Image via YouTube
Three months after its thrilling 65th annual staging, Newport Folk Festival has shared a behind-the-scenes memory from the unforgettable weekend. In the latest dispatch from its “Behind The Walls” series, the festival pairs Saturday performers Elle King and Bertha: Grateful Drag for an unplugged performance offstage and on the grounds at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. For their team-up, the cover ensemble and country-rock songstress naturally chose to treat the Grateful Dead.
King kicks things off in the video, donning a wig, shades and mustache to become Elle–Drag–King. Recorded against the backdrop of the Fort Adams Harbor Shuttle and Ferry port, the collaborative combo between the Angelino singer-songwriter and Nashville, Tenn.-based band chose to cover “Fire on the Mountain,” drawn from the Dead’s From the Mars Hotel. The stripped-back treatment features acoustic guitars, bass, hand percussion, brushed snare, melodica and stunning vocal harmonies.
Beyond the latest “Behind The Walls” video, Newport Folk Festival has recently commemorated its event with an intimate recording of Taj Mahal performing “Catfish Blues” and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings staging “Hashtag” during their headline set. For more information on Newport Folk Festival and its 2024 staging, visit newportfolk.org.
Watch Elle King and Bertha’s “Fire on the Mountain” below.
The post Watch: Elle King and Bertha: Grateful Drag Team Up for “Fire on the Mountain” Backstage at Newport Folk Festival appeared first on Relix Media.
