Solid Sound? more like Upside Down
We saw “It Never Rains at Solid Sound” emblazoned on a tote bag right as we walked into a particularly sunny first day of Wilco’s Solid Sound festival. Unaware of the lore that surrounds this bi-annual celebration of all things experimentally twangy, we would come to learn that it does in fact rain at Solid Sound, almost uniformly. But a little precipitation doesn’t stop the masses from
turning at MASS MoCA‘s sprawling North Adams campus every other year in droves to take in the splendor. The weather is simply part of the charm, and with a robust program that offers as much (if not more) sheltered entertainment than not, who’s bothered by a little rain? You see this is a fest replete with its own kinda in-jokes, down to the local EMS unit even rebranding (and donning Wilco-ified t-shirts) to boot and pins that leave a blank line for attendees to boast how many prior editions they’ve attended. However, for all its quirks and traditions we must say that as first-timers, Solid Sound 2024 was also an extremely warm and inviting experience. Everyone from vendors to staff to fellow show-goers was friendly, chatty, and more than willing to accommodate by whatever means fit the situation. Which to say nothing of the sheer number of artists we saw floating the grounds before and after performances who went out of the way to have little moments with the masses.
With little-to-no cell service and almost no overlapping sets on any of its three main stages, the fest encouraged an attentive and hearty helping of music across genre, era, and mood. While Friday night’s promise of a Wilco “Deep Cuts” headlining slot seemed to bring out the biggest crowds of the weekend, there was a steady stream of punters along the grounds all three days, while rare was the dangerous crowd crushing and over-capacity woes that often inflict a summer fest of this scale. What struck me though most was the patience and respectfulness of the Solid Sound audience. We naturally saw rapturous applause for Wilco when they played their song off the SpongeBob Squarepants movie soundtrack on Friday, but the response was just as rabid by those that braved the late night slot for avant jazz quartet Horse Lords. Surely there were hundreds if not thousands hearing the limb-
flailing interlocking puzzle that is a Water From Your Eyes set, and yet the crowd hung on their every chord long before Jeff Tweedy came out to help a laryngitis-ailed Rachel Brown battle through the harmonies of their “When You’re Around”. Most importantly, for a crowd that (politely) skews older than the average, Solid Sound folks show early and hang late. To wit, sets from contemporary alt-country leaning acts like Fenne Lily and Ratboys (at noon and 12:45 respectively) were packed out full of nodding heads and swaying cans of brightly-colored Treehouse Brewing beer, while Sylvan Esso‘s two-night DJ stand had folks more than twice my age throwing ass well past midnight.
It feels pertinent to also highlight the generosity of Solid Sound’s extracurricular programming. While already top-to-bottom one of the season’s most expertly curated lineups, the beauty of having an entire museum at your disposal alongside the designated festival area is executing artist signings, talks, themed exhibits, live painting, and pop-up acoustic sets from artists also playing (or at times even not) playing one of the main stages. We’d also be remiss not to gas up the robust food and drink offerings, and we wanna give a special shout out to Broccoli Bar food truck who absolutely brought the house down for me after a scorching opening set from Horsegirl on Friday.
Vibes were electric we get it: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC. Well dear readers of this esteemed music publication, in a word: it rocked. Gonna highlight a few killer sets from each day and then link to Wendy’s amazing photographical as well below, thanks for reading.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Friday)
We jokingly tweeted that Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit‘s Friday slot at Solid Sound concluded their 2024 tour of Massachusetts (having headlined Roadrunner and then opened for Zach Bryan at Gillette Stadium on days prior, for those who didn’t get the joke), but their early evening sermon on Joe’s Field felt like a coronation. While obviously in the wheelhouse for Wilco fans of any stripe, Isbell and co.’s hour went off remarkably well by any metric. While plenty of guitar pyrotechnics came courtesy of the rockier end of last year’s Weathervanes LP, Isbell seemed to have the crowd most captivated during the gentler numbers of season’s past. While a rousing take on R.E.M.’s “The One I Love” got the blood flowing, you could hear a pin drop during the delicate “Cover Me Up” at set’s close, and that’s real-deal star power.
Horse Lords (Friday)
We had Baltimore post-rock (or maybe post-jazz) quartet circled as the sleeper set of the fest on the ride up to North Adams, and the Horse boys did not disappoint. Using the rigid-but-explorative framework of their 2022 LP Comradely Objects as a mere jumping off point, the group spun its wheels over a captivating high-drama hour that toed the line between freak out improv and white-knuckle tension, we saw droves of (only somewhat confused) punters wander over to Courtyard D in daze only to lock in with the haphazard grooves within mere seconds. While it’s kind of hard to tell where one stops and another begins, Horse Lords ran through some foreign sounds (to these ears at least) that pointed towards another sterling collection of challenging but effortlessly rhythmic tunes to come
Ratboys (Saturday)
We had to hustle to wade through the early Saturday crowds to catch Ratboys’ Saturday turn at the Courtyard D stage, but man they shook the scaries straight off with a fabulously workmanlike set. Wasting no time getting into their groove as the sun struggled to burst through the thick, grey clouds hovering above, Ratboys whipped up tracks from across their discography into a slurry of squealing guitar solos and ride cymbal washed goodness. We saw more than one older gentleman in head-to-toe Wilco fits raise their eyebrow and/or tallboy in hootin’ and hollerin’ glee. While we missed the window to shoot the band on stage, Ratboys’ Julia Steiner also played a hotly-tipped (and hauntingly great) pop-up inside the museum later that day that we did manage to squeeze into, and there’s the picture proof above.
Soul Glo (Saturday)
Those that braved the elements (that is a torrential downpour that blissfully held off on any thunder or lightning) were treated to what we can comfortably say was the weekend’s rowdiest set when Soul Glo took the Courtyard C stage on. Saturday afternoon. The Philly based hardcore crew tour through a particularly thrash-y set (at least in comparison to what was still a mightily heavy turn at The Sinclair back in May), running through most of 2022’s Diaspora Problems as well as a host of other tracks. For all the metallic signifiers and fronter Pierce Jordan’s impressive cookie monster growl, Soul Glo are also a band that emphasizes groove and movement beyond the typical pit crushers (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Jordan periodically swung over to a midi setup to tap out percussion hits or play sketches of hip hop or house beats during tuning moments or to catch a blow, but these elements are but a window into the subtler pockets of the harrowing music they play as a unit. Watching a bunch of forty and fifty something bearded country guys be won over in mere seconds by the fury (and mix it up in the pit despite the slippery ground, no less) was a beautiful thing.
Water From Your Eyes (Saturday)
As mentioned above, Water From Your Eyes’ Rachel Brown admirably battled through the set at Courtyard D on Saturday evening despite losing their voice. If we’re being honest, Brown’s raspy talk-sing hybrid led a sort of detached cool to the proceedings as the band’s calculated chaos thrashed and churned around the margins. Donning a choice vintage Chicago Bulls leather jacket, Brown’s swaying and careful stage prowling while the band attacks their instruments with noticeable glee remains some of the most captivating presence in indie rock of the moment. The most movement-heavy numbers off last year’s Everyone Crushed got plenty of punters on their side, but Jeff Tweedy’s relief pitcher like assistance on the topsy-turvy ballad “When You’re Around” was surely a special moment for everyone involved.
ALSO I’d be remiss not to mention the fact that Wilco surprise dipped into all of Ghost Is Born for its 20th anniversary midway through their Saturday headline set at Joe’s Field. That was the exact sort of absolute head trip that’s promised by a festival like this.
Iris DeMent (Sunday)
We admittedly caught most of living legend of folk Iris DeMent‘s Sunday afternoon slot at Joe’s Field from the shade up on the hill as the sun beat down hard, but the effect was still stunning. DeMent’s voice has lost little (if any) power over the years, and there were several heart-stopping runs throughout her set. Flocked by a few guests who popped in and out to strum and pluck a variety of instruments, the focus nonetheless was on her voice and the arresting lines on which she’s helped build an entire genre. While there were plenty of young acts this weekend that make music to wrap your brain around that got the Wilco faithful involved, it was truly moving to see a master like her command a huge crowd with gut feeling alone.
Jeff Tweedy & Friends (Sunday)
While the rain finally turned to thunder and lightning (unfortunately cutting short a set from The Autumn Defense and negating Wednesday’s turn entirely), the skies opened up enough for Jeff Tweedy‘s fest closing solo set to take over Joe’s Field just a half hour or so late. Everyone on stage and in the crowd was in good spirits, including the boys from Wednesday standing right behind us and graciously chopping it up with fans despite the weather switch up. Tweedy and co. tore through a set that dipped into the Wilco man’s extensive solo catalogue, and Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman even popped up to help Jeff sing a tune early in the set, as well. The & Friends end of the band ballooned into the double digits by the encore, with friends and family and well-wishers alike all grabbing an instrument or a mic or both to help send off the bleary eyed crowd. A fitting end to a festival that has truly built its own community in the hills of Western Massachusetts.
You can view the rest of Wendy’s photos right here.