The Solid Sound Festival is a celebratory union of fine art and great music on the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA) campus in North Adams, MA.  The weekend of June 21-23 marked the third annual (with the exception of a hiatus in 2012) Solid Sound Festival since the first in 2010.  Alternative rock greats, Wilco, curate the festival in coordination with the museum staff, contributing art installations to the vast gallery space and bringing together a weekend’s worth of musical talent from various genres.  One can feel the history in the stunning brick buildings that formerly served as an electrical component factory.  Each building provides breathtaking space and light to showcase expertly chosen works of contemporary art, though the restored structures can easily be seen as works of art themselves.  Festival goers display a distinct sense of wonder as they interact with the space and art while enjoying live indie-rock.  The grounds provide three stages of increasing size from the intimate courtyard stage up to the main stage at Joe’s Field.  

Friday afternoon kicked off the festival with the crowds streaming through the museum and onto the grounds.  Many began their weekend by soaking in the art exhibits before the first scheduled band.  The featured installation this year was Xu Bing’s tremendously ambitious “Phoenix,” a pair of 90 and 100 foot long majestic birds made from found objects and tools from old construction sites in China.  A video in the gallery shows the installation and suspension of the “Phoenix” with music by Wilco. 

The first band to play Friday was White Denim.  The band packed the smaller courtyard stage area with happy festival goers drawn by their high-energy rock.  Their stripped-down electric sound was complimented by simple, pounding drum beats and bluesy guitar licks.  Soul-filled vocals made their popular track “Street Joy” truly memorable during their set.  Even though White Denim’s sound is straight forward at ground level, they incorporate layers of electronic experimentation that really become evident in their solos.  This band provided a terrific kick-start for the weekend. 

Jeff Tweedy has been putting a spotlight on classic gospel and R&B by working with the great Mavis Staples and having her perform at the 2011 Solid Sound Festival.  This year, Tweedy showcased The Relatives before Wilco’s Friday night set. The group captivated the crowd on Joe’s Field with songs like “Your Love is Real” and “Let Your Light Shine.”  Their high energy and James-Brown-like shouts of “good god” during their set had everyone smiling and dancing.  The Relatives took a moment to pay respect to homeless veterans in the U.S. and dedicated their song “What’s Wrong with America” to those who have served our country but have lived without basic support within our borders.  The band was a great addition to the festival and a good reminder that soul never goes out of style. 

Wilco ended Friday’s festivities with an all-request set submitted by fans online.  The crowd roared with delight as they opened with “The Boys are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy.  There were several covers that were not as surprising as they were perfectly suited to Wilco’s modus operandi such as The Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers,” The Grateful Dead’s “Ripple,” and Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate.”  Conversely, several tracks were definite conversation topics for the remainder of the weekend including Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Television’s “Marquise Moon,” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.”  Some of my personal favorite moments included a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” The Velvet Underground’s “Who Loves the Sun,” singing Happy Birthday to Wilco’s Pat Sansone, and the emcee ribbing Jeff Tweedy about his denim on denim outfit, a.k.a. “Canadian tuxedo.”  

The night owls were in for a special treat in the indoor museum theater after Wilco’s set.  A film about Buckminster Fuller, the brains behind dome architecture, was screened with Yo La Tengo providing a live soundtrack.  The pairing was artistic and captivating. 

Saturday included music by Mark Mulcahy.  Mulcahy wore a shiny light blue suit that lent a nuanced feel to his 60s style rock.  He encouraged full audience engagement having them call out with their best animal noises during certain parts of a song and threw peanut butter cookies from his lunch into the audience, though not before warning them about peanut allergies. 

Lucius was a special treat for everyone who made it to the larger courtyard stage.  Their outfits were color coordinated with the singers wearing black mini dresses over green leggings and the backing band wearing green jackets with black pants.  Holly Laessig and Jesse Wolfe dress like twins right down to their blonde bobs and makeup.  They remind one of 1960s back-up singers, though these two are clearly the stars of the show.  The group played glamorous electronic rock that one might expect to hear in a New York club, so it came as no surprise when they announced hailing from Brooklyn.  They played the track “Go Home” from their self-titled EP that had everyone either stunned by their powerful vocals or swaying and singing along.  They also covered My Morning Jacket’s “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” showing their range of abilities and interests expand far beyond their own gorgeous glam rock. 

Yo La Tengo filled the large courtyard stage with loyal, excited fans.  Their sound, as always, was hypnotic and magical.  Syncopated drum rhythms, trance-like keys, dreamy vocals, and grungy guitar solos echoed their signature sound off the brick museum walls to the crowd’s delight.  Cheers erupted as they played the fan favorite “Autumn Sweater,” and many later stated feeling privileged to have seen them play. 

Even though Foxygen played the small courtyard stage, they were the talk of the festival Saturday afternoon.  Lead singer, Sam France, practically bubbled off the stage like human champagne, climbing on the stage supports, whipping his hair wildly as he danced, and pausing to engage in a rant or two.  In a “what was he thinking?” moment, France took a moment to tell 6-year-old audience member, Holden, to never start smoking because the tobacco companies get you hooked and take all your f***ing money.  His stage presence was like a combination between Mick Jaggers’ moves and Jim Morrison’s style.  Foxygen’s music could have come straight out of the 70s, heavy on the organ with wailing guitar solos.  Their energy was infectious.  I heard countless people asking each other throughout the evening, “Did you see Foxygen?!”  During Wilco’s set that night, Jeff Tweedy took a jab at the band, kidding that they had been kicked out for France’s stage-climbing shenanigans. 

One of my favorite performances of the weekend was given by Neko Case and her tremendous band.  Always a delight, Neko was particularly spirited Saturday night, though it may have been attributed to her sugar buzz having eaten “five pounds of candy before the show.”  Neko gave a shout out to the town of North Adams where she said she spent time as a kid, having grown up in the area.  Her set was a beautiful mix of favorites from her last three albums including “This Tornado Loves You,” “Maybe Sparrow,” “I Wish I was the Moon,” and “Margaret Vs. Pauline.”  Her voice is like gold and sunshine, equally bright and intense, while her band supplies a wonderfully proficient alt-country accompaniment.  Per usual, her set was freckled with amusing stage banter with singer Kelly Hogan.  This particular show included an anecdote about an “unusually bold” baby woodchuck that apparently approached and licked her toe that afternoon.  The crowd was further treated to 5 new tracks that will be on her upcoming album in September.  Neko is ever-lovely, ever-charming, and ever-inspiring.  She is a must-see artist. 

Wilco’s headlining set Saturday night was formulated for true Wilco fans.  Their 28-song set was full of substantial favorites including “Impossible Germany,” “Art of Almost,” and “Sunken Treasure.”  They also featured several deep cuts like “Summerteeth,” “At My Window Sad and Lonely,” “Just a Kid” (from the Spongebob Squarepants Movie soundtrack,) and side-project Loose Fur’s “Laminated Cat.”  Wilco proved once again their status as seasoned artists with their tight arrangements and incredible intimacy with their music.  Jeff Tweedy is growing into his role of mature front-man and will one day take his rightful place in music history with American greats like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen.  Tweedy’s songwriting is upheld by what may be one of the greatest American bands of all time.  Guitar virtuoso, Nels Kline, and percussion phenomenon, Glenn Kotche, have brought the band to a level beyond that of a typical rock band along with keyboardist, Michael Jorgenson.  Bassist, John Stirratt, effortlessly performs complicated bass lines with such a relaxed stage presence that one might overlook his true talent, while guitarist, keyboardist, and percussionist, Pat Sansone, brings the most amazing proficiency and magnetism to the stage.  It is fitting for reasons beyond the fact that the band organizes the event that people call Solid Sound “The Wilco Festival.”

The Blisters kicked off Sunday’s scheduled events with a pleasantly surprising set.  The high school aged band played music from their new album Finally Bored and blew everyone away.  The Blisters have been together for years, and I once saw them play a cover of The Flaming Lips’ “She Don’t Use Jelly” at Lollapalooza in 2007.  This was a different band altogether.  The Blisters are polished performers, and their music is relevant, mature, indie rock.  With Henry Mosher writing most of their songs and singing lead, Spencer Tweedy on drums and art direction, Hayden Holbert on guitar and backup vocals, and Tory Postillion-Lopez on bass and synth, The Blisters are posed for great success.  Favorite songs from the set include “One Day” and “Through You.”  Finally Bored has been getting significant play-time at my home since the festival. 

Nels Kline of Wilco and classical guitarist Julian Lage played an astounding collaborative set in the museum theater.  The two artists played a full performance of dual improvisation.  Their jazz and classical styles melded into a mesmerizing, cool resonance.  It was a heady and gripping performance. 

Another sonic experiment was that of On Filmore with Wilco’s Glenn Kotche and Radiolab, a DJ duo who performed a narrative about the events leading up to the extinction of the dinosaurs.  Kotche was thrilling to watch as he improvised a soundtrack onstage with his drum kit and his own homemade instruments.  Some of his creations included a cymbal cut into a cascading spiral which he used to create the sound of an asteroid colliding with Earth, a dome-shaped spiral suspended from a rubber band that created an electronic sounding vibration, and a tool scraping on the side of a warped ride cymbal to represent the sound of compressed gasses.  Kotche is so much more than a drummer, and this becomes evident to anyone who has the opportunity to watch him create soundscapes.  

The Autumn Defense features the music of John Stirratt and Pat Sansone of Wilco.  The two have been in collaboration with their band since 2000, releasing 5 EPs and albums.  Their set on Sunday afternoon was a bright spot in the weekend.  Pat and John both bring the warm welcome of their Southern roots to the stage, charming audiences with their lush melodies and kind dispositions.  Their music is sunny, heartfelt rock with smooth harmonies.  They played several songs from their album Once Around including “Everyday” and “Swallows of London Town.”  They ended their show with the crowd singing along with them on Bob Welch’s “Sentimental Lady.” 

Marc Ribot and David Hidalgo of Border Music treated their audience to a set of traditional and contemporary Latin ballads.  They played acoustic guitar, ukulele, and sang lovely sounding lyrics in Spanish for which they gave basic translations ahead of time.  Their stage presence was very casual, both seated and conversational as though they were sitting around a campfire.  It was a beautiful set for a Sunday afternoon. 

Closing the weekend was a dynamic performance by avant-garde jazz trio Medeski, Martin, and Wood.  At their foundation, they create their sound with keyboards, bass, and drums, though onstage they also incorporated an electric guitar and saxophone.  While some of their set was straightforward jazz, a good portion of it was a jazz/funk fusion that had the crowd grooving.  At one perfect moment during a particularly industrial sounding fusion track, a train tore past the stage and alongside Joe’s Field as though it had been a planned participant.  The trio had David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot of Border Music join them for a couple of songs, and Nels Kline of Wilco joined them for several tracks bringing his tremendous jazz improvisation capabilities.  At the end of the set, Jeff Tweedy joined the band and they played Wilco’s “Hate It Here,” though not before Tweedy stated his disclaimer that the song choice was, “no reflection on how we feel about being here.”  Medeski, Martin, and Wood were a glorious end to a perfect festival weekend.

 

Written by: Brittany Vasquez

Edited by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts

Photos by: Tony Vasquez

Link to more photos: http://smu.gs/12OKe8U