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Highlights from 2011 SSF


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There is so much to see and do at the Solid Sound Festival, so everyone experiences different things. I would love to hear highlights from other attendees (other than the love for the cowbell-playing guitar tech).

 

Here are a few of mine:

 

-The dunk tank. Only went from 2-2:30 PM on Sat., but it was a treat. A female volunteer got dunked multiple times, then a guy who was a lawyer went next (maybe Wilco's lawyer, as Jeff knew him). Sam Tweedy got dunked by Jeff (many times), then Spencer Tweedy got dunked many, many times by Jeff and other members of his family (Sam, Jeff's sister and nephew). Jeff's banter during the dunking was priceless ("You people are paying to watch me abuse my children. And the best part is the money is going to charity!")

 

-Story Pirates ("Why would you do what the dog does?"). My kids thought they were a hoot.

 

-"Monday" followed immediately by "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" in Saturday's encore.

 

-Watching the silk screening of the SSF poster (the bomb pop poster). They sold 50 of these for $50 each at 4 PM on Sunday. They went fast.

 

-The art at MassMOCA, especially the 'Workers' video.

 

-JC Brooks and the Uptown Sounds' version of "I am Trying to Break Your Heart". Jeff got on stage to sing with the band, but JC did not see Jeff come on stage. JC turned around and collapsed when he saw Jeff singing behind him. The song was smoking, and it was clear they both had a great time with it.

 

-Free yogurt and chips.

 

-Jamie Lidell's version of "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water".

 

-Finding parking on the street within three blocks of MassMOCA. Two days in a row.

 

-Levon Helm giving it his best shot in singing "Ophelia".

 

So many memories......

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My highlights include:

 

1 - Meeting Pat!

 

2 - Being first in line and getting number 1 of the 100 limited edition posters.

 

3 - Samosa Man.

 

4 - Having the first person I saw Friday morning as I entered the grounds be Jeff!!

 

5 - Having a guy in the poster lineup tell me how he had a bee sting his tongue minutes earlier as he was watching the falconry. The bee was on his burger!

 

6 - Overcoming my extreme fear of heights to see Michael Oatman's "All Utopias Fell".

 

7 - Reservations.

 

8 - Free gourmet popcorn!

 

The whole weekend was just amazing. The vibe was unreal. I didn't see anyone be a dick the entire weekend, so rare! I now get why last year some people said they felt a void after leaving.

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1) Meeting and hanging out with lots of cool people.

2) Hanging out with my sons for their first Wilco show.

3) Watching Jeff play with the falcon, he looked like a kid on Christmas.

4) Two nights of Wilco.

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The whole weekend was mind blowing. The luxury of seeing green grass and trees and the privilege of standing in the glorious rain to watch the best band in world (it hasn't rained here in 4 months and the world is burning, so I enjoyed getting watered). The best part was shaking Jeff's hand at the falconry demo and seeing the fun he and his family were having.

 

DSC_0118.jpg

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Standing in the pouring rain and not giving a shit because Wilco was playing one of the best shows I've seen them do on Friday night and standing in the mud and not giving a shit watching Wilco give the best show I've seen them play on Saturday night and watching Autumn Defense play in the courtyard Sunday afternoon and not caring if it was going to rain or not...

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The crowd keeping Radio Cure moving was awesome! Other highlights that come to mind:

 

1. Watching Glenn's solo performance up close. Seeing him in action is amazing, and the eye candy on display behind made for an awesome sensory experience.

 

2. The exhibits about the labor movement. Very touching.

 

3. Being at a festival with free, very-nearby parking, no crowds and my favorite band playing.

 

4. The Friday night set. The rain sucked, but it seemed to add some energy once it finally let up. And that Poor places -> Reservations -> Kidsmoke was off the charts!

 

5. California Stars with guest vocals from Woody Guthrie's grand-daughter. I don't know if it meant as much to Jeff as he led on, but it seemed a touching tribute to one of the greatest songwriters the world has ever known.

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I loved, loved, LOVED the whole weekend. Aside from the obvious (Wilco, Levon, hanging with dear old friends and new ones), some of the particular highlights for me were:

 

  • Glenn's amazing solo performance in the Hunter Center. I'd only seen a recording of Monkey Chant, and it was something else entirely to watch Glenn perform it live. The other pieces were also excellent.
  • Glenn and Nels's improvised exhibition in that main gallery. Watching them make music so up close and personal was a real treat.
  • During Levon's set, various Wilco members and their families were hanging out in the little side area stage right. From where I was standing (right up front) the little kids enjoying the music were a hoot. There was one adorable little girl in a blue dress wearing headphones who was twirling and jumping around like mad, and Sammy and Spencer (Tweedy) were taking turns bouncing up and down and dancing with her. They were having a ball, and it was so in tune with the sunny, unselfconscious spirit of the weekend.
  • J.C. Brooks seemed like a genuinely funny, sweet guy, and watching Jeff join him for IATTBYH was every bit as hysterical as you'd expect. I kept running into J.C. all weekend, for some reason.
  • Nels actually remembered a brief conversation I had with him last year, when I asked to see his hand the day after the Wilco set. When I had my awestruck fan encounter with him this year, I mentioned the bit from last year, and he said, "yeah, I remember, during Vetiver's set." Shee-it!
  • The dunk tank was hilarious, although it seemed like Jeff really had it in for Spencer! For some reason, he only got Sammy about 1 in 3 times, but with Spencer his aim was eerily perfect. Both of the kids were great sports, though, and so natural and modest with the attention they were getting. It was great to see how genuinely nice and down to earth the whole family seemed.

Overall, I couldn't believe how much fun the whole weekend was--an absolutely glorious time. I'm almost glad about the rain--I think if the sun had been shining it might've been too much to take. This is my favorite band in the world, hands down--just an amazingly talented, sweet-spirited group of guys making incredible music. I can't wait for the new record, the upcoming shows and Solid Sound III next year! :worship

 

P.S. And oh, those samosas and sweet potato fries. . . .:eat

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- Dave Douglas and his band were fantastic on Saturday. The tuba player was producing sounds I never would have thought possible out of a tuba. Nels seemed to be enjoying it as well.

 

- Wilco playing Hotel Arizona on Friday. Introducing the song, Jeff correctly knew that he would forget some of the words which is indicative of how rarely they play the tune live. My favorite song off of Being There.

 

- Playing frisbee with my daughters on Joe's Field on Saturday afternoon, with the mud squishing between our toes.

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How was Thruston Moore? What about John Hodgemen?

I didn't see Hodgemen. Thurston Moore was very good, in the "adult, acoustic singer-songwriter, who-is-Sonic-Youth-and-why-do-people-keep-asking-me-about-them" kinda way. His new songs are beautiful and he played them well...and i kept hoping for some electric.

 

The Thurston and Nels Cline set was 60 minutes of noise - one continuous improvisation as far as I could tell. Every so often the first hints of a melody or rhythm would appear above the noise, but it died away each time. Mainly, it was just fun to watch two absolute legends of guitar up there beating on their guitars (and I do mean beating on their guitars!).

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I won't repeat what a lot of others have shared, here's a few more:

 

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion

267994_10150688459960613_669695612_19340031_6737157_n.jpg

 

 

Jamie Lidell in the rain

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Thurston Moore

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"Wilco Dogs" at the Single A baseball game after the show on Sunday. Messy goodness!

268734_10150688469950613_669695612_19340153_2169498_n.jpg

 

 

Sarah Lee Guthrie and band doing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

268734_10150688469955613_669695612_19340154_3877655_n.jpg

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Really, what everyone's already said I ditto. I am feeling that void, just like last year.

 

One "highlight" I would add that I didn't see already mentioned is Larry Campbell, Theresa and Levon's daughter singing Attics of My Life. Here's a photo of that slice of Solid Sound 2011:

 

Really, what everyone's already said I ditto. I am feeling that void, just like last year.

 

One "highlight" I would add that I didn't see already mentioned is Larry Campbell, Theresa and Levon's daughter singing Attics of My Life. Here's a photo of that slice of Solid Sound 2011:

Whoops, here's that photo now.

 

Really, what everyone's already said I ditto. I am feeling that void, just like last year.

 

One "highlight" I would add that I didn't see already mentioned is Larry Campbell, Theresa and Levon's daughter singing Attics of My Life. Here's a photo of that slice of Solid Sound 2011:

Whoops, here's that photo now.

 

Standing in the pouring rain and not giving a shit because Wilco was playing one of the best shows I've seen them do on Friday night and standing in the mud and not giving a shit watching Wilco give the best show I've seen them play on Saturday night and watching Autumn Defense play in the courtyard Sunday afternoon and not caring if it was going to rain or not...

perfectly said!

Attics of My Life.jpg

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-Jeff coming on with JC Brooks and the uptown sound for IATTBYH, and JC's collapse when he realized Jeff was onstage

-Seeing Thurston and Nels perform together for the first time in 13 years (according to the SS program)

-Walking into the Inglentions exhibit only to see Nels and Glenn performing 10 feet in front of me

-North Adams Steeplecats' cheeseburgers, they were delcious, and they were my dinner for 3 nights in a row

-Standing in the rain to see Wilco

-Hanging with Mikael at his "homemade" exhibition and seeing all the cool synthesizers people were showing off

-The crowd carrying on with "Radio Cure" when the PA cut out, theres a video up on Youtube of the whole song if anyone wants to watch/relive this great moment

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I agree with the steeplecats burgers post...I had them all three days too.

 

Fri Night - Reservations. That song just kills me every time since the first time I heard it. It was so quiet and misty and surreal. I took the time to look around and behnid me during that song... it was an amazing sight.

Sat Night - At Least Thats What You Said.

Sunday - Glenn's show

 

I didn't get to go in 2010 and I always felt like I missed out on something special and boy was that confirmed by going this year. It was pretty special.

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