Solid Sound - 2015 - June 26-28

[tinnitus photography]

"what do you mean, make a pipe out of it?"



i'm firmly in the WRP/kwhitehead/PQK camp... big whoop about people smoking weed and drinking beer. and as for people coming in close to the rail? that stuff happens all the time. personally i think they should get rid of the chairs and blankets from in front of the soundboard. it just leads to territorial pissings. i am NOT condoning people coming in last minute and standing directly in front of someone, but if that happened to me, i'd tell them to move on (which i did a couple of times; granted, i wasn't super close, though on Saturday's show i was probably about 30 yards back or so, maybe equidistant between the sound tent and the stage. (i also managed to successfully navigate the crowd w/ three beers and my camera bag, without spilling or pissing anyone off).

if the festival attendance stayed at the first year's level of 3500, there's no way we'd be into it's 4 edition. i asked someone in TMMCHI's camp and the hard cap is around 9K, which i think was hit on Saturday, so it's not gonna get more crowded. 

if Wilco played a headlining summer show in Boston, they'd likely play the Pavilion (which they've done in the past), and that capacity is around 5K. you'd also probably pay $50 or more for a ticket. SSF is a total bargain for the price and experience. see you in 2017.

 

[tinnitus photography]

one final note - granted, if you were back on the field during Friday's acoustic set, you would not have the same experience... the sound just wouldn't be loud enough. but i think that's kind of a one-off thing, and that's the other beauty about this fest... just think about the special touches that Wilco does for this festival. Glenn's drum ensemble. the book signing. autumn defense pop up show. and that's just this year! there have been tons of these sorts of moments through each of the 4 SSF's i've attended. it's clear they put a lot of effort into thinking about what would make for a unique event, and they've easily cleared the bar each time.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

The rain really exacerbated the pot and cig smoke problem. I wear glasses and can't see distance without them. If they get wet, I can't see either. I can't take them off and rub them on my shirt to dry them, because that makes it worse. So I had to keep them dry by pulling my poncho hood up. Every time a cloud of pot smoke hit me in the face while the hood was up, it was like getting a hit shotgun-style (oh yes, I remember those days). So yeah, I had to work very fucking hard to ignore this stuff and get what enjoyment I could out of the shows.

I guess it would have been better farther back, but I was figuring, If people are yapping in row 20, how much worse will it be in row 50? We really are spoiled by those small theater shows.

[rhino4evr]

Personally, I'd never bring my 5 year old daughter to a concert like this, and shake my head at the folks that do.Those people should also know what they are getting into. You can't always control the world around your kids.

 

If you take your kids to a rock concert, expect they will see a bunch of people partying, because that's usually what rock concerts are, a giant party. They don't call it a "festival" for nothing.

[BobDylan'sBeard]

The rain really exacerbated the pot and cig smoke problem. I wear glasses and can't see distance without them. If they get wet, I can't see either. I can't take them off and rub them on my shirt to dry them, because that makes it worse. So I had to keep them dry by pulling my poncho hood up. Every time a cloud of pot smoke hit me in the face while the hood was up, it was like getting a hit shotgun-style (oh yes, I remember those days). So yeah, I had to work very fucking hard to ignore this stuff and get what enjoyment I could out of the shows.

I guess it would have been better farther back, but I was figuring, If people are yapping in row 20, how much worse will it be in row 50? We really are spoiled by those small theater shows.

Was the farting on Saturday night? I definitely smelled some farts during Friday or Saturday night's set. Pungent ones too, which is remarkable given we were outdoors (and there were other competing smells)

Personally, I'd never bring my 5 year old daughter to a concert like this, and shake my head at the folks that do.Those people should also know what they are getting into. You can't always control the world around your kids.

 

If you take your kids to a rock concert, expect they will see a bunch of people partying, because that's usually what rock concerts are, a giant party. They don't call it a "festival" for nothing.

I both agree and disagree (though I'm not a parent so really I don't have much to say of value on this) - SS *is* a family-friendly venue, but the kids are also exposed to the rock concert stuff we are discussing - people smoking and drinking. Though it definitely seems most of the familys set up camp on the hill and in the back of the crowd. I was up close for all of the shows and didn't see too many youngsters in that crowd, though there were some.

[rhino4evr]

The rain really exacerbated the pot and cig smoke problem. I wear glasses and can't see distance without them. If they get wet, I can't see either. I can't take them off and rub them on my shirt to dry them, because that makes it worse. So I had to keep them dry by pulling my poncho hood up. Every time a cloud of pot smoke hit me in the face while the hood was up, it was like getting a hit shotgun-style (oh yes, I remember those days). So yeah, I had to work very fucking hard to ignore this stuff and get what enjoyment I could out of the shows.

I guess it would have been better farther back, but I was figuring, If people are yapping in row 20, how much worse will it be in row 50? We really are spoiled by those small theater shows.

 

Yeah, we were very lucky in 2013 with weather. My wife (a die hard Floridian) would be absolutely miserable in cold/rainy weather. When I found out about the weather, I actually breathed a brief sigh of relief that we weren't going. To her 70s is too cold. I think it would have really soured the trip for us. We Floridans are spoiled with weather too. ha ha..

 

Speaking of...how amazing was the weather during that St. Augustine show?

[tinnitus photography]

the only time the cig smoke bothered me was when i was browsing the bins at Euclid... the space near the canal behind the shop seemed to be smoker central, and that door was open all the time.

[BobDylan'sBeard]

Yeah, we were very lucky in 2013 with weather. My wife (a die hard Floridian) would be absolutely miserable in cold/rainy weather. When I found out about the weather, I actually breathed a brief sigh of relief that we weren't going. To her 70s is too cold. I think it would have really soured the trip for us. We Floridans are spoiled with weather too. ha ha..

 

Speaking of...how amazing was the weather during that St. Augustine show?

I made the usual mistake when I travel out of state, and I forgot that sometimes it gets cold at night (or in the rain) in non-Florida places. I DID bring a poncho, but I didn't really have any specifically warm weather clothes (which are all in Tallahassee anyway, since I figured it only gets cold when I'm at school, and not during summer break) - but it was sort of a nice break from the especially brutal Florida summer we are having this year.

[rhino4evr]

Personally, I enjoy the cold weather. I'm originally from Michigan, and I like the "break" from the humid swamp that is my home....my wife?, not so much.  

[BobDylan'sBeard]

Personally, I enjoy the cold weather. I'm originally from Michigan, and I like the "break" from the humid swamp that is my home....my wife?, not so much.  

 

I moved down to FL from NY as a youngin', did a year of college in Rochester before I transferred to FSU - amongst other things, I really couldn't take the cold. Though admittedly upstate NY winter is pretty bad - probably comparable to Michigan? I don't know really, but I assume.

 

And yes, though I like humidity (I'm weird like that) - I far prefer Berkshires in the summer to the FL summer climate.

[worldrecordplayer]

I'm not understanding all the complaints. It's an outdoor festival. Beer and liquor is offered people will drink. Drunks are annoying. For the record I saw MMJ on Tuesday in Columbus I went out in the beer line and saw one guy dragged out by security who couldn't even stand and then about 3 other people that should not have been put in public. That was during the first set at one show. Considering some other festivals I've been too SS was a godsend with people's behavior. Maybe I'm just a hippie too but I would rather have people smoking around me. A lot of people are on vacation as well. Getting baked in 2 afternoon is kind of nice. Also getting baked helps me ignore the drunks everyone seems to be complaining about. If you don't like smoking you should try the chocolate we had instead!

 

This festival is amazing why should we diminish it with all these complaints.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another "amen" to this!

[BobDylan'sBeard]

Oh, I forgot one relevant thing: while I don't really care about other people's substance use, I was a bit annoyed by how many people around me were passing out/fainting on Friday night. It didn't happen on Saturday, but on Friday night no less than 3 people around me collapsed. One guy, right behind my friends and I, literally just went down and I thought he was dead. Luckily it was in between songs so my friend screaming "MEDIC" (we didn't know the guy, but everyone around us was pretty concerned since, the guy was just flat out) didn't ruin a song. Anyway, the guy got right back up after 30 seconds, and then referenced "taking too many drugs and not enough air" as why he went out.

 

So, I don't mind people smoking (though cigarette smoking in a crowd is rude, even though one of my friends was doing this so I am guilty by association, and maybe a bit of a hypocrite) but I do mind when people are just way too far gone and are causing issues. I mean, imagine if someone was actually hurt or had to go to the ER or something in the middle of SS. Would have really hampered the festival.

 

And the weirdest part was how Saturday night this didn't seem to be an issue. You'd think the rock set would have seen the people going down, but no.

[worldrecordplayer]

"what do you mean, make a pipe out of it?"

 

 

i wasn't super close, though on Saturday's show i was probably about 30 yards back or so, maybe equidistant between the sound tent and the stage. (i also managed to successfully navigate the crowd w/ three beers and my camera bag, without spilling or pissing anyone off).

 

 

 

Damn, so I think you must have been right in my perimeter for both Saturday and Sunday!  I'll have to wear a name tag next SS.  Glad you weren't the one who spilled beer on my backpack.  But I'm not complaining-its a music festival, shit happens. No matter what I'll do the rest of the summer (and I'll spend some quality time on the outer Cape), SS will be my favorite weekend of the summer.  Always is.

[knotgreen]

"what do you mean, make a pipe out of it?"

While we're all whining, I'd like to take this time to complain that I'm not in any of your photos this year. 

[d. boony]

Personally, I'd never bring my 5 year old daughter to a concert like this, and shake my head at the folks that do.Those people should also know what they are getting into. You can't always control the world around your kids.

 

If you take your kids to a rock concert, expect they will see a bunch of people partying, because that's usually what rock concerts are, a giant party. They don't call it a "festival" for nothing.

Nothing for nothing, our now-3 year old has been to the last two SSF's.  The first time around she was far too young to do anything but sleep, eat and poop.  This time she had a fantastic experience - the area behind the soundboard on Joes Field became a defacto playground throughout the day and she met dozens of other kids.

 

Did she also get her first whiff of pot?  Probably.  

 

We attend numerous festivals each year and Solid Sound is by far the most family friendly and inviting.  They go WAY out of their way to make it a family friendly event.  

[rhino4evr]

complaining about people drinking or smoking at a rock festival is kinda of like those people that complain there are too many kids and strollers at Disney World.

Nothing for nothing, our now-3 year old has been to the last two SSF's.  The first time around she was far too young to do anything but sleep, eat and poop.  This time she had a fantastic experience - the area behind the soundboard on Joes Field became a defacto playground throughout the day and she met dozens of other kids.

 

Did she also get her first whiff of pot?  Probably.  

 

We attend numerous festivals each year and Solid Sound is by far the most family friendly and inviting.  They go WAY out of their way to make it a family friendly event.  

 

I don't doubt that. As I said, I personally wouldn't do it. I like to watch the band at a concert, not constantly watching my kid. I'd rather be one of the sloppy drunks then one of the annoyed parents. More power to you though.

[d. boony]

complaining about people drinking or smoking at a rock festival is kinda of like those people that complain there are too many kids and strollers at Disney World.

 

I don't doubt that. As I said, I personally wouldn't do it. I like to watch the band at a concert, not constantly watching my kid. I'd rather be one of the sloppy drunks then one of the annoyed parents. More power to you though.

Ah, yes!  trust me, part of me really wanted to be that sloppy drunk as well.  And with my wife doing the driving I was able to have a few - but sloppy drunk, not allowed.

 

The play areas behind the soundtent was a godsend.  I was able to spend a significant amount of time checking out music and art while my wife and her friend watched our daughter behind the tent.  My wife loves Wilco but she's far less interested in other SSF events. So she was happy to play with our daughter while I wandered around with a friend...and had a few beers.

[tinnitus photography]

While we're all whining, I'd like to take this time to complain that I'm not in any of your photos this year. 

you and a bunch of people!

 

blame the rain, or blame me!

[The Inside of Outside]

I did not find the crowd too large this time. I think it has to do with expectations. I attended SS2, and loved the crowd size. At SS3, the crowd was significantly larger, particularly on Saturday. That was a surprise, and a bit of a bummer at the time. I just wasn't expecting it. This time, I was expecting a large crowd (given that 3-day passes and Saturday tickets had sold out), and it did not seem too bad. Yet I am sure there were just as many people as at the last one (if not more).

 

And the festival is family friendly. My kids have always found fun things to do. This time, Circus Smirkus was a big hit. The surfer movie, with the Autumn Defense playing along, was a highlight for them, too. And Kidspace is fun, too. What kid doesn't like painting rocks? And then naming them after large mountains in New England?

[Yaz Rock]

The rain really exacerbated the pot and cig smoke problem. I wear glasses and can't see distance without them. If they get wet, I can't see either. I can't take them off and rub them on my shirt to dry them, because that makes it worse. So I had to keep them dry by pulling my poncho hood up.

 

 

Baseball cap kept my glasses dry.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Baseball cap kept my glasses dry.

Yep, I could really have used one of those. That, and a gas mask.

 

For all the folks insisting on the inevitability of getting smoked out at rock concerts, here is some of my experience in recent years:

 

Wilco - 3 shows in 2015, all around 2,500-5,000, no smoke

Paul McCartney - 2014, capacity crowd of 15,000, no smoke

Lady Antebellum - 2014, capacity crowd of 10,000, no smoke

Chris Robinson Brotherhood - 2014, small show, 1,500 or so, but not even any smoke for those stoners

Elton John - 2014, capacity crowd of 10,000+ and no smoke

Billy Joel - 2014, capacity crowd of 20,000, no smoke

Dylan/Wilco/MMJ/Bob Freakin' Weir - 2013, capacity crowd of 10,000+ and I don't even recall getting smoke in my face there

 

You get the idea. Last time I got smoked out as bad as SS was a long, long time ago.

 

Again, my reason for mentioning this was not that I strongly disapprove of people wanting to catch a buzz. It was noting that it seemed to follow me at every single event, day or night. Just lucky, I guess. People really get baked in public at noon?

 

I think it's worth pointing out that smoking anything in a very crowded area is not the most considerate thing to do. Maybe go to the middle or back, where there is more air/space available. Like I heard someone singing this past weekend, "We can make it better."

[tinnitus photography]

Yep, I could really have used one of those. That, and a gas mask.

 

For all the folks insisting on the inevitability of getting smoked out at rock concerts, here is some of my experience in recent years:

 

Billy Joel - 2014, capacity crowd of 20,000, no smoke

 

someone should have lit him on fire.

 

 

i guess the answer should be obvious, but were all the shows you listed outdoor shows in venues that allowed smoking? 

[theashtraysays]

My first SSF, and I certainly hope it will not be my last.  Actually my first "festival" (I'm too old for that crap!).  I can't ever imagine going to a Bonnaroo, but this was amazing.
My favorite parts:
- Being surrounded by fanatical Wilco peeps, including old friends and meeting new ones and putting VC screen names and faces together.

- Three great Wilco / TWEEDY / JT shows, each one unique and special.

- The beach ball popcorn moment... thanks Donna for heading that up!

- Via Chicago on Saturday night, in the rain, right in front of John's speaker hearing his harmony part extra clearly, was a moment I will never forget.

- Pushing the edge of my musical / artistic comfort zone with Stained Radiance (indescribably weird, but I liked it), and Quindar (I can only take small doses there).

- Samosa Man!  Holy Shat those were good!

- William Tyler and Richard Thompson were my favorite non-Wilco acts, in that order.

 

Things I'll do differently next time:

- Explore more.  I spent a lot of time Fri/Sat in Joe's field camped by the rail for a good spot (which I greatly enjoyed), but on Sunday I went around the place and saw more music and other stuff and was content to hang back for the TWEEDY show.  I think I'll do more wandering at least  on Saturday next time.  I felt like I missed a lot as I see all the pics starting to turn up.

- Fly.  The 16 hour drive from/to Lexington KY was awfully long.  Rain didn't help.  A car wasn't really needed there - the shuttles were nice, and the kindness of VCers meant that it was pretty easy to bum a ride (BIG THANKS JCamp!!).

- Better hotel.  The Willows was adequate for the purpose, but they (like all the rest) were annoyingly expensive considering what you got. 

- Say HI and introduce myself to more people.  I'm sure that I walked right past a lot of folks that I've conversed with here and elsewhere that I would have loved to meet for reals.

 

Other observations:

- I'm glad that the crowd on Sat was pretty much max'ed out.  Good for the band and the future of the festival, but it was as big as I'd like it to be and probably couldn't really be a lot bigger.  It really wasn't a problem for me... things flowed well... food was manageable but I also had to go with second choices at times... potty's were not an issue... beer was easy to get to... but I wouldn't want to add 5K more people either.

- I would support a "standing only" zone on the rail for maybe 15-20 feet (halfway to the sound tent), with blankets/chairs OK behind that.  The encroachers on Saturday for the Mac Demarco set were a bit much. 

- The pot smokers were pretty pervasive and annoying in our area too.  I also don't want to reek of reefer at the end of the show.  No beer was spilled on me, so that's a plus...

- Pulling ahead the Joe's Field schedule by 1 hour on Saturday was an excellent decision.  It really helped with the rain situation.  Seriously.

- I was able to catch everything I wanted on Sunday (William Tyler, Stained Radiance, most of Glenn, Quindar, SamosaMan, and Tweedy) with seconds to spare!

 

All that said... it was everything that I expected and was promised by the others who cajoled me into going this year.  Summer camp for Wilco fans! 

- Vince

[worldrecordplayer]

someone should have lit him on fire.

 

Having grown up on LI and being the same age, I'll volunteer for that assignment!

[worldrecordplayer]

Yep, I could really have used one of those. That, and a gas mask.

 

For all the folks insisting on the inevitability of getting smoked out at rock concerts, here is some of my experience in recent years:

 

Wilco - 3 shows in 2015, all around 2,500-5,000, no smoke

Paul McCartney - 2014, capacity crowd of 15,000, no smoke

Lady Antebellum - 2014, capacity crowd of 10,000, no smoke

Chris Robinson Brotherhood - 2014, small show, 1,500 or so, but not even any smoke for those stoners

Elton John - 2014, capacity crowd of 10,000+ and no smoke

Billy Joel - 2014, capacity crowd of 20,000, no smoke

Dylan/Wilco/MMJ/Bob Freakin' Weir - 2013, capacity crowd of 10,000+ and I don't even recall getting smoke in my face there

 

You get the idea. Last time I got smoked out as bad as SS was a long, long time ago.

 

Again, my reason for mentioning this was not that I strongly disapprove of people wanting to catch a buzz. It was noting that it seemed to follow me at every single event, day or night. Just lucky, I guess. People really get baked in public at noon?

 

I think it's worth pointing out that smoking anything in a very crowded area is not the most considerate thing to do. Maybe go to the middle or back, where there is more air/space available. Like I heard someone singing this past weekend, "We can make it better."

I continue to be surprised by the multiple folks complaining about the amount of pot being smoked.  I was dead center of the field all 3 shows, a prime spot, and I caught only infrequent wiffs of weed.  Less than I expected (and less than I prefer to tell you the truth!  I'm all for the potheads at concerts, much better than the beer drinkers.)

 

That you didn't notice any weed being smoked at McCartney, Elton John or Billy Joel is meaningless.  I would have been shocked if you did.   I'm surprised at CRB, that must have been a small indoor venue with tight security. And whether you noticed it or not, I'm sure folks were lighting up or firing up their vapes when Bob Weir played.  Maybe you just didn't get smoked out.

 

You say you don't "strongly disapprove of people wanting to catch a buzz," but you obviously disapprove, whether strong or not. (It seems pretty strong to me).  And referring to folks getting "baked" at 2:00 or noon, or whatever time, do you say the same thing about folks having a beer or two, or a cocktail, at the same time?  To turn your question: Do people really drink in public at noon?  I saw a bunch of that, the answer is obviously yes.  I don't consider that getting "baked," nor do I consider someone hitting up a joint or vape in the afternoon to hear some live music getting "baked."  Don't mean to rant, but the acceptance of alcohol while disapproving of someone enjoying a nice pot buzz always smacks of hypocrisy to me.  Doesn't mean I use it, but I will fight for the right...