photos by Dean Budnick

Newport Folk Festival returned to Fort Adams State Park on Friday to kick off this year’s gathering, which offered a number of day-one collaborations, including guest-filled sets from headliner Phil Lesh and fellow main-stage acts Warren Haynes and Sheryl Crow.

First up was Haynes, who ran through a number of tunes from his solo and Gov’t Mule catalogs, including Haynes’ co-write “Two of a Kind,” for which he welcomed out former Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed. To close his set, Haynes brought up a trio of guitarists, Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson and Jonathan Wilson, to help out on a two-song run of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Find the Cost of Freedom” and Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War.”

Next up was Sheryl Crow, who fit several sit ins into her set. The singer-songwriter wasted no time, kicking off her performance with Brandi Carlile on Crow’s hit “If It Makes You Happy” and a cover of George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness,” which is included on Crow’s upcoming collaborative album, Threads (Carlile also appears on the studio version, along with Eric Clapton and Sting). Immediately after, Crow welcomed out Carlile’s Highwomen bandmate Maren Morris for Threads opening track “Prove You Wrong,” which features Morris and Stevie Nicks. Jason Isbell then emerged to guest on his own contribution Threads, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Everything is Broken.” Finally, Crow closed out her set with her hit “Everyday is a Winding Road,” featuring guests James Taylor and former Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench.

As The Highwomen were playing their first official set (which featured a sit in from English singer-songwriter Yola) on the Quad stage, Phil Lesh closed out Newport’s main Fort stage in the evening, offering a set of Grateful Dead tunes and more with his Terrapin Family Band. The collective opened with Dead favorites “Jack Straw,” “Friend of the Devil” and “Samson and Delilah” before welcoming out Benmont Tench for “Eyes of the World.” Tench would stick around for the remainder of the set, while Warren Haynes came out for CSNY’s “Almost Cut My Hair.” After “Unbroken Chain” and “Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad,” Lesh and company closed out their performance with the classic “Not Fade Away,” with Sheryl Crow and and Audley Freed, who tours in Crow’s band.

Check out the setlists below, along with photos and fan-shot video of some of the collaborations. Newport Folk continues today with music from Jeff Tweedy, Dawes, Maggie Rogers, Lucy Dacus, a closing set from ♀♀♀♀: The Collaboration and more. Fans can catch live audio streams of some of the sets here.

Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band
Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI

Jack Straw, Friend of the Devil, Samson and Delilah, Eyes of the World*, Almost Cut My Hair*^, Unbroken Chain*, Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad*, Not Fade Away*+

Notes: * w/ Benmont Tench
^ w/ Warren Haynes
+ w/ Sheryl Crow and Audley Freed

***

Warren Haynes
Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI

Patchwork Quilt, Traveling Tune, Glory Road, Real Thing, Indian Sunset, Two Of A Kind*, Soulshine, Find The Cost of Freedom^> Masters Of War^

Notes: * w/ Audley Freed
^ w/ Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson and Jonathan Wilson

Source: facebook.com/warrenhaynes

***

Sheryl Crow
Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI

If It Makes You Happy*, Beware of Darkness*, Prove You Wrong^, Everything Is Broken+, Maybe Angels, Leaving Las Vegas, My Favorite Mistake, Best of Times, Soak Up the Sun, Everyday is a Winding Road+

Notes: * w/ Brandi Carlile
^ w/ Maren Morris
+ w/ Jason Isbell
+ w/ James Taylor and Benmont Tench

Source: setlist.fm