Watch Jim James and Janet Weiss Perform “Rainbow Connection” with Kermit the Frog at Newport Folk Festival
Images via Mike Lawrie/Getty, YouTube Music News The MuppetsKermit the Frog played a surprise set at Newport Folk Festival on Sunday. The beloved little, green puppet sang “Rainbow Connection” from the 1979 film The Muppet Movie while playing the banjo.
Kermit was backed by a full band including Janet Weiss, the former drummer of Sleater-Kinney who recently announced her departure from the band.
Midway through the performance, Kermit said to the audience, “Please welcome my friend Jim James.” The crowd cheered as the My Morning Jacket frontman stepped onstage to sing the rest of “Rainbow Connection” as a duet with Kermit.
Hi-ho, #NewportFolkFest! Thanks for showing this frog some love and singing along with the sweet sound of “Rainbow Connection.” Someday we’ll find it. pic.twitter.com/LIK6KpqrPS
— Kermit the Frog (@KermitTheFrog) July 29, 2019
I did not wake up today expecting to get a picture of @jazzzhand with Kermit the Frog, but I guess that’s @Newportfolkfest! pic.twitter.com/LWWlO32OEO
— Book More Women (@BookMoreWomen) July 29, 2019
I’m bad at tweeting, but here are some photos of @KermitTheFrog surprising the @Newportfolkfest crowd with a performance of “Rainbow Connection” with @jimjames. Yes, that is an actual sentence I just wrote. (Photos for @ChunkyGlasses) pic.twitter.com/H7hJoMe1aL
— Mauricio Castro (@TheMauricio) July 29, 2019
James and his band announced the limited release of a deluxe edition of their debut album The Tennessee Fire last month. James has been touring in support of that and his 2018 album Uniform Clarity all summer. Weiss, meanwhile, is gearing up for a fall tour with her band Quasi.
Watch the iconic Muppet perform with James and Weiss below, and check out a 2011 My Morning Jacket performance from the Paste archives further down.