Favorite Sets at Solid Sound

[kidsmoke]

Besides the obvious (Wilco and Jeff) whose sets left you humming tunes later, even days and days later? Who surprised you and left you wanting to dig deeper?

 

For me, one of the standouts was early Saturday, as I was still groggily coming awake. Yes, I know I should be wide awake by 1 p.m. but that's how it goes when you stay up past 4 a.m. yapping and laughing with housemates you haven't seen in 3 whole years!

Anyway, I thought Cut Worms did a fantastic set in Courtyard C, following Liam's terrific set. It was a great one-two punch to get the day going! I'll be listening to more of them. 

Who stands out in your memory? Were they a surprise, or someone you'd looked forward to?

[theashtraysays]

Bonnie prince Billy. 

Hadn't heard a note of his music, but had "heard of" him somehow.  (Turns out he's from Louisville and I'm in Lexington so maybe that's part of it).  Anyway, I caught his whole set and was really enjoyed it.  A bow on a banjo?  Shiny little stickers on people's faces? 6-piece with no drums? Passing out lyric sheets to the audience?  Every song is just one or two verses repeated half a dozen times?  Word play where the first letter of each line is either the song title or a secret message? 

I found the whole thing delightfully weird and am (obviously) still thinking about it!

[tinnitus photography]

Watt was the highlight for me. pure energy and having Nels on for those two covers was a mountain of cherries on top.

 

bummed i missed Iceage's set and Mess Essque (Mick and Helen were part of BPB's band). 

[Boss_Tweedy]

I went into Solid Sound wanting to see Japanese Breakfast, Terry Allen, and Cut Worms the most. One out of three ain't bad. And I did make it in time to see the end of Cut Worms. My favorites from this year's festival: Bonnie "Prince" Billy (plus I got a fluorescent green lyrics sheet handed out before his set); Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band (this was my absolute favorite even before David Byrne came out at the end); Hand Habits; and Neko Case.

[zanthus]

I really enjoyed Japanese Breakfast.

[Boss_Tweedy]

And as far as special moments go this one was among my favorites: Neko Case and Wilco covering Connie Smith. That voice! If there's a roadcase of this set I sure hope this performance and the other covers will be included (though I have my doubts due to copyright law and such).

 

 

[lizish]

I loved the Bonnie Prince Billy  set and got to share Boss Tweedy's lyric sheet  . It was a folk church singalong with about a dozen verses handed out to the audience - each verse repeated 4 or 5 times in a chant. 

 

I had never seen Will Oldham before and worried about being disappointed.  But - It was beautiful with 7 or 8 people on stage, maybe 3 of them with instruments.

 

Kept thinking about how this was all very very Chakra-Yoga-Saskrit feeling and then BPB just comes out and says it. Some of the verses were meant to supplant Sanskrit Chanting in a meditation/yoga  practice. His reasoning was that Sanskrit is a dead, but root language, with nobody easily understanding it - so why not write his own.   This reaffirmed my fandom and I gotta see him again, as many times as possible. I alway thought that he was the closest that this generation got to Bob Dylan and still think so. 

 

Explained this to a Kirpalu friend and used BPB's reasoning. Why are we still using Sanskrit chants that no one understands and frankly I am more than sick of. She replied that BPB was missing the point, and the tonal qualities of the 'Tum, Zum, Rum' sounds in the language were purposely meant to vibrate the sternum. I guess it figures that everything has already been thought of for a 5000 year old thing and hoping that Oldham also knows this - putting some 'Um' sounds in his chants. 

 

Anyway, Mike Watt, Wilco on Friday and BPB were my faves.  Disappointed that Lauren Spears  aka Le Ren could not make it. Did not get my chance to bug everyone in the vicinity with 'I slightly know her!'

[Mizzy]

I stayed for Kamikaze Palm Tree. 

 

They ROCKED. They were weird, sure, but they rocked as hard as anyone else at the entire fest. 

[tinnitus photography]

On 6/9/2022 at 11:37 AM, Mizzy said:

I stayed for Kamikaze Palm Tree. 

 

They ROCKED. They were weird, sure, but they rocked as hard as anyone else at the entire fest. 

that was the downside of staying ~45 min away from the fest this time; i didn't catch any of the late night shows. anyone see Mess Esque? wanted to see Mick too!