MUSIC: Solid Sound Brings Harmony To North Adams
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Everyone at the Wilco-curated Solid Sound Music Festival brought their A-game for a weekend of non-stop summer sounds. Photo: Brittany Radcliffe
White Denim
Kicking off the festivities on Friday was one of my favorite bands from Austin, TX, White Denim, in Courtyard C. These guys are one of the best rock & roll bands you'll ever see, they'll electrify your soul and make your feet shuffle from start to finish. "Mirrored In Reverse", "Drug", "All You Really Have To Do", "Mess Your Hair Up", "I Start To Run", "Corsicana Lemonade" and "River To Consider" lit up the night like a spark to a powder keg. White Denim's newest album, called D came out a couple years ago and is currently available. I look forward to the next spellbounding rock & roll record they're putting out next.
The Relatives
The scene then shifted over to Joe's Field with a legendary gospel soul group in The Relatives taking the audience by full force. Think of heartfelt lyrics in the style of The Temptations mixed with the energy similar to Parliament-Funkadelic and there you have it, The Relatives definitely have that groove to make you boogie. One thing I liked the most is that in the midst of all the harmony, there's a guitar that goes from funky to distorted. Something that gives The Relatives a gritty quality that really makes them unique. "Let Your Light Shine", "Your Love Is Real", "What's Wrong With America?", "Things Are Changing" and "Don't Let Me Fall" were part of a performance that included an extended breakdown that had the crowd dropping it low, doing the swim, and jumping up and down like pogo sticks, along with a guitar solo that melted everyone's face off (not literally, of course). After their performance, The Relatives went to Euclid Records located in Building 8 on the premises where the signed autographs for everyone. It's always refreshing when a band that's been around since the early 70s still takes time to show love to their fans.
Wilco
After a little while of people grabbing beers, unfolding their lawn chairs and snuggling up on their picnic blankets, Wilco played a special all-request set to a roaring audience. They kicked the set off with a rendition of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town", then Jeff Tweedy said, "This is all your fault, you asked for it." Wilco went right back into it with versions of Pavement's "Cut Your Hair", Cheap Trick's "In The Street" (which you might know as the theme to That 70's Show), Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid", The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers", and Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist". Then guest MC John Hodgman revealed "The Randomizer", a contraption full with ping pong balls corresponding to everyone's requests. After John pulled a ball out, Wilco then proceeded to play The Grateful Dead's "Ripple" and followed it up with The Velvet Underground's "Who Loves The Sun", The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing"–twice in a row for good measure–and Tom Petty's "Psychotic Reaction". John Hodgman came back up to use The Randomizer again to have Wilco play "Tom Courtenay" with Yo La Tengo, and then Jon used it again and Wilco played Richard Rabbit Brown's "James Alley Blues". Indie-pop act Lucius, who was playing the following day, joined Wilco for The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" and Abba's "Waterloo" for an epic and energetic part of the set. Wilco then had everyone singing along to a slow version of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" and Jon followed that up by coming back on stage to use The Randomizer for Television's "Marquee Moon" and a sonic rendition of "Happy Birthday" to celebrate member Pat Sansone's birthday right into The Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper". Somebody yelled for the next song, and it was Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" that scored a big applause from the crowd. Jon went back up to respond to "angry letters" that question the randomness of The Randomizer by conducting a portion of the performance called "Stump The Band" by having a member of the audience suggest a song to Wilco. If Wilco could play it then the audience member would lose, and if they couldn't then the audience member would have to sing the song. An audience member from Dublin asked Wilco to play "Atonement" by Lucinda Williams and it turned out to be a draw. Another member of the audience out of the caves of England came up to participate and requested The Cranberries' "Dreams". Wilco couldn't play it so the member of the audience sang it. Wilco slowly started to get into it, but sadly the girl couldn't sing so they stopped halfway through. The final contestant from the audience came up to stump the band with Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and much to everyone's surprise, Wilco started jamming it out and played a groovy version of it that was one of my favorite moments of the festival. Wilco then played another Cheap Trick song–this time it was "Surrender"–and afterwards The Replacements' Tommy Stinson joined Wilco to perform "Color Me Impressed" and Wilco played an original in "Kingpin" to finish off a performance that showed just how broadly talented these guys are. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of a set of covers for two hours, but Wilco is an obvious exception. This was only the first set of two from Wilco, with the second one coming on following night on Saturday. It was only going to get better and better.
The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller + Yo La Tengo
The last part of the first night was at Hunter Center with a screening of The Love Song Of R. Buckminster Fuller, directed and narrated by Sam Green, with Yo La Tengo performing a live score on the right side of the stage. Green went up to do a live narration on the left side of the stage and it was a very inspiring live documentary about the wonder of Fuller's life. It showed the Dymaxion Chronofile, which Fuller used to document his entire life from 1920 to 1983 and is kept at The University Of Stanford, his first inventions which included a futuristic car and a portable house, his claim to fame which is the Geodesic Dome, and even a conversation which a bunch of hippies in San Francisco in 1967. It was an awesome documentary that had stimulating visuals and a lot of information about an amazing person who I didn't know much about, while I was watching the film I even forgot at times that Yo La Tengo was performing live on stage. The first day of The Solid Sound Music Festival concluded and I was excited to see what was in store for Saturday.
Mark Mulcahy
At high noon on Saturday, Mark Mulcahy, a musician who you might know best as the man behind the soundtrack for the classic Nickelodeon TV show The Adventures of Pete & Pete, as well as being the frontman and guitarist for Miracle Legion and Polaris, started the festivities of the second day in Courtyard C. He had this cool laid back rock performance that consisted of "Hurry Please Hurry", "She's Staggering", "The Quiet One", "Running On A Rainy Day", "She Makes The World Turn Backwards", "Couple Of Days", "Can't Find The Reason", "Breaking Out Tonight", "Cookie Jar", "I Have Patience" and "Bill Jocko" that had J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. special guesting on guitar. Mark Mulcahy just put out a new album titled Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You. Getting this album is a must for me and the same should go for you.
Lucius
Over at Courtyard D, Lucius was hot off the heels from joining in on Wilco's all-request set from the previous night, and they exuded such power, especially with the double vocals going together in unison. They also had a groundbreaking stage presence with the two female singers dressed exactly alike with both of the keyboards making a perfect 45 degree angle. "Go Home", "Don't Just Sit There", "Genevieve" and "Wonderful" highlighted an explosive performance that resonated throughout the entire festival grounds. Lucius will be putting out a new album this fall; just another record you have to add to your library when it comes out.
Sean Rowe
Alt-folk musician Sean Rowe came up next on Courtyard C with his voice that's as deep as a bottomless pit and as hearty as a burning fireplace. "Joe's Cult", "Signs", a dirty version of Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful", "On The Wrong Side Of The Bed", and a cover of Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" were part of a rocking set the lit the stage on fire with just Sean and his guitar. Sean has his newest album titled The Salesman and The Shark thats been out for nearly a year. Looks like you'll have to get that piece of music excellence too.
The Dream Syndicate
An alternative rock band straight from Los Angeles' Paisley Underground scene of the 80s who has recently gotten back together, The Dream Syndicate had scorching guitar solos and groovy beats on Courtyard D. "It's Gonna Be Alright (John Coltrane Stereo Blues)", "The Days Of Wine And Roses" that included a breakdown that included them doing an improvised portion of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?", freezing in stop motion and ending the rest of song was part of a spine-tingling set. The interesting thing about this band is that they combined the feverish rhythms of Chuck Berry-esque rock & roll with the dance-pop of The B-52's and a tad bit of old-school punk. This was The Dream Syndicate's first show in the United States since 1988 and they came back with a bang.
Sam Amidon
Up at Courtyard C was a multi-talented folk musician from Brattleboro, VT, Sam Amidon, who played banjo, guitar, and fiddle along with having a great bassist and an awesome drummer for a rhythm section. "My Old Friend", "You Better Mind" with British folk superstar Beth Orton assisting on vocals, "Won't Turn Back", and "He's Taken My Feet" were part of a folk set that was unlike anything I've ever seen and heard, with Sam having a lot of vigor with each song and ambient rhythms weaving in and out continuously. Since he's a New England-based musician, let's hope we see more of Sam around the area very soon.
Yo La Tengo, Part 2
As if their part in Friday's festivities weren't fantastic enough, Yo La Tengo took over Courtyard D and the entire festival audience shuffled in to see what they had planned after their stunning score during the screening of Love Song For R. Buckminster Fuller the previous night. Their much anticipated performance definitely stuck out during "Autumn Sweater, "The Point Of It", and "Nothing To Hide", along with a crazy noise-punk fest that ended a sizzling performance. Countless people have told me to indulge into the music of Yo La Tengo and after these past few days I'm very sure they just found a new fan.
Foxygen
It was back to Courtyard C with psychedelic rock phenoms Foxygen taking over and bringing Solid Sound to another planet. "On Blue Mountain", "In The Darkness", "Make It Known", "Shuggie" and "No Destruction" were part of a performance that made everyone go crazy. The crowd then demanded an encore and Foxygen came back out to do "Teenage Alien Blues" that brought the sense of pandemonium to all new heights. If you love a good time, make sure you see Foxygen live next time they roll through your neighborhood.
Low
The last band to play in Courtyard D was one of those indie bands that has been under the radar for 20 years. Low from Duluth, Minnesota played slow and somber tunes to ease minds all over the floor. "Especially Me", "Dinosaur Egg", "Murderer", "Just Make It Stop", and "Last Snowstorm Of The Year" were part of a performance that was a perfect mix of mellowness, emotion, and driving riffs. Whenever I just want to take a break from life for a while, I'm going to get a bunch of music from Low and give my mind a rhythmic massage.
Neko Case
The scene shifted back to Joe's Field where the final two acts of the day were all set and ready to go. Neko Case, who you might know as an original member of The New Pornographers along with her stunning solo career and wonderful voice, took the stage in front of the packed lawn area to bring on the night. "Margaret vs. Pauline", "Favorite", "Red Tide", "I Wish I Was The Moon", "I Am An Animal", "Middle Cyclone", "The Tigers Have Spoken", "This Tornado Loves You", "Maybe Sparrow", "Nothing To Remember" and "Train From Kansas City" were part of an exquisite display of versatility and originality with tons of guitars, a cello, and even a tambourine, along with a few other songs that are off of Neko's upcoming new album titled The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, due out in September. If the tracks on the new album are anything like the ones she played live, I highly suggest you grab a copy when it's released.
Wilco, Part 2
After all the anticipation to see Wilco finish off the night once again, a freight train rolled in by horn blowing and all in the audience roared with applause. Shortly afterwards, Wilco took the stage and the audience roared once again with Jeff and the boys going right into "I Got You (At The End Of The Century)". Wilco then resumed with "Dawned On Me", "Box Full Of Letters", "At My Window Sad And Lonely", "Don't Forget The Flowers" with guest Julian Lage on bass, "She's A Jar", "You Are My Face", "Art of Almost", and "I Might". A beautiful girl came up to the stage to request "Candy Floss", mistaking it for being on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when it's actually on Summerteeth. "I'm Always In Love", "Sunken Treasure", "Far, Far Away", "Via Chicago", "Impossible Germany", "Born Alone", "Not For The Season", "Passenger Side", "Whole Love", "Heavy Metal Drummer", and "I'm The Man Who Loves You" had Nels Cline going absolutely insane on guitar and Jeff Tweedy cracking jokes with the crowd. You should have known already that when a band plays for the second time at a festival they curated then they surely won't pass up the encore. Wilco didn't, they caused a commotion with a thrilling encore that had "Shot In The Arm", "California Star" with Julian Lage joining the fray again, and "Dreamer In My Dreams" for one hell of a send off. Afterwards there was an astronomy lecture on Joe's Field, a DJ spinning at Courtyard C, and people partying in the campgrounds. Sunday was the grand finale of Solid Sound and you knew that no one was holding anything back.
The Blisters
Sunday was surely the fun day at Solid Sound with The Blisters starting the finale at Courtyard C, featuring Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer on drums. "Elliptical", "Scotch Free", "If I Called You", "21st Century Gang", "Don't Send Me Flowers" featuring Elena Stacy on vocals, "Follow Me", and "Rock Intervention" were part of an extremely talented rock & roll performance. These kids have been in this band since they were 7 and now there around the age of 18 playing like seasoned vets. Get The Blisters' new album Finally Bored, a wonderful record from a young band you better keep your eye on.
Mikael Jorgensen
In Courtyard D Wilco's Mikael Jorgensen along with Greg O'Keeffe and Oliver Chapoy had this cool electro-jam session going on by continuously adding different dimensions to make each track, more complex but at the same time enjoyable to listen to. They reminded me a lot of Simian Mobile Disco with their constant rhythms and techniques that had the audience in a trance. From Wilco's cover of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky", it's not surprising that Jorgensen has a little bit of street cred when it comes to electronic music, and he showed it magnificently along with O'Keeffe and Chapoy providing majestic assistance on stage.
The Autumn Defense
After a little while of Story Pirates doing some sort of musical inspired by the festival on Courtyard C and Nels Cline & Julian Lage performing in front of a packed Hunter Center that was near impossible to get into, The Autumn Defense, lead by Wilco's Pat Sansone and John Stirratt with their backing band, had a genuine heartland feel that was exuded through "Tell Me What You Want", "The Sun In California", "Every Day", "Simple Explanation", "None Of This Will Matter", "This Thing That I've Found", "Spend Your Life", "Things On My Mind", "Swallows Of London Town", Mark Mulcahy's "Paradise" that had Mark joining the band to sing on stage, "We Will Never Die", "The World (Will Soon Turn Our Way)" and "Sentimental Lady" were very similar to Wilco but Sansone and Stirratt wrote all the songs. I did like it and I plan on seeing what else The Autumn Defense have so I delve deeper into their material.
On Filmore
Back at Courtyard C, Radiolab out of WYNC took the stage with acoustic upright bass and percussion duo On Fillmore, featuring Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and bassist Darin Gray providing the soundtrack. They talked about the extinction of the dinosaurs and theories from various professors and paleontologists around the globe; it was an in depth discussion that had the attention of the entire crowd, sitting indian style all over the courtyard. On Fillmore made it supremely enjoyable with Gray walking through the crowd making the craziest of sounds. For these intelligent discussions that make you explore the mind, give a look at Radiolab's website at Radiolab.org.
Os Mutantes
Over at Joe's Field was a band that are the epitome of the music genre Tropicalia, which is pretty much Brazilian rock & roll. But Os Mutantes puts a nifty psychedelic spin on it. "The Dream Is Gone", "Piccadilly Willy" that ended with a spectacular sitar solo from founder and frontman Sergio Dias, "Look Out", "Time And Space" and "Minha Menina" along with a bunch of songs sung in Portuguese had people all over the field bobbing their heads and grooving to Os Mutantes' infectious rhythms. Os Mutantes has a new album out called Fool Metal Jack, but I highly suggest you get any record they made in the 60's; it's music truly ahead of it's time.
Border Music
As the Solid Sound Music Festival was nearing its end with only a couple acts left to play, Border Music featuring Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and guitar player extraordinaire Mark Ribot had them both strumming on six-strings and taking turns sharing songs with the audience. "Dos Traficantes", Los Lobos' "Le Pistola y El Corazon", "The Dying Cowboy", Merle Haggard's "The Running Kind", "Rata De Dos Patas", and Los Lobos' "Voodoo Music" had the crowd clapping along to the strums. It's not that easy to rock out and get repeated applauses from the audience when you just have two guys singing and playing guitars, but then again it's not every day you get to see two rock & roll monsters like Hidalgo and Ribot play together on stage.
Medeski, Martin & Wood
To finish off a hell of a weekend at The Solid Sound Music Festival, instrumental jazz funk jam trio Medeski, Martin & Wood were the golden icing on a blissful cake. Joined by a few special guests that included David Hidalgo on guitar and ukelele, Mark Ribot strumming his own axe, Nels Cline blowing up the stage with his incredible skill, and Jeff Tweedy who sang vocals during a take on Wilco's "Hate It Here", it was truly a musical experience worthy of concluding such a festival chock full of performances that stuck in everyone's mind for what seems like eternity. Afterwards Medeski, Martin & Wood went out with Nels Cline one last time for an encore with a jam session that seemed like it would never end. Sadly it did, but The Solid Sound Music Festival fit the bill and was one of the best weekends I've ever experienced when it comes to live music. I can't wait to see what Wilco has planned for it next year and hopefully I'll see you there next time.
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