Wilco Live at Solid Sound Festival 2011 (Night 2)

If Friday night's set was the musical equivalent of the dark storm clouds overhead - noise rock grit and flashy Nels Cline solos - then Saturday's set was the opposite.  A looser set featuring Wilco's most accessible and well-known work.  Classic rock pomp, folk-rock singalongs and Tweedy's trademark self-deprecating banter.

Catering to both the casual fans and die-hards, the set again drew from every album.  The only songs repeated from the previous night were new tracks "I Might" and "Born Alone".  Among many highlights, the standouts for me were "At Least That's What You Said" (I never tire of that solo), "Jesus, etc" which Tweedy turned over almost entirely to the crowd and "California Stars" with Sarah Lee Guthrie singing her grandfather's lyrics.

With a setlist so different from the previous night, it's not easy to pick a favorite -- Friday night felt like Wilco at their most vital and experimental.  Saturday was the victory lap - a set of crowd favorites and singalongs, played beneath finally-dry skies to a sprawling, adoring crowd. For those that were there, I'm curious which night you preferred - let me know in the comments.

Complete recording of night two is streaming below.  Sound on this is excellent - enjoy!

Wilco
Solid Sound Festival - North Adams, MA
June 25, 2011

I Love My Label (Nick Lowe cover)
Dawned On Me (new song)
A Shot In The Arm
Side With The Seeds
Company In My Back
I'll Fight
War On War
At Least That's What You Said
It's Just That Simple
What Light
Can't Stand It
Unknown (new song)
Jesus, etc
Hummingbird
I Might (new song)
Box Full Of Letters
Hate It Here
You Never Know (with Liam Finn)
(Thanks)
Born Alone (new song)
-----
The Late Greats
Heavy Metal Drummer
Passenger Side
California Stars (with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion)
Airline To Heaven
Monday > Outtasite (Outta Mind)
Hoodoo Voodoo

Full set download:  mp3 zip

Wilco Live at Solid Sound Festival 2011 (Night 1)

Night 1 of Solid Sound was nearly a wash out.  Pouring rain had guitar techs and roadies giving each other worried looks on stage - and for a while I wasn't sure Wilco would be able to take the stage. 

They did take the stage, albeit a little late, and proceeded to put on one of the most intense shows I've seen from them.  The band mirrored the storm overhead, putting together a setlist that featured some of their noisiest, most experimental and visceral work.  Nels Cline was the star of the night, and as usual he was in top form - his solo on Hotel Arizona absolutely smoked.  Another highlight was Poor Places > Reservations, mirroring the perfect juxtaposition of the songs on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The set featured tracks from every studio album, a handful of brand new songs from the upcoming The Whole Love and closed with a cover of Split Enz "I Got You" with Neil Finn. 

Full recording is below for stream or download (right-click / save as).  Sound is generally excellent - though the pitter-patter of rain in the first few songs is audible, along with a bit of wind noise towards the end of the set.  Well worth the download if only for the full-band premier of 3 new songs.  Check back soon for my recording from night 2 which sounds even better!

Wilco
Solid Sound Festival - North Adams MA
June 24, 2011

I Might (new song)
Misunderstood
Bull Black Nova
Muzzle Of Bees
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
One Wing
Via Chicago
Whole Love (new song)
Hotel Arizona
Impossible Germany
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Handshake Drugs
Radio Cure
Born Alone (new song)
Poor Places
Reservations
Spiders
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Red-Eyed and Blue
I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
I Got You (Split Enz cover, with Neil Finn)

Full set download:  mp3 zip

Solid Sound audio highlights - new Wilco songs, collaborations

A wet weekend couldn't dampen the spirits of the Wilco faithful that headed to North Adams MA for the second annual Solid Sound Festival.  Wilco's two headlining sets totaled about 5 hours of music with almost no overlap - including almost 50 different songs, a few world premiers and one-off collaborations.  After I fully dry out, both full sets will be posted in their entirety - check back soon.  Until then, here are some of the many highlights...

I Love My Label (Nick Lowe cover)
I Might (new)
Dawned On Me (new - live debut)
Unknown (new - live debut)
You Never Know (with Liam Finn)
Born Alone (new)
California Stars (with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion)
Whole Love (new)
I Got You (Split Enz cover, with Neil Finn)

Complete 6.24 recording here

VV Heads to Wilco's Solid Sound Festival 2011

Last year's inaugural Solid Sound experiment was one of the most well-organized festivals I've ever been to.  It was obvious that the band took an active role not only in curating the performances and exhibits, but in the minor details that really make or break the festival experience.  It was clearly a success for the band and the town of North Adams, and lucky for us Wilco decided to do it again.  The band that will forever be linked to Chicago is starting to put down roots in Western Mass - and that's just fine with me.  Follow @visiblevoicebos on Twitter for live updates/photos and check back for a full post-festival wrap-up!

Magazine Called Sunset - LIVE at Solid Sound 2010

Brenda: Solid Sound Festival 8.14.2010

Brenda onstage at the Solid Sound FestivalWe first became aware of Portland ME trio Brenda when the lineup of the Solid Sound Festival was announced this past spring.  Being selected by Wilco to take part in the 3-day festival was enough reason to take note, but when their debut Silver Tower was released back in June it became crystal clear what Jeff Tweedy and Co. see in the band.  The best of 90s alt-rock, reinvigorated with a modern indie-rock twist.

Brenda kicked-off the festivities on day 2 of Solid Sound, playing to a crowd that was clearly unfamiliar with their music.  As the crowd in Courtyard C grew, Brenda played a blistering 50-minute set - a mix of favorites from Silver Tower along with a few new songs.  Enjoy the full show, available below for stream or download:

Brenda
Solid Sound Festival - North Adams, MA
August 14, 2010

Delegator
Intro
Girl Don't Grow
Shaililai
Blackout
Ghandi
I'd Be Dead
New Song
Unknown song 1
Unknown song 2

Full set download (mp3)

More photos from Solid Sound

Preview: Mavis Staples "You Are Not Alone"

Jeff Tweedy joins Mavis Staples on stage at the Solid Sound Festival in North Adams MA

Mavis Staples' upcoming Jeff Tweedy-produced album You Are Not Alone is high on our list of most anticipated albums of the year.  It's been nearly a year since I learned about the collaboration, but my already-high expectations were raised exponentially after hearing the standout title track.  The song has Tweedy's unmistakable lyrical stamp yet falls comfortably in Staples' gospel wheelhouse - a song of reassurance in the face of uncertainty. 

I had the great opportunity to hear a few of these songs at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival a few weeks ago, where Tweedy joined Mavis on stage for a remarkable cross-generational collaboration between music icons.  Now, after hearing the full album, I can finally say that my high expectations have been fulfilled - the songs are fantastic and Mavis Staples and band sound energized.  A legend of gospel/soul making relevant music alongside one of the most creative and important songwriters of the last 15 years - it may sound like an unlikely pairing, but the results are undeniably great. 

Listen to the album in its entirety below, before the September 14 release date:

Wilco brings Solid Sound to Mass MoCA

 
By Seth Mitchell

Chicago rock legends Wilco took over the Berkshire town of North Adams, MA recently, for what we can only hope was the first annual Solid Sound Arts and Music Festival.  The three day long festival, which was held in the downtown mills now comprising the Mass. Museum of Contemporary Art, featured sets by the legendary Mavis Staples, local heroes The Books, and, of course, Wilco, in addition to the numerous side projects of its members and other artists.

From the moment Jeff Tweedy announced the idea for Solid Sound from the stage of the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, I knew that it couldn’t be missed.  It would have music, it would have Wilco, and it would be held 3 hours from Boston- that did it.  The fact that the festival would be held in the Mass MOCA and include comedy, film, and Mavis Staples was just unneeded justification.

North Adams, a town of fewer than 14,000 residents nestled in the hills of northern Berkshire County, saw itself swell by more than 50% over the weekend, with local shops staying open past midnight to (hopefully) capitalize on the influx of customers.  North Adams has been economically depressed since the closure of the Sprague Electric Company in 1985.  With the loss of local jobs, the prosperous town began a tailspin until 1999, when the company’s 26 mill buildings were reopened as the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the US. 

A sea of plaid shirts and beards made it impossible to tell locals from musicians, with Wilco’s handpicked acts mingling with the weekend’s crowds.  To the thousands of fans and artists there, the festival seems to have been a great success.  The true measure of this festival, however, and of its future, lay in the impact on town’s businesses and the Mass MOCA.

In addition to over a dozen musical acts, the museum hosted exhibits from musicians like Nels Cline and a 3-floor retrospective of artist Sol LeWitt.  An indoor auditorium showcased comedians Todd Barry and Kristen Schaal, among others, and hosted a Wilco- curated film series.  The downtown city setting in a valley of the bucolic Berkshires was unique, with plenty of nearby free parking lots and shuttles (though I never needed one).   

Other Highlights of Solid Sound:  

1. Jeff Tweedy in the Dunk Tank, Nudie Jacket and All- Absolutely the #1 reason to go to Solid Sound (see the photos), especially when Jeff then complains about the dunk tank at least 5 times on stage over the rest of the weekend.

2. 3-Day Tickets for Under $100- For all the top-tier bands and free access to the Mass MOCA to boot, no one, even in this recession, can really complain.

3. Well Planned, Well Run, and Well Curated- Free parking, re-entry allowed, $5 Magic Hat.  An eclectic mix of bands and logical schedule.  Just really well done.

4. It’s for a Good Cause- The residents of North Adams were willing to think outside the proverbial box to approve this unique new concept.  Its goal was to stimulate the local businesses and to bring new interest to Mass MOCA – lets hope that it does that, and more.  I’d fully support an indoor winter session too…just a thought.   

5. Magazine Called Sunset- Just listen...

Wilco - Magazine Called Sunset (Solid Sound Festival 8/14/10)

Downsides:

1.  Very limited lodging (hotels/camping) nearby- as in, I stayed at a campground   in VT.  Next year I’d recommend scouting out the “quaint” motels that advertised vacancies even when everything with any semblance of a web presence had been full a week earlier.  

Two and a half days of perfect weather were punctuated by warm drizzle during Tweedy’s Sunday finale.  During his set with “friends” from the rest of the weekend’s lineup, Tweedy bantered with the crowd.  "I hope we can come back next year. Come back, bring some friends. Or don't. There are plenty of people here, we don't need any more. Keep it a secret."  That’s a good idea, Jeff, because it’s the sort of festival that is perfect at under 10,000 – but I’m afraid the word will get out on our “little” big secret.  

Solid Sound photo gallery >>

   

Photos: Wilco's Solid Sound Festival 2010

                   

                   

                   

Complete Solid Sound photo gallery>>

Festival Express: New England summer music festivals

As June rolls into July the temperatures are warming up and it's finally festival season in New England.  There's no massive festival to rival Bonnaroo or Coachella, but that doesn't mean there aren't world class festivals in our neck of the woods.  Below is a roundup of just a few that we're looking forward to - check back throughout the summer for full coverage of each, including previews (with free downloads) and post-festival recaps with photos, video and - in some cases - live audio.

Nateva Music & Camping Festival
When:  July 2-4
Where:  Oxford, ME
Tickets:  $89 / $229  BUY HERE
Bands:  FURTHER, THE FLAMING LIPS, SHE & HIM, PASSION PIT, GRIZZLY BEAR, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, GEORGE CLINTON, THE FELICE BROTHERS, YOU CAN BE A WESLEY, BRENDA, MAGIC MAGIC and more

Free track:  Magic Magic - Jellyfish

Green River Festival
When:  July 17-18
Where:  Greenfield, MA
Tickets:  $39.95 / $59.95  BUY HERE
Bands: CALEXICO, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, ALLEN TOUSSAINT, CAKE, THE FELICE BROTHERS, THE LOW ANTHEM, DAVID WAX MUSEUM, RED STICK RAMBLERS, CHATHAM COUNTY LINE, JOY KILLS SORROW and more

Free track:  The David Wax Museum - Colas

Newport Folk Festival
When:  July 30-August 1
Where:  Newport, RI
Tickets:  $69 / $125  BUY HERE
Bands:  LEVON HELM, JOHN PRINE, THE AVETT BROTHERS, ANDREW BIRD, THE SWELL SEASON, SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, YIM YAMES, THE LOW ANTHEM, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, DAWES, BLITZEN TRAPPER and more

Free track:  The Low Anthem - Home I'll Never Be (Live in Boston)

Solid Sound Festival (curated by Wilco)
When:  August 13-15
Tickets:  $91  BUY HERE
Bands:  WILCO, JEFF TWEEDY (SOLO), THE NELS CLINE SINGERS, ON FILLMORE, AUTUMN DEFENSE, VETIVER, MAVIS STAPLES, AVI BUFFALO, MOUNTAIN MAN, BRENDA, TODD BARRY, KRISTEN SCHAAL and more

Free track:  Jeff Tweedy - Bob Dylan's 49th Beard (Live in Northampton)