Ben Harper returned to school in triumph last Saturday, as he and friends Jackson Browne and Taj Mahal headlined the Claremont Folk Festival at Harper's childhood alma mater, Claremont Elementary School.

Browne, who Harper called a "friend and a hero," opened with a stunning version of 'The Barricades of Heaven,' and continued with an acoustic set that mixed old classics such as 'For Everyman' and 'These Days,' with the rare 'Drums of War.' Browne also performed a new song, which he introduced as having written for his girlfriend. "It doesn't have a title and it might could use another verse," he told the crowd. He then dedicated the final song, an achingly beautiful rendition of 'Something Fine' to Alma, a little girl seated on the bales of hay that provided the makeshift barricade to the stage.

The backdrop brought up nostalgia for Harper as the festival, now in its 28th year, was started by his grandparents, Dorothy and Charles Chase. Before his opening 'Pleasure and Pain,' he spoke of getting his grandmother's approval. "This is the first song I wrote where my grandmother Dot said, 'You might be able to make something of this.'" Grandma and grandpa would've been more than proud that day.