Jack Antonoff introduced his Ally Coalition Expertise Present from New York Metropolis to Newport People Competition on Friday, primarily splitting his headlining set between a Bleachers gig and a guest-heavy superjam. The large “shock” of the night was when Paramore’s Hayley Williams got here out to provide a reside debut to her new monitor “Mirtazapine.”
Beforehand launched solely on Nashville Public Radio, this was doubtless the primary time many had even heard the tune. For as minimize with a ’90s jagged edge as “Mirtazapine” is, it didn’t really feel overly anatopic at Newport People; maybe it’s as a result of William’s vocals weren’t as washed in delay, or as a result of Antonoff’s acoustic guitar was extra ahead. In addition to which, on the trendy Newport People Competition, somewhat screaming and head-banging isn’t as unfamiliar because it as soon as was.
Williams stayed on to duet with Antonoff on Trendy English’s basic “Soften with You,” contributing to the Competition’s joyous legacy of collaborative tributes.
Whereas her look onstage could have been a shock to some followers, many most likely knew she was coming. As an alternative of secreting herself backstage earlier than the set, Williams loved her first time on the Fort, and might be seen watching Geese’s Cameron Winter’s solo set and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hidden in Items” efficiency from side-stage.
Associated Video
That doesn’t imply Antonoff and Bleacher’s set wasn’t filled with true surprises. Appearances by Maren Morris (for Bleacher’s “Don’t Go Darkish” and never her Antonoff-produced “Welcome to the Finish,” oddly) and Jeff Tweedy (a canopy of Lana Del Rey’s “Margaret” and Wilco’s “Kamera) made sense, as each had been additionally on the Newport People invoice. So had been Waxahatchee and Dan Reeder, however they had been each joined by unlisted visitor Weyes Blood on Roy Orbison’s “You Acquired It” and Reeder’s personal “Perhaps” with Peggy Reeder. Weyes Blood additionally delivered a beautiful “Dream a Little Dream of Me” with Antonoff.
Rufus Wainwright was one other large shock, as he joined the band for Bleacher’s “45” and a canopy of Bob Dylan’s “Not Darkish But.” With a large grin, Wainright thanked Antonoff for inviting him to “do a Bob Dylan tune on the Newport People Competition!”
As for Bleachers’ personal setlist, they performed “91,” “Rollercoaster,” “Goodmorning,” and acoustic model of “I Wanna Get Higher” (which Antonoff famous he initially wrote “as a folks tune however produced it actually loud to cover behind it”), their cowl of The Waterboys’ “The Complete of the Moon,” and “Trendy Lady.” The steadiness between Antonoff originals and guest-aided covers was, admittedly, a bit off for what these Newport People headlining collaborations are usually — and, from what I’ve heard, what the Ally Coalition Expertise Exhibits are usually — however we received to see Hayley motha-effing Williams at Newport People Competition, so we’re not complaining.
Try video and photographs from the set beneath.