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 >>
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 1:47PM 
