Solid Sound 2013

[tinnitus photography]

someone, please shut down the internet.

[mariana neri]

Lofty Ambitions Jeff Tweedy oversees a festival that fits his band’s artistic breadth—and includes an all-request night. PAUL ROBICHEAU

 

Jeff Tweedy doesn’t like music festivals. “I often say, sort of semi-jokingly, that I wouldn’t go to any festival unless I was getting paid, because it’s just not in my nature,” the leader of Wilco says, citing discomfort with crowd sizes as well as the distance between stages at the major festivals that his band plays. “Most of the time, it’s an in-and-out proposition, trying to minimize the misery.”

 

Solid Sound—a Wilco-curated festival in its third year at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art’s factory complex in the Berkshires—provides the exception. “If you go to a restaurant with a small menu and you can hone in on what you want, you always end up being a lot more satisfied, and that’s the way I look at Solid Sound,” Tweedy says. “It’s a lot more manageable, and it’s a festival that I think I would enjoy going to.”

 

For starters, the June 21–23 fest offers what he calls its strongest lineup of “bands we love.” In addition to two nights headlined outdoors by Wilco, this year’s Solid Sound includes Neko Case, Yo La Tengo, Foxygen, Low, the Dream Syndicate, Medeski Martin & Wood and Border Music, a guitar duo of Marc Ribot and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo. “Hopefully, we’ll have a lot of interaction,” says Tweedy, whose band also returns to the area in a supporting role on July 20, joining My Morning Jacket on a Bob Dylan bill at the Comcast Center.

 

The family-friendly Solid Sound lets Wilco stretch into side projects and installations as well. Bassist John Stirratt and guitarist/keyboardist Pat Sansone feature their band, the Autumn Defense. Mikael Jorgensen dips into synthesizer jams, while Nels Cline joins jazz upstart Julian Lage in another guitar duo. Drummer Glenn Kotche presents “Earth Drums,” a hands-on percussion exhibit throughout the MASS MoCA campus. And Tweedy has created a simulated audio-visual view of the Loft, his group’s Chicago studio space.

 

Tweedy has long viewed Wilco fans as collaborators. “If they’re demonstrative and feeding the band a certain amount of energy, that’s a real collaboration,” the singer/songwriter/producer says. “There’s a real exchange there, of ideas or at least spirit and energy.”

 

Along those lines, one of the festival’s most intriguing events will be Wilco’s first all-request show on opening night. The band solicited suggestions through online votes through June 4. “There are a lot of serious requests that people have put thought into,” Tweedy reports, mentioning the Modern Lovers classic “Roadrunner” (currently in the running to be designated the Massachusetts state rock song) and the sinewy Television opus “Marquee Moon.” Tweedy once took lessons from Richard Lloyd, half of Television’s guitar tandem, and secured his Tom Verlaine-comparable foil when Cline joined Wilco.

 

Encore requests will be drawn more spontaneously through Twitter and a round of “Stump the Band,” where comedian John Hodgman will play the Johnny Carson role, soliciting fan requests live. “There isn’t a lot of rock music that we aren’t machined to at least attempt,” Tweedy says. “We have a lot of faith in our audience and in ourselves.”

 

Wilco showcased its range on 2011’s exceptional The Whole Love. Opener “Art of Almost” shifts from electronic bleeps and breakbeats to a thrashing coda where Cline goes wild, serving sharp contrast to the band’s Beatles-esque pop leanings and alt-country roots. “For me, the freedom of rock music was to just be able to grab whatever you f***ing wanted, from wherever you wanted,” says Tweedy, 45. “As I’ve gotten older, and Wilco’s been around longer, that’s the only way that it stays interesting.”

 

Despite Wilco’s well-documented upheavals in membership, the current sextet has remained intact for about half of the band’s 19-year journey. “That was more of the goal than having the revolving lineup,” he says. “My idea of a band is still and always will be the Monkees. I expected to live with people that I made music with, to slide down the fire pole and play a song for the visiting ambassador of Egypt.”

Wilco plays the Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA on June 21–23.

 

http://www.improper.com/going-out/lofty-ambitions/

[Guest Jules]

someone, please shut down the internet.

 

It'll be ok.  I was just wondering.

[tinnitus photography]

exactly.

[rhino4evr]

wow..so Roadrunner and Marquee Moon look like possibilities. AWESOME. I hope they do a soundboard recording of this show!!!

[Magnetized]

Woohoo! Marquee Moon was my request, and I asked all my friends to vote for it. Of course, it may not have been ALL my doing, but I'm taking credit for it!

[twoshedsjackson]

Woohoo! Marquee Moon was my request, and I asked all my friends to vote for it. Of course, it may not have been ALL my doing, but I'm taking credit for it!

As you should. Great choice.

[dorisey]

Hi Dorisey!

 

I would be interested. I currently have a room booked 15 miles from the festival and would love to stay closer.

Hi Sandy, that's great!  You can email me offline at dorisey@gmail.com

 

Woohoo! Marquee Moon was my request, and I asked all my friends to vote for it. Of course, it may not have been ALL my doing, but I'm taking credit for it!

I requested a different Television song - I think I asked for "Friction"

[worldrecordplayer]

Woohoo! Marquee Moon was my request, and I asked all my friends to vote for it. Of course, it may not have been ALL my doing, but I'm taking credit for it!

There are few songs in rock history as good as Marquee Moon. I didn't request it, but I sure hope they play it.

[holyshit]

I didn't want to interfere with the previous poster, but I, too, have an extra bed at the Willows. My (adult) offspring and I are driving in Thursday and leaving Monday, so the space is available for any or all of those four nights.  We shower regularly, do not snore, and have never been convicted of any felonies.  Just ask Kidsmoke or Wilco Me.

 

Time is getting short, so et's make a deal!

And I meant "let's". I am old. Thank you.

[dorisey]

I didn't want to interfere with the previous poster, but I, too, have an extra bed at the Willows. My (adult) offspring and I are driving in Thursday and leaving Monday, so the space is available for any or all of those four nights.  We shower regularly, do not snore, and have never been convicted of any felonies.  Just ask Kidsmoke or Wilco Me.

 

Time is getting short, so et's make a deal!

 

And I meant "let's". I am old. Thank you.

Holyshit, I haven't heard back from Sandy yet - how many people are you and your offspring - just 2?  if you want to combine forces for the friday/saturday shoot me an email!  dorisey@gmail.com

[worldrecordplayer]

[dorisey]

fyi all, i was able to consolidate with one of the members above, so if anybody was trying to nab a room closer to the venue, there's now one in the Williams Inn up for grabs!  Just 5 miles out from the Venue in Williamstown.  Look forward to seeing you all there!

[Magnetized]

It's a little early still for a weekend weather forecast since most of them just go 10 days out. But I did find one site that gave a general forecast week by week for the month. Not too trustworthy this far out, but looking good so far!

 

 

JUNE 2013: temperature 65° (avg.); precipitation 3.5" (avg.); Jun 1-4: T-storms, then sunny, cool; Jun 5-9: T-storms, warm; Jun 10-21: Showers, cool; Jun 22-25: Sunny, hot; Jun 26-30: Scattered t-storms, cool.

 

[mariana neri]

And a supermoon on June 22-23 >> http://earthsky.org/tonight/is-biggest-and-closest-full-moon-on-june-23-2013-a-supermoon

[Loneliness Fighter]

Have we gone too far?

 

This will be our 4th time to North Adams, Mass. We have camped at Clarksburg and Savoy Mtn and also stayed at Bascomb Lodge. This time we bought our early worm tickets early, of course, but messed up and dawdled on accommodations...

 

So we have a camping site in Vermont - as close to the Mass border as we could get. Woodford State Park.

 

Google Maps says 20.5 miles and 32 minutes.

 

Anyone camped there for a previous Solid Sound?

Is this going to work or have we gone too far?

[remphish1]

Have we gone too far?

 

This will be our 4th time to North Adams, Mass. We have camped at Clarksburg and Savoy Mtn and also stayed at Bascomb Lodge. This time we bought our early worm tickets early, of course, but messed up and dawdled on accommodations...

 

So we have a camping site in Vermont - as close to the Mass border as we could get. Woodford State Park.

 

Google Maps says 20.5 miles and 32 minutes.

 

Anyone camped there for a previous Solid Sound?

Is this going to work or have we gone too far?

I'll be 19 miles away at Jiminey Peak pretty reasonable as an alternative but it would only save you a few miles and minutes

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

It's a little early still for a weekend weather forecast since most of them just go 10 days out. But I did find one site that gave a general forecast week by week for the month. Not too trustworthy this far out, but looking good so far! JUNE 2013: temperature 65° (avg.); precipitation 3.5" (avg.); Jun 1-4: T-storms, then sunny, cool; Jun 5-9: T-storms, warm; Jun 10-21: Showers, cool; Jun 22-25: Sunny, hot; Jun 26-30: Scattered t-storms, cool.

 

Accuweather goes 15 days ahead. They were predicting rain for the weekend a few days ago, but I like today's forecast better: Friday, sunny with a high of 78 and a low of 56; Saturday, sunny with a high of 82 and a low of 59; and Sunday, mostly cloudy with a high of 85 and a low of 61. The weather looks good for travel on both ends, too.

[nalafej]

Just saw this. Can't be good. Hope no VCers were planning to stay here: 

Alexandra Inn – Bennington, VT

 

20 miles from MASS MoCA

*** PLEASE NOTE “DUE TO ILLNESS” THE ALEXANDRA INN HAS CLOSED DOWN. If you had a reservation with them for the weekend, please plan on making other arrangements for lodging.Click here for camping options. ***

[-seven]

And a supermoon on June 22-23 >> http://earthsky.org/tonight/is-biggest-and-closest-full-moon-on-june-23-2013-a-supermoon

 

Oooooh, this, I like!

[worldrecordplayer]

Accuweather goes 15 days ahead. They were predicting rain for the weekend a few days ago, but I like today's forecast better: Friday, sunny with a high of 78 and a low of 56; Saturday, sunny with a high of 82 and a low of 59; and Sunday, mostly cloudy with a high of 85 and a low of 61. The weather looks good for travel on both ends, too.

It's been a really crappy June in MA, and unfortunately the long range forecast model doesn't show much in the way of improvement.  Cross your fingers everybody!

http://www.boston.com/news/weather/weather_wisdom/2013/06/wet_pattern_to_continue.html

[rhino4evr]

Ugh...Im sitting in FL, where i's been raining constanly since early April. Was hoping for a humidty /rain free weekend for once. Hope this changes.

[Magnetized]

All of the extended forecasts I'm seeing look good--low 80's and little chance of rain Friday and Saturday, with maybe early morning thunderstorms on Sunday. Things could certainly change between now and then, but I'd say this looks very hopeful. As to humidity, it's a lot less humid in the Berkshires than in Florida, even at the same air temperature.

[dagwave]

"I can't stand it"

 

soooooo excited!

[Magnetized]

Nice article shared by Mass MoCA on Facebook today:

 

http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_music/mass_moca_welcomes_wilco_fans_frolic_at_the_solid_sound_festival_2013

 

MASS MoCA Welcomes Wilco: Fans Frolic at the Solid Sound Festival 2013

 

By Robert Burke Warren and Holly George-Warren

The hills are alive. The hills of North Adams, Massachusetts, to be precise, where on the weekend of June 21–23, MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary art in the U.S., hosts the third Solid Sound Festival, curated by the multi-Grammy-winning sextet Wilco. Conceived by the band and MASS MoCA, this gathering is a smaller-scale alternative to mega-fests like Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza. Solid Sound 2013 features Wilco, the band’s various side projects, Yo La Tengo, Medeski Martin & Wood, Low, Lucius, Neko Case, psychedelic tropicalia band Os Mutantes, and the only scheduled U.S. performance of the recently reunited Dream Syndicate. Also, comedians Al Madrigal, Jen Kirkman, Reggie Watts, and John Hodgman bring the laughs to the comedy tent.

In contrast to the usual festival experience, Solid Sound Fests 2010 and 2011 were laid-back and intimate, somewhat like a quirky country fair. The MASS MoCA complex, an impeccably refurbished, sprawling 19th century textile mill, transforms into an “art city,” with campgrounds, local food, and plenty of room to breathe. After going on hiatus last year, Solid Sound is slightly bigger than ever, but still easily navigable, family-friendly, and interactive; in addition to checking out bands, attendees can also enjoy many “please touch” installations­ – like Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche’s hands-on “Earth Drums” exhibit ­– plus a birding walk, post-concert guided stargazing, an off-site naturalist hike, and a make-your-own musical instrument and jam session for kids. 

Solid Sound co-founder and Wilco bassist John Stirratt says the band hatched the idea for the festival while on tour. “The English have started this fantastic small festival thing,” he says. “We played Green Man in Wales, and End of the Road in Essex. They’re incredibly well curated, the food is great; they imply a slightly older audience, a little more kid-friendly, not a blockbuster situation, not Lollapalooza, where there’s a million 17 year olds. I live in Chicago, so I can go to Lollapalooza for a day, but it can be a rough hang, walking a mile between stages.”

Dream Syndicate front man Steve Wynn, who played the first Solid Sound with his side gig The Baseball Project, says, “You can tell it was put together by musicians to be relaxed and cool for both the audience and the performers. You don’t feel like you’re just being processed through the turnstile. Everybody is approachable, it’s very hands-on, you see all the bands hanging out during the day. It’s not so big that you have to be shuffled off by helicopter.”

Like Stirratt and Wynn, John Medeski, of Medeski, Martin & Wood, is looking forward as much to witnessing and partaking as he is to playing. “A festival gives the audience the opportunity to experience music they haven’t heard before and might not have gone to see,” he says. “It’s a really good way to get a general idea of what’s going on out there. For a band performing, the best thing is the energy that can be created at a festival. Something happens when you don’t have all day to prepare, and sound check, and get everything set up just right. You’re out of the comfort zone, which we thrive on. So many things can and do go wrong, and that forces the musicians to tap into a different level of connection in order to get through the performance.”

Similarly, MASS MoCA director Joe Thompson embraces the unpredictable. He works closely with Wilco to shape a festival simpatico with the museum’s modus operandi. “We like to make new work here,” he says. “The best work we show here is made on site. Artists often arrive not quite knowing what final form that work will take. There’s that vibe in this festival.”

Stirratt agrees. “The real nature of Solid Sound is determined by the people that come,” he says. “The fans do so much. They take a real active role in celebrating it, being at ease, and having fun and making it a cool situation.”

This year, Wilco has even given fans a chance to craft a set list via emailed suggestions for Friday night’s performance, calling it the “Request Show.” For encores they’ll re-create Johnny Carson’s “

” bit from The Tonight Show, with John Hodgman moderating. The Solid Sound website reads, “This is the first-ever all-request concert by Wilco. It may also be the last.” The same can’t be said for the Solid Sound Festival, which, clearly, has just begun.