Wilco's Solid Sound Festival:
It's bigger, with 18 bands—and art, too
Published in Berkshire Eagle, 6/24/11
Wilco's Glenn Kotche. Photo: JDG
By Jeremy D. Goodwin
NORTH ADAMS—If at first you definitely succeed... why not go again for a second round?
Last year’s inaugural Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA proved probably the live concert highlight of the year in the Berkshires, not only on the strength of great music but the all-around smoothness of the festival logistics.
A few tweaks have been made (most noticeably the shift from August to June), and the enterprise is back for another go-round—probably a little bigger, and maybe even a little better. Solid Sound features shows by Wilco on Friday and Saturday nights, plus sets by 18 bands including Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, innovative trumpeter Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, local faves Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, and a closing set on Sunday evening from legendary The Band drummer Levon Helm. Seven separate art installations created by the members of Wilco will also be on view, and assorted sundry offerings, from stand-up comedy to a film series to a falconry demonstration, round out the festival experience.
The first Solid Sound Festival received seemingly universally positive reviews, with many attendees noting the extent to which visitor convenience seemed at the heart of the event planning, from abundant, free water to plentiful wireless internet access to reasonably priced, locally sourced food and drink.
"I think we all hoped that there would be another opportunity to do it this year and future years, so we wanted to make it a good, worthwhile experience—thinking about the fans and how we would want to experience the festival," says Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche, in a telephone interview from the famous Wilco Loft in Chicago, where he was about to join one of the final mixing sessions for the band's forthcoming album. "I thought it was a really nice balance, and I was really impressed with that area—the local people and especially the staff at MASS MoCA."
NORTH ADAMS—If at first you definitely succeed... why not go again for a second round?
Last year’s inaugural Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA proved probably the live concert highlight of the year in the Berkshires, not only on the strength of great music but the all-around smoothness of the festival logistics.
A few tweaks have been made (most noticeably the shift from August to June), and the enterprise is back for another go-round—probably a little bigger, and maybe even a little better. Solid Sound features shows by Wilco on Friday and Saturday nights, plus sets by 18 bands including Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, innovative trumpeter Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, local faves Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, and a closing set on Sunday evening from legendary The Band drummer Levon Helm. Seven separate art installations created by the members of Wilco will also be on view, and assorted sundry offerings, from stand-up comedy to a film series to a falconry demonstration, round out the festival experience.
The first Solid Sound Festival received seemingly universally positive reviews, with many attendees noting the extent to which visitor convenience seemed at the heart of the event planning, from abundant, free water to plentiful wireless internet access to reasonably priced, locally sourced food and drink.
"I think we all hoped that there would be another opportunity to do it this year and future years, so we wanted to make it a good, worthwhile experience—thinking about the fans and how we would want to experience the festival," says Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche, in a telephone interview from the famous Wilco Loft in Chicago, where he was about to join one of the final mixing sessions for the band's forthcoming album. "I thought it was a really nice balance, and I was really impressed with that area—the local people and especially the staff at MASS MoCA."
JDG's interview with Jeff Tweedy before Solid Sound 2010
Jeff Tweedy's acoustic set at Solid Sound 2010. Photo: JDG
It’s not an intuitive location for the Chicago-based band to launch its own festival. But with two major alternative-rock festivals already enshrined in that city’s summer calendar, and the band’s management based out of Easthampton, MASS MoCA emerged as the perfect venue for a different sort of rock festival.
Kotche created an installation of specially prepared drum heads last year; this weekend he's contributing to three different installations: a short film, a six-channel sound collage, and a demonstration of oversized, unconventional instruments created by the late Gunnar Schonbeck, who created the instruments—often constructed from found objects—while a professor at Bennington College. Kotche is performing a solo set under his own name, but at some point during the festival he and sometime musical partner Darin Gray will play an all-improv set on the Schonbeck instruments.
The sound collage was created for Solid Sound during the recording sessions for the upcoming Wilco album. "I recorded little snippets of the process of making this record, whether it's us just eating and there's people playing pinball, or we're actually recording, or there's people doing overdubs, or we're discussing the album," Kotche explains. The six tracks will be playing simultaneously but at irregular lengths and out of synch, so the composition is constantly changing. "I thought it'd be something interesting to at least try. I have no idea if it'll just be a big mess or it'll be cool. We'll see!"
One senses the experimentally minded Kotche is as excited to have the chance to create these art installations as he is about the Wilco sets. He has even bigger and more elaborate plans he'd like to pursue in future years, but is expanding gradually.
"I need to get to know the people at MASS MoCA a little better before I throw that at them," he says of one particularly ambitious idea.
A big highlight of the undercard is the chance to see noise-rock pioneer Thurston Moore, playing acoustic and electric guitar in a quintet including violin and harp. Look for the Northampton resident to feature songs from his recently released, well-received solo album Demolished Thoughts. The real sonic fireworks are likely to fly, however, when Moore teams up with Wilco avant-guitarist Nels Cline as the two-guitar duo Pillow Wand.
Kotche created an installation of specially prepared drum heads last year; this weekend he's contributing to three different installations: a short film, a six-channel sound collage, and a demonstration of oversized, unconventional instruments created by the late Gunnar Schonbeck, who created the instruments—often constructed from found objects—while a professor at Bennington College. Kotche is performing a solo set under his own name, but at some point during the festival he and sometime musical partner Darin Gray will play an all-improv set on the Schonbeck instruments.
The sound collage was created for Solid Sound during the recording sessions for the upcoming Wilco album. "I recorded little snippets of the process of making this record, whether it's us just eating and there's people playing pinball, or we're actually recording, or there's people doing overdubs, or we're discussing the album," Kotche explains. The six tracks will be playing simultaneously but at irregular lengths and out of synch, so the composition is constantly changing. "I thought it'd be something interesting to at least try. I have no idea if it'll just be a big mess or it'll be cool. We'll see!"
One senses the experimentally minded Kotche is as excited to have the chance to create these art installations as he is about the Wilco sets. He has even bigger and more elaborate plans he'd like to pursue in future years, but is expanding gradually.
"I need to get to know the people at MASS MoCA a little better before I throw that at them," he says of one particularly ambitious idea.
A big highlight of the undercard is the chance to see noise-rock pioneer Thurston Moore, playing acoustic and electric guitar in a quintet including violin and harp. Look for the Northampton resident to feature songs from his recently released, well-received solo album Demolished Thoughts. The real sonic fireworks are likely to fly, however, when Moore teams up with Wilco avant-guitarist Nels Cline as the two-guitar duo Pillow Wand.
Selected photos from Solid Sound 2010
Nels Cline, playing with Nels Cline Singers at Solid Sound 2010. Photo: JDG
Guthrie and Irion are set to try out some material from their own new record, Bright Examples, which beefs up the country-folk approach of their earlier work with cushy beds of electric piano and tight-fisted drumming. Its expanded sound will benefit from a full-band treatment at the festival, including some of the musicians who appear on the album.
“We've got a lot of friends coming in to play with us who wouldn't normally play with us. It going to be a weekend with a lot of talented people getting together,” Irion says in a telephone interview. “We’re just excited to be a part of it, and to represent the Berkshires to some extent.”
With all the extras crammed into Solid Sound, one can lose sight of the biggest attraction: two performances by Wilco, a band that’s earned a place in any conversation about the best (or, dare we say, most important) rock outfits working today. Once known for its frequent personnel changes under the leadership of chief songwriter and vocalist Jeff Tweedy, Wilco has maintained its present membership for the past five years. In the past year the band has created an innovative music and arts festival in its own image and ditched its longtime record label to go the independent route.
For Kotche, it sounds like the greatest artistic sin would be complacence.
“We all really respect each other, we really like each other, and it works musically. There's no problem children,” he says. “But at the same time it doesn't feel settled or comfortable or like we're coasting. With six people who are this busy and who have side projects and side bands, we're always growing and there's a whole lot of untapped musical potential there.”
“We've got a lot of friends coming in to play with us who wouldn't normally play with us. It going to be a weekend with a lot of talented people getting together,” Irion says in a telephone interview. “We’re just excited to be a part of it, and to represent the Berkshires to some extent.”
With all the extras crammed into Solid Sound, one can lose sight of the biggest attraction: two performances by Wilco, a band that’s earned a place in any conversation about the best (or, dare we say, most important) rock outfits working today. Once known for its frequent personnel changes under the leadership of chief songwriter and vocalist Jeff Tweedy, Wilco has maintained its present membership for the past five years. In the past year the band has created an innovative music and arts festival in its own image and ditched its longtime record label to go the independent route.
For Kotche, it sounds like the greatest artistic sin would be complacence.
“We all really respect each other, we really like each other, and it works musically. There's no problem children,” he says. “But at the same time it doesn't feel settled or comfortable or like we're coasting. With six people who are this busy and who have side projects and side bands, we're always growing and there's a whole lot of untapped musical potential there.”
