Way Over Yonder 2013 (slide show)

Way Over Yonder, the West Coast outpost of Rhode Island's storied Newport Folk Fest, felt a bit more like a dock party than a festival. The crowd was small and the sound was spotty (every set had a glitch or two), but the Sierra Nevada flowed like wine and the bands put on solid performances—even with some impatient hecklers in the crowd (we hate to say it, but is this a Westside thing?). Calexico nailed their set, as usual, and Justin Townes Earle had all the ladies swooning. Gents had their chance to gush when a churro-hungry Neko Case took the stage, bantering with her band almost as much as she sang. We're not sure how Brett Dennen ended up on the bill—he was like a cheesy, dopey orange on a stage set for apples—but Shovels & Rope, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, First Aid Kit and Conor Oberst more than made up for it, rounding out the fest as one with a small but loyal following already buzzing about next year's lineup.