The Man, Hozier, Nilüfer Yanya, and – of course – Kermit The Frog.
Check out Kermit The Frog at the Newport Folk Festival:
As Pitchfork reports, the iconic Muppet made a surprise appearance on Sunday, dishing out a brief set that featured former Sleater-Kinney member Janet Weiss on drums.
Halfway through a performance of ‘Rainbow Connection’ though, Kermit decided to throw things over to a true legend of the indie-rock genre, welcoming none other than My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.
“Please welcome my friend, Jim James,” Kermit cried out to rapturous applause, opening the door for James to come onstage and deliver a soulful – if not somewhat surreal – performance of the track (which turned 40 years old last month).
As it turns out though, Kermit The Frog and Jim James weren’t the biggest names to surprise fans at the Newport Folk Festival this weekend, with Brandi Carlile delivering a performance from her The Highwomen supergroup.
Featuring Judy Collins, Sheryl Crow, Maggie Rogers, Maren Morris, Linda Perry, Jade Bird, and more, the set also featured a surprise appearance from Dolly Parton, who joined the group for a rousing cover of ‘Jolene’. Check it out below.
Check out Dolly Parton performing with The Highwomen:
