Solid Sound - 2015 - June 26-28

[bböp]

Here are my thoughts.

 

First of all...of COURSE this appeals to middle age white people...were you not at the last Solid Sound? This fest aims to please Wilco fans, who happen to be mostly middle age white people. So I don't get the complaint here. If you want to go see a bunch of EDM, or National Rock/Pop acts, there are plenty of other festivals for that kind of stuff.

 

So regarding the line up...I think they have done another great job of diversifying the line up. This isn't a "jam band" festival in the slightest. It offers a little bit of each genre, by artists that are up and coming or just breaking through, or are considered legends or critic favorites.

 

My highlights

Parquet Courts - One of the best 70s revival post punk bands currently around. Their last three records have been excellent, and they are easily one of the better punk bands to surface in quite some time. Everything the Strokes should have been.

Mac Demarco - A great singer songwriter known for not taking himself or his music that seriously. This will be a very silly and umpredictable part of the fest. Curious if he will be playing the large stage. I think his antics would probably best for the courtyard stage.

Real Estate - Beautiful surf/pop melodies, should make for a relaxing and enjoyable set.

Ryley Walker - an up an comer that's still finding his footing, his newest album mixes Nick Drake type vocals, with Improv Jazz style backing band.

William Tyler- incredible instrumental guitar player, that should be really great to see live.

 

It's not that I want to see EDM or whatever, far from it. There's just so many possibilities out there, and I realize that not everyone's available when you need/want them to be, but it's just a tiny bit disappointing to me to see the younger acts be ones that seemingly play festivals quite often. I realize I'm in a privileged position living in Chicago, so we get Pitchfork and Lollapalooza and the Hideout Block Party and a bunch of other festivals every year, but Parquet, Mac, Real Estate have definitely been on the festival circuit the past few years. William Tyler makes sense because Glenn (and Darin Gray) just played on his latest studio album, and Ryley Walker is a Chicago guy. If you're a fan of those acts, then great. I'm sure a lot of people will dig them fine, but I guess I just personally prefer some different acts. But they're going to book artists where there's a connection to Wilco when possible, and I don't begrudge them that.

 

I think they could have gone after someone like Sharon Van Etten maybe and with her, a young guy who's been opening for her like Leon Bridges, or other female up-and-comers like Natalie Prass or Torres, or some bands that aren't quite so much on the fest circuit that I know people in the Wilco camp like such as the Allah Las or some more rockin' established acts like Sloan or Superchunk or The Feelies, or even acts like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings or The Both (Aimee Mann and Ted Leo's project) that would likely have appeal to a more middle-aged crowd. I can name so many acts that would be a good fit: The War on Drugs, The Tallest Man On Earth, First Aid Kit, Courtney Barnett (who's a big AGIB fan, I read), Mikal Cronin, some of the Arcade Fire side projects like Will Butler or Sarah Neufeld, some of the people they have at the Big Ears Fest in Knoxville or even Justin Vernon's new fest or a "special" performance like the Big Star Third tribute or something like that...I'm just going off the top of my head here.

 

Certainly I'm looking forward to seeing Charles Lloyd (and especially if Jason Moran is still playing piano in his quartet) and interested in King Sunny Ade and Taj Mahal, too, but we'll have to see if those type of septuagenarian acts will "bring it" outdoors at a fest. I mean, Syl Johnson was a lot of fun so I'm not saying it can't happen. But the jury's still out, IMHO.

 

If it weren't for Wilco, I wouldn't be attending SSF. Luckily I'm from MA so the trip to Mass MoCa is very reasonable. It would be pretty difficult for me to travel across the country for this one. Aside from the comedians, there really aren't any acts I'd go out of my way to see. To each their own-- I'm glad to hear that so many VCers are excited about the announcement.

 

Yeah, I agree with this. To each their own. Ultimately it's going to be fine. It is what it is. It's just not a lineup that I would feel particularly compelled to travel for, but two Wilco shows and especially Jeff and Friends should be a lot of fun! And I'm sure there will be cool stuff that happens, as always, whether it's stuff like a "very special performance" with details to come that The Autumn Defense just promised on their FB or cool collaborations/covers or pop-up shows, etc.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

After Neko Case and Yo La Tengo last time, I was also expecting a few slightly bigger acts. Not big enough to outshine Wilco, of course. Father John Misty didn't seem impossible because Fleet Foxes opened for Wilco awhile back, and I can't believe Deerhoof hasn't played a SSF yet, because they're one of Nels' favorite bands. There are a lot of names I recognize and would enjoy checking out, and it will be nice to see Cibo Matto again, but I can't even figure out who will open for Wilco. These are all bands I can envision playing the courtyards. 

 

I really wish they would announce the rest of their summer tour schedule. I'm having to cut back on shows this year to help pay for a writing residency I'll be at for all of August, so if I could see them a few times closer to home I might reconsider the festival this year. 

[sonnyfeeling]

I can't even figure out who will open for Wilco.

 

I'm assuming NRBQ opens for Wilco on Friday with King Sunny Ade opening on Saturday and then Richard Thompson closing the festival on Sunday. Could flip those last two, though.

[kwhitehead]

I'm not quite understanding the distress put forth by some regarding this line-up. Look at the other big festivals this year. They are all very similar regarding who's playing. Wilco has given us a very eclectic mix of acts, something other festivals don't.

 

If anyone has been to previous Solid Sounds I think they'll realize that this is all good. Wilco does it right. Open minds, people.

[bböp]

I'm assuming NRBQ opens for Wilco on Friday with King Sunny Ade opening on Saturday and then Richard Thompson closing the festival on Sunday. Could flip those last two, though.

 

I'm fairly confident that Richard Thompson will precede one of the Wilco sets. I think Jeff and Friends will probably be the closing act of the fest on Sunday, kind of like the first Solid Sound.

[bböp]

I'm not quite understanding the distress put forth by some regarding this line-up. Look at the other big festivals this year. They are all very similar regarding who's playing. Wilco has given us a very eclectic mix of acts, something other festivals don't.

 

If anyone has been to previous Solid Sounds I think they'll realize that this is all good. Wilco does it right. Open minds, people.

 

It's not distress. I'm fine with whatever the Wilco camp wants to present and, believe me, I have an open mind when it comes to music! Personally, I just would have liked to have seen some different names on there. As previously stated, to each his or her own; I just feel like there's something missing for me. A friend texted me this morning to say that the lineup "doesn't have anyone I am absolutely excited about like previous years" and I totally feel the same way. But I was always going to be there regardless...this might just mean more time to shop for records!

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I realize I'm in a privileged position living in Chicago, so we get Pitchfork and Lollapalooza and the Hideout Block Party and a bunch of other festivals every year, but Parquet, Mac, Real Estate have definitely been on the festival circuit the past few years. 

This is the crux of the biscuit, to me.

 

Also, I know you see a heckuva lot of Wilco shows, as I always read your fine reports. So this probably feels almost like another day at the office for you.

 

However, speaking from the cultural wasteland, er, tertiary market of Florida - which hasn't even had a TWEEDY or Tweedy show! - I had no familiarity with half those people (or more) so to me it's a great chance to get exposure to all these folks whom I view at up-and-comers or flavor-of-the-month (no offense intended) while seeing some established legends like Thompson, Taj & Lloyd.

 

I figure if they can please tinnitus photography - who likes almost nothing I like, and vice versa - and please me, too, they have hit a home run.

[knotgreen]

It's interesting to think about the sort of bands Wilco has opening for them on tour and who they then invite to SSF. I was sort of hoping there would be some overlap, but that's not really the case. In the past few years they've had: Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper, Split Single, Conor Oberst, etc, yet they don't invite any similar acts to Mass MoCa.

 

Bbop, I think you hit the nail on the head with your comparison to Bon Iver's festival, Eaux Claire. I'd imagine the two are curated with a similarly modest budget. Eaux Claire has some great bands that would have been great at SSF: Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, The Tallest Man on Earth, The National, The Lone Bellow, Phox, Sylvan Esso.

[rhino4evr]

Yeah, Spoon is another one I thought of.

 

Tallest Man has a new album coming out too, so he would have been great.

 

Also I laugh at the idea that Mac Demarco, Parquet Courts, etc are "regulars" on the tour circuit. It's obvious you don't live in South Florida.

[worldrecordplayer]

It's interesting to think about the sort of bands Wilco has opening for them on tour and who they then invite to SSF. I was sort of hoping there would be some overlap, but that's not really the case. In the past few years they've had: Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper, Split Single, Conor Oberst, etc, yet they don't invite any similar acts to Mass MoCa.

.

White Denim opened for them on a California swing a few years ago, and then they played the last SS.

[paulcalypse]

Like bböp said, something feels missing. I felt letdown this morning when I checked the lineup.

 

I think the feeling of letdown comes from the buildup: buying 4 tickets, inviting friends/family to join us this year, and pre-paying our motel that we reserved back when they announced the dates. We're already $1,200 in the hole for Solid Sound 2015.

 

This buildup is NOT the fault of Wilco or their management. Although, I do think hotels/motels are too expensive, but that's capitalism.

 

Now I'm feeling hostage to going because I've already payed all this money. Will I go? It's still up in the air. Driving from Michigan, like we have for every other SSF, is tough to get excited for. 

 

As far as the music goes, my holdout for this year was J Mascis in some form. He played at the last festival with Mark Mulcahy, and I think he lives nearby. I feel they do need a bigger act, though, even though I do appreciate all the bands that have been announced. It is the Wilco festival after all, and if they give us anything even remotely close to that covers concert like last time, it will be worth it.

[worldrecordplayer]

I'm fairly confident that Richard Thompson will precede one of the Wilco sets. I think Jeff and Friends will probably be the closing act of the fest on Sunday, kind of like the first Solid Sound.

I don't know where RT will be placed, but I'm also fully expecting Tweedy/Jeff and Friends to close the festival as at the first SS.  I'm thinking King Sunny Ade will "open" for Wilco on Joe's Field on Saturday.  They will have the field up and dancing.  Just my gut.

[worldrecordplayer]

I've said it at various times in several outlets, but I'll just say it here as a wrap.  I am totally fine with the lineup.  First of all, WIlco x2 and Tweedy is all I need.  But the lineup has enough interesting and divergent choices to keep me interested, and I don't know half the artists announced. (I was very impressed how quickly folks were able to identify all those artists I've never heard of).   I'm not feeling any need for a "bigger" name draw. In fact, just the opposite.  This is a Wilco family festival.  From the artists I'm familiar with (RT, Real Estate, King Sunny, NRBQ, and the comedy folks), there's enough there that I would never think about not going (I live in Boston so I know it's easy for me).  Maybe it comes from my having gone to JazzFest for several years; walk around the Fairgrounds hearing music I've never heard of and loving every note of it.  I have faith that Wilco put together a great weekend.  I don't feel anything is lacking.

I figure if they can please tinnitus photography - who likes almost nothing I like, and vice versa - and please me, too, they have hit a home run.

Exactly!

[rhino4evr]

As everyone else has already stated, the best reason to go to this is to see Wilco (and Tweedy) for 3 nights, while enjoying the art, music, beer, and food of Solid Sound. you should never let the "other acts" persuade or disuede your decision too much. That being said, there are plenty of great acts playing, so there is nothing really to complain about.

 

Except for the hotels price gauging.

[replacements75]

Being a somewhat middle aged white guy I don't find it necessarily geared toward me. I think the lineup is diverse and far more interesting than many other fests. That being said I would have loved to have seen an act like the replacements (no surprise given my name) or someone on the level of spoon but I think that goes against the nature of the festival. Their are the established acts ie legends like Taj Mahal Richard Thompson and Charles Lloyd and then there are newer semi established acts like real estate and such and then there are more up and coming acts like parquet courts and Mac demarco. The established acts aren't the typical festival fare that are on every fest and I think wilco want to expose fans to lesser seen acts like the up and comers and the legends that don't cross the stage at every indie rock or whatever fest. All that being said I would have loved to have seen Kim Gordon in some aspect at this solid sound or masics. I really thought we might get Jenny Lewis in the neko case slot this year but no such luck. All in all like so many others have said wilco 2 nights plus tweedy was enough for me to come from nyc and all else is gravy.

[linclink]

First off... Just two nights of Wilco & one of Tweedy (assume they will close Sunday) for $125 would be worth it to start with. That this is is where it is (Mass MoCA), & it's run with such a sense of creativity, adventure & playfulness just take the whole thing to the next level as far as festivals go.

Second Richard Thompson!! He is up there in my personal top ten artists list. Not only is he playing, but he's pretty much certain to play with Wilco on, at least, one night(maybe two if we are lucky) & then there's even the potential for Nels & Jeff to sit in with him during his set/sets too...Whew!!
My greatest hope now is that they'll do for him what they did for Yo La Tengo (another artist on my top ten list) in 2013 & give him the chance to play twice. YLT did a regular set on Saturday & the movie soundtrack performance at the end of the first night on Friday. I'm hoping Thompson gets to do a set with his electric trio & then does a solo acoustic set as well.

Yeah OK, I understand...on paper I'm not sure if this is quite as exciting a list as 2013, but come on 2013 was a mind blower & then some. Looking at the older lineups this is, at the very least least, #2 with a bullet!!!
This is a great list of performers!!! Richard Thompson (electric trio), King Sunny Ade & His African Beats,, NRBQ (Terry Adams Band), Taj Mahal, The Autumn Defense, Stained Radiance (Nels Cline), Parquet Courts, Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd Quartet, The Felice Brothers,  & Shabazz Palaces are all artists that I like, or love, to varying degrees.
Of the 11 acts I listed above I've seen the first 5 & listed them in order of my appreciation (note if it was the old classic NRBQ lineup they'd be #2, but while this is still cool, for me, it's more like The Terry Adams Band than NRBQ) & then the next 6 others I haven't seen & they are listed, roughly, in order of my level of excitement about getting to see them..
And finally, it's always a thrill to be introduced to new artists as well...and/or... to have some time to take part in some of the non-music act related activities (comedy section is, as always, very strong again this year). I was sick at the 2013 fest, so I'm looking forward to being more involved this time around. And the facility itself is always amazing & exciting!!

Looking at those past lineups I don't see a whole lot of room for any additions to this years (think we are pretty near a maximum load of acts here folks)...though, clearly, I could be wrong & who really knows? That Richard Thompson is playing, & will, almost certainly, be playing with Wilco, is truly the crowning jewel of 2015 for me & one that really matches the wonders of Yo La Tengo's presence there (2 sets & played 2 songs with Wilco on the covers show night) in 2013. But if there are any additions, anyone from my old standing list would be very welcome, & I'll go from most likely to least likely- Television, Sufjan Stevens... The Replacements, Donna The Buffalo, St. Vincent...I know a few of these are favorite artists for Jeff & the band, so maybe we'll see them in future years.

[replacements75]

Another possible act that would have been nice was Mac from Superchunk who has his first solo album coming out. But again anything on top of 2 nights of Wilco and a Tweedy performance was icing on an already awesome cake.

[bböp]

Also I laugh at the idea that Mac Demarco, Parquet Courts, etc are "regulars" on the tour circuit. It's obvious you don't live in South Florida.

 

I didn't say regulars on the tour circuit; I said festival circuit. But I understand your point...if I lived in south Florida and loved live music, I'd probably be a little wanting as well (though I'm sure you understand the economics of why most bands just can't tour there regularly).

 

Anyway, I'm glad that people are generally pleased with the lineup. I know a lot of hard work goes into it and that TMM is not a huge operation by any stretch, so I think they deserve to be cut a little slack. Personally, a lot of the bands playing this year other than Wilco and related projects aren't really ones I'm *super* enthused about based on what I know and have seen. But you never know...maybe something will click this time. That's part of the beauty of live performance, isn't it?

 

(On related note, I will say that I am glad I'll finally get to see NRBQ (even if it isn't really NRBQ). A couple of Chicago guys, Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough, play with them now and they are excellent musicians and dudes all around. I've always wanted to catch them live, but the timing hasn't worked out. So if you're going to SS4, go check 'em out!)

[Mizzy]

This is the first year that there will be a band that I would've paid to see on thier own (Parquet Courts).

 

(How to Love Solid Sound if you don't like the Other Bands):

You don't have to like or care about any of the non-Wilco bands at all. You just drive into town around 4. Park the car and head to Jack's. Crank down some hot dogs and double cheeseburgers. Cross the street to Desperados and lubricate with a pitcher or two of margarita. Waddle over to MasMOCA at 6:30 or so. Run the gauntlet of people who are just standing everywhere for no reason looking at nothing in particular to get to the field. Find your spot (front of the stage and to the left is great for late arrivals). Wait for Wilco. Rock. Go back to the car and drive either home or back to the hotel.

 

Repeat once or twice as needed.

[sonnyfeeling]

King Sunny Ade!

 

NRBQ!

 

Taj Mahal!

 

And a whole bunch of younger bands that I'm eager to learn more about.

 

After looking at the dreary festival lineups elsewhere this year, this is a total breath of fresh air. I am genuinely looking forward to this lineup.

[tinnitus photography]

I figure if they can please tinnitus photography - who likes almost nothing I like, and vice versa - and please me, too, they have hit a home run.

 

i know i post a lot of metal but it's hardly all i listen to (note - this doesn't reflect any listening via my home stereo, just PC habits)!

 

http://www.last.fm/user/narlus/library

 

 

i don't get all the hand-wringing about a second 'big name' on the festival.... did anyone really think that The Replacements or My Morning Jacket would play? based on the previous incarnations, no fucking way.

 

 

i think the lineup is missing a bit of past abrasion (see Purling Hiss; Pillow Wand; On Fillmore), but that's OK. Swans would have been an inspired choice

 

i am really psyched to see Walker and Tyler, two artists i just got turned out to, and to a lesser extent Jessica Pratt as well. maybe Steve Gunn and Nathan Bowles will surface, or Chris Forsyth will be added to gain the Deadhead vote. 

 

either way, i think this festival has some really nice depth to it. I went to 8 different All Tomorrow's Parties fests and they are, to me anyway, the gold standard when it comes to heterogeneous festival lineups, done in an easy to digest package. Hopscotch and Big Ears come close, as does SSF.

[Magnetized]

I'm working today and haven't found a spare minute to weigh in on all of this lineup talk until right now...and I find there's nothing much to say that hasn't been said by someone already. But you can count me firmly in the very satisfied category.

 

Maybe living in a crappy town for live music makes me easier to please. Also, despite our wild prognostications over the past couple of months (MMJ! Replacements! Sleater-Kinney! Beck!) I've been secretly a little anxious that having big names like these would pull focus from Wilco and also make the festival too crowded, so I'm not disappointed. The way I view this festival is that the bands selected have some connection to Wilco, which makes them by definition interesting to me. I didn't know half the names of the performers and have only listened to a handful of them before, but that's no different from past Solid Sounds, and like others have said, some of my favorite acts end up being people I wasn't familiar with before.

 

Even for a relatively intimate festival like this there are always going to be wrenching choices to be made--Do I go to this stage or that? What about the comedians? What about that pop-up show that was just announced?--so for an ADD person like me, it can all be too much at a big festival. I'm actually happier with fewer choices. And I love the diversity in this lineup.

[bböp]

Well, I guess the cat's already out of the bag on the Autumn D's "very special performance" and if this doesn't appeal to aging hippies, then I dunno...(I kid, I kid! Sorta. )

 

Spirit of Akasha: The Autumn Defense and Windy Hills tribute to Morning of the Earth

Spirit of Akasha is a live music and film experience celebrating Morning of the Earth.

A concert devoted to the freedom of the sea, the people who live in its spirit and the music that inspires us.

Original music composed and recorded specifically for the film Spirit of Akasha, will be performed live on stage by The Autumn Defense and The Windy Hills … elevating the traditional movie screening to a live concert film event. 

It was in 1972 that Albert Falzon made a film that would forever change the way we think about surfing – the film was Morning of the Earth.

His portrayal of all things pure and simple influenced generations and passed on an enduring spirit to our culture, our music and our lifestyle.

In the 40 years since Morning of the Earth, Life on Earth has been exploited to limits unimaginable, an innocence lost.

In 2012, a group of film makers and musicians embarked on a journey to see if Falzon’s ideology still exists today. Not only did they discover that it’s alive and well, but they realized that it’s still as simple as riding a wave or walking on a country road.

 

Here's the link.

[Hixter]

Spirit of Akasha is a live music and film experience celebrating Morning of the Earth.

I wonder if there will be a screening of the Solid Sound documentary? Seems like a good way to end an evening: watching it on a big screen under the stars.

[rhino4evr]

Last time, the yo la Tengo film was screened in doors,