Newport Folk Festival 2017 - Saturday
photo by Ben Stas

Justin Vernon covered Bill Withers with Grandma's Hands Band at Newport Folk Festival (watch)

Newport Folk Festival is known for hosting special one-off collaborations between artists, and this year is no different. One of the highlights from Saturday at Fort Adams Park was Grandma’s Hands Band, a Bill Withers cover set from an all-star band made up of Justin Vernon, members of Hiss Golden Messenger, Natalie Prass, Phil Cook, and more, with Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers and Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff providing extra vocals. (Drive-By Truckers played a set of their own on Saturday, while Hurray for the Riff Raff took the stage on Friday) Pictures from the set, which Hiss Golden Messenger called a one-time, unique to Newport Folk Festival event, are in the gallery above, and you can watch videos of two of the covers, “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” below.

Newport Folk Festival continues through the weekend; check out more pictures from Saturday HERE, pictures from Friday HERE, and more on Fleet Foxes’ headlining set HERE. Stay tuned for more from the festival as well.

photos by Ben Stas