Mizzy

Is the BBQ at Rudy's?

I was hoping that a major spring and/or summer tour announcement would accompany the Solid Sound announcement but what i'm guessing is that they want to sell some 3 day passes to that event first before they announce where else they'll be. I noticed there isn't the "only east coast show this___" on the press release (like there was last time), which is a good sign.

I for one will still be going to solid sound if they play the town i live in (a possibility considering we have a 3,500 capacity venue). In fact i'd go to both. I'm not off base in assuming most fans that would go to Solid Sound would see another show (or two or more) on the tour. Right?

Just received this from Wilco HQ:

 

WILCO: Solid Sound Update

A dozen reasons to get off the couch and head to Solid Sound this weekend

12. The Perseid Meteor shower peaks tomorrow night (Thursday). But to really see it, you have to get away from the city lights..

 

11. There's a sales tax holiday in Mass. this weekend (14/15), so you can shop and rock for less.

 

10. Two words: Jacket Weather. Escape the dog days in the city and head for the mountains: fantastic forecast for North Adams this weekend (sunny, highs in the upper 70s, lows around 60)

 

9. Admit it, you're itching for one last road trip before summer ends and reality beckons. Check these promotions with Zip Car for rentals and ZimRide for sharing.

 

8. Speaking of road trips; the journey can be just as fun as the destination. There are 3 drive-in movie theaters en route to North Adams -- (Hyde Park Drive-in (NY), Pleasant Valley Drive-in (CT), and Northfield Drive-in (NH/MA/VT border). Or for a different slice of Americana, local minor league baseball teams at home this weekend include the Tri-City Valleycats (Troy, NY), Lowell Spinners (MA) and Pittsfield Colonials (MA).

 

7. If you're the outdoorsy type, there is great hiking, kayaking, camping etc. all over the area. Mass., VT, and NY state recreation websites can direct you or check this out here.

 

6. Plus, there's fine dining from one extreme to the other: Pedrin's Dairy Bar (home of the fish fry) and Jack's hot dog stand in North Adams , Mezze in Williamstown, and the Gramercy Bistro at MASS MoCA.

 

5. Once you're in the festival, you can come and go as you please. Want to go the the Clark Museum, the ropes course at Jiminy Peak or get all spiritual at the Hancock Shaker Museum? No problem... split for a while and come back.

 

4. When you're at MASS MoCA you'll join people from at least 40 states and 10 countries at the festival, making it both an international and cross-country scene (new friends, perhaps?) There, in addition to the festival, you'll have full run of the museum... including Time Magazine's #1 museum installation of the year, the Sol Lewitt Retrospective.

 

3. How about the festival programming? The great music, from Wilco to the band members individual projects to Mavis Staples, Sir Richard Bishop and a ton more cool stuff, plus the comedy and performance spaces where you can see Todd Barry, Kristen Schaal, John Mulaney and Hannibal Buress and multiple performances by the Bread and Puppet Theatre Co. and Story Pirates. Not to mention exhib its including Glenn Kotche's "prepared drums" (which you can play), Nels Cline's Stompbox Station... (again you can play), Polaroid photos from Patrick Sansone, Cassandra C. Jones's video installation, a pair of Luthiers explaining their work, live poster screen-printing, a dunk tank, a record store where you can listen to lots of vinyl (etc.) on a Solid Sound system, plus... A veritable world of fun. Oh and if you get weary, we've got some of North America's best coffee from the Intelligentsia Coffee bar/lab., plenty of local food/drink vendors and a bar. Complete schedule here.

 

2. Mavis Staples performance at Lollapalooza last weekend (inc. a guest appearance by "Tweedy", as Mavis refers to him) was, according to all reports, one of the highlights of the festival. Just sayin'....

 

1. And, lucky you, it's not too late. Tickets are still available and will be at the box office all weekend. Be there.

#6 can't be stressed enough. Jack's alone is worth the trip.

This sucks. No more North American shows until 2011? Hopefully they mean January.

And whats the hurry on a new album?

Usually emails from HQ bring a smile to my face, this one is a bummer.

Deeper Down is my least favorite Wilco track, from any album. For the past two shows that i've attended it has been used as a bathroom break, much in the way Outlaw Pete is used in a similar fashion at Springsteen shows. It's a complete buzzkill, stopping any positive momentum in its tracks.

My concert mates and i often ask, "why do Wilco love that song so much"? We've always been baffled. It didnt really accur to me until today that people liked it. Its cool if you do, i'm not going to tell you not to. But for me, it just puts the breaks on all the good vibes Wilco throws out there. Too slow, combined with too bland.

I think we were two rows behind. I saw two little girls in mint green-ish sweatshirts and found them ABSOLUTELY adorable! I hope they enjoyed the show as much as we all did!

If you were two rows behind them then you were one row behind me, Orchestra C was the place to be.

I think i'm almost sold on camping. It's just too beautiful up there and so much cheaper. I mean the lake, the trees the August nights. I have a call in as I can't seem to find anywhere to reserve on line. I am looking into this place that was recommended earlier in the thread.

 

http://northadams-ma.gov/index.php?nav_id=75

You could walk from Windsor Lake to Mass MOCA, but its a relatively steep downhill from the lake to Church St and then a gradual downhill from Church St to the museum. Coming back, after a show, is going to be a hell of a workout on your calves and hamstrings.

Windsor Lake is a cool spot, i used to have rugby practice there once in a while.

Thanks for the tip, I am flying from the west. If I fly into Albany will I somehow not need a car?

I would say that you would almost certainly need a car. While it make actually be possible to take a bus or taxi to a train station in Albany and then take a train to Pittsfield and then a bus to North Adams, i can say with near certainty without ever having met you that you're not going to want to do that. If, its even cheaper than simply renting a car.

I'd try to hook up with some other VCers flying in and split the cost of a mini-van. If you're staying at the Holiday Inn you wont really need a car once you get there, but if you're staying at the one of the B&Bs you will definately need some transportation.

I'll 2nd the general sentiment about the Holidy Inn. If you've ever been to a Holiday Inn before, its just like that, its a Holiday Inn. Beyond that it has the benefit of a decent bar and a very very central location.

Is it worth 180 dollars a night on any other days than August 13-15? Of course not. But is it worth it if you're coming from far away for this festival? Definately.

As a former North Adams state student i was greeted with a link to the article with the preface of "This reads like an April Fools Joke". I'm lightheaded. I can't belive this is happening.

To the out of staters looking to save money:

Camp at the Mohawk State Forest

Get all of you food at Jack's (eat big on Saturday its closed on Sundays)

See a bunch of weird art at Mass Moca

Rock to Wilco

there you go, thats your weekend.