The Low Anthem Performs At Folk Festival 50

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George Wein's Folk Festival 50, celebrating five decades of folk music in Newport August 1 - 2 at Fort Adams State Park, promises to be a brand-new experience for The Low Anthem's Ben Knox Miller. Instead of working on the festival's recycling team - like Miller did last year - The Low Anthem will take center stage at the world's original folk festival on Saturday, August 1. The group will share the stage with folk legends Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie and Judy Collins and 20-plus other musical acts that feature a mix of classical folk and newer sounds including The Decemberists, Neko Case, Guy Clark, Fleet Foxes, Gillian Welch, Mavis Staples, Iron & Wine, Josh Ritter and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.

In 2008, Miller, as a volunteer on the recycling crew at the festival, handed out tapes of his group's music to staff members and others, just trying to get noticed. Now, The Low Anthem is one of the hottest groups on the scene.

The Low Anthem began in 2006 as collaboration between Miller, a folk musician, poet, and painter from New York's Hudson River Valley and Jeff Prystowsky, jazz bassist and baseball scholar from Jersey. They met in Providence, RI, where the musicians attended Brown University. The two bonded as DJs on WBRU and as teammates in the wood bat summer leagues in rural Connecticut. They began collaborating with classical composer and NASA technician Jocie Adams at Brown in November 2007. Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, the band's third LP was self-released in September 2008. The recording was done during a cold winter on Block Island, RI, over 10 sleepless days and nights with hundreds of live takes. Since the album's self-release, the band has appeared at clubs and halls in their Rhode Island stomping grounds and has dates in The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Canada, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Nashville and beyond.

"Last year Jeff and I managed to get free tickets to the folk festival through Clean Water Action. They handle recycling on the grounds and I was a volunteer, " said Ben Knox Miller. "My job was to sift through trash bins for improperly discarded recyclables. Not a glamorous undertaking. The real magic was that I was able to finagle a pass to do artist recycling. So, of course, I opportunistically stuffed my pockets full of our self-released Oh My God, Charlie Darwin.

"I was filthy, drenched in trash juices. Nothing compares to sun-baked garbage. This was my state when I came across one of the producers, who also works for Paste magazine, and forced our little disc into his clean hands. I was pretty surprised they listened to it, but they did. This year we'll get into the festival again and I solemnly pledge not to discard my recyclables in the normal trash. Pete Seeger and Joan Baez seem like the recycling type, " said Miller.

In addition to Paste singing praises about the band, Spinner's Benjy Eisen labeled the group as "one of the true breakout bands" after its show-stopping performance at Bonnaroo earlier this year. Charlie Darwin is a mix of folk-based, Americana tracks that was deemed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of "this year's best indie records" - with the group's song The Horizon Is A Beltwaybeing called the "standout" track on the album. The Wall Street Journal described the band's"fine new album" as "both clever and affecting."

On Saturday, August 1, from 11:30 am - 7:00 pm at Newport's Fort Adams State Park on Harrison avenue, George Wein's Folk Festival 50 presents A Singalong with Pete & Tao Seeger and Friends; The Decemberists; Fleet Foxes; Gillian Welch; The Avett Brothers; Billy Bragg; Iron & Wine; Mavis Staples; Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman; Ramblin' Jack Elliott; Ben Kweller; The Low Anthem; Tift Merritt; Brett Dennen; Tao Rodriguez Seeger; Langhorne Slim.

Folk Festival 50 continues at Fort Adams on Sunday, August 2, from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm with Pete & Tao Seeger and Friends with special guest Judy Collins; Joan Baez; Arlo Guthrie; Neko Case; The Campbell Brothers; Josh Ritter; Elvis Perkins in Dearland; Tim Eriksen & Shape Note Singers; The Del McCoury Band; Guy Clark; David Rawlings Machine; Balfa Toujours; Dala; Deer Tick; Joe Pug.

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