Solid Sound Festival 2022

Venue:

Mass MOCA, North Adams MA

Date: 27/05/2022

My bi-annual trip south to the Berkshires, delayed a year for obvious reasons.

Will not drone on about Wilco too much, suffice to say they played the whole of their new album Cruel Country in order on Fri evening, followed by a few more country songs. It is very good, a fairly challenging listen of a double album released on that day though (however festival attendees got a free download a week earlier), Jeff Tweedy acknowledged this and thanked us for our patience..

Night 2 was more of a greatest hits set albeit with 7 CC songs featured again. sounded better 2nd time round.

Weather was also challenging with several massive downpours on Fri and Sat, Sun was lovely and (too) hot though. I also missed a fair part on Saturday due to watching a “sawker” game. luckily this also coincided with a downpoir.

My main highlight otherwise was Japanese Breakfast, new to me and they were absolutely wonderful, will certainly investigate further. Other acts I caught at least part of were Sylvan Esso, Sun Ra Arkestra, Nels Cline Consenkrik Quartet, Cut Worms, Mike Watts (awful). eleventh Dream Day, On Fillmore, Iceage, Daughter of Swords and Terry Allen and the Panhandle mystery Band.

The last one mentioned produced certainly one of the highlights of the festival bringing on a friend for a couple of songs, David Byrne! He performed his own “Buck Naked” and stayed on playing guitar for one more.

As always the festival closet is a “Jeff Tweedy and friends” set, mainly family orientated, he played a selection from his last 3 solo albums (a little too downbeat) then a couple of covers, “Helpless” with son Sammy on superb lead vocals (other son Spencer was on drums throughout) and “It Must be Love”. Then David Byrne and dozens of others joined them for the finale, a ragged but glorious version of “California Stars” with Byrne chiming in with a co-lead vocal. A lot of fun!

I have been 3 times and this was probably the weakest line-up of those, but always a great experience and a great part of the world to spend a few days in. Trying to keep up with everything going on can be a bit tiring and I occasionally thought that maybe this would be my last one. But I am sure that after I am fully recovered I will be looking forward to (I assume) 2024 for the next one.

The audience:

Aged from a few months old to about 80 and I saw one heavily pregnant woman Friendliest people yo will ever meet.

It made me think..

The connection between Wilco and their audience is a very special one

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