Amelia Randall Meath and Nicholas Sanborn are Sylvan Esso.
You probably know about Mountain Man, the seemingly guileless female trio that I found particularly enchanting at the 2010 edition of Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival. Continue reading
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion perform atop an artwork in a gallery at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Mass., during the Solid Sound festival in 2011. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)
Alongside a two-lane back road in the Berkshires region of Western Massachusetts sits a solid, simple frame home.
Sited on what appears to be at least a couple of acres atop a hill, its nearest neighbor is farther than you can throw a stone, but not so far as to be out of sight.
The house is far enough from the main highway to provide a peaceful retreat, but with easy access to civilization — whether you consider that North Adams, Pittsfield, Boston or beyond.
The silence — at least outdoors, anyway — is broken only by the occasional animal noise or the air-horn warning and rumble of one of the freight trains that pass through on a regular basis.
Inside, it’s a very different story.
That’s where Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion are raising their kids — “counting the cousins, on any given day there are four to six. But normally, two: Olivia’s 11, Sophia’s 6,” Johnny told Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? in an exclusive interview.
And it’s home base for their business. Downstairs, in a studio-basement-rehearsal space, the married musical duo practice and record their music.
Things are really happening for Sarah Lee and Johnny. They seem like a duo on the verge of overnight success — albeit after one very long and ofttimes sleepless night.
But we’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s clear up something: While Sarah Lee and Johnny aren’t household names, there’s something about them that rings the bell.
It’s that Guthrie thing, right? Continue reading
Posted in Concerts, Country, Folk, Music, News, Pop and Rock, Recordings, Review
Tagged Arlo Guthrie, Chairman Meow, Dream Away Lodge, Gary Louris, Jeff Tweedy, Johnny Irion, Los Angeles, Manhattan, MASS MoCA, Massachusetts, Pat Sansone, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Solid Sound, Sophia, The Jayhawks, Vetiver, Wassaic Festival, Wassaic Way, Woody Guthrie
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion at Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival in 2011. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion are making a Hudson Valley appearance on Saturday, Aug. 3 at the all-free Wassaic Festival in Dutchess County, which starts today and runs through Sunday (Aug. 2-4).
There’s something nice about hitting the namesake town in the early stages of touring their latest album, the seriously charming Wassaic Way. The husband-and-wife-duo (she’s daughter of Arlo Guthrie and granddaughter of Woody Guthrie) are really proud of the self-released album (which is to be released Aug. 6) they made with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone.
Stay tuned for a full interview with the creative couple. But for now, I just wanted to alert you to their gig coming Saturday. I’ve never been to the Wassaic Project, a center that aims to create context for art making and strengthening local community by increasing social and cultural capital through inspiration, promotion and creation of contemporary visual and performing art. It’s at the very last stop on Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem Line. This is the sixth year for the festival, a free, three-day event featuring art, music, dance, and community featuring over 100 artists, 25 bands, film screenings, dance performances and more.
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug 3., on the Luther Barn Stage. The Wassaic Festival began today (Aug. 2) with various art events. Music and dance start around 6 p.m. This wrap up Sunday with a community breakfast, kids events and more music.
The Wassaic Project is at The Maxon Mills, 37 Furnace Bank Road , Wassaic, NY 12592. It’s in walking distance of the Wassaic Metro-North station with connections from Grand Central Terminal. ADMISSION IS FREE, but tickets are required for some events. Check the full schedule here.
Posted in Art, Blues, Concerts, Folk, Music, News, Recordings, World Music
Tagged Amenia, Arlo Guthrie, Chicago, Harlem Line, Jeff Tweedy, Johnny Irion, Metro-North Railroad, Pat Sansone, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Solid Sound, Wassaic Festival, Wassaic Project, Wassaic Way, Wilco, Woody Guthrie
Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? has told you before, and is taking this opportunity to tell you again: Solid Sound, Wilco’s music and arts festival at MASS MoCA is one of the best music festivals ever. We’ve attended the first two editions and have no intention of missing V3 this year — on June 21-23 at the museum in North Adams, Mass.
Posted in Art, Blues, Concerts, Contemporary, Country, Folk, Jazz, Music, News, Pop and Rock
Tagged Foxygen, MASS MoCA, Massachusetts, Neko Case, North Adams, Os Mutantes, Solid Sound, White Denim, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
A view of the Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA.
We felt a void this year. After staging the Solid Sound Festival for two years in a row on the campus of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Mass., Wilco decided to skip 2012.
It was disappointing. But that makes today’s news all the more delicious.
I suppose it’s no surprise. The fantastic three-day event requires an enormous amount of planning and commitment from every member of the band and it support staff. And while I’m sure the band didn’t lose money on the festival, it’s unlikely that it was a huge moneymaker, either.
Wilco perfoms on the main stage in Joe’s Field at MASS MoCA.
Wilco promised to return to the beautiful Berkshires in 2013, and the band is keeping that promise. “Early Worm” tickets for next year’s festival — running from June 21-23 — are available right now.
Those tickets are just $99, and well worth it. Click here to get tickets now.
Once they’re sold out, a limited number of “Early Bird” tickets will be available for $124 — still a relative bargain.
If you wait too long, you’ll have to settle for the $149 regular three-day passes.
Solid Sound is a family friendly event, with three-day passes for children ages 7-10 priced at a mere $50, while kids 6 and under are free.
If you can’t go all three days, or think you won’t want to (bad idea, in our opinion), there will be a limited number of one-day passes.
The festival promises two headlining Wilco sets on a fabulous field next to the factory complex that houses MASS MoCA. Wilco side projects and bands and comedians curated by Wilco members also will perform. You can also count on art installations, probably some films, and definitely a lot of great food and drink. Plus, in the past there have been pop-up stores, a coffee shop imported from Chicago, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy in a charity dunk tank and falconry demonstration.
Oh, and we shouldn’t forget about access to the amazing exhibitions in the museum itself. The people who run the museum are fully invested in this festival — they’re not just renting the space out to the band.
The first two editions featured acts such as Mavis Staples, Levon Helm (RIP), Mountain Man, Thurston Moore, The Books, Syl Johnson, The Handsome Family, The Baseball Project, Here We Go Magic, Autumn Defense and many more.
While the 2013 lineup won’t be finalized for quite awhile, we guarantee this will be a great festival for anybody who likes Wilco.
You don’t need to be a super-fan to enjoy this festival. Jeff Tweedy and the other members of Wilco have diverse tastes in music and art, and all of those tastes have been on display in previous editions of the festival.
Camping and transportation from New York City and Boston is also available.
Posted in Art, Blues, Concerts, Country, Folk, Jazz, Music, News, Pop and Rock, Punk
Tagged Jeff Tweedy, Joe's Field, Levon Helm, Massachusetts, MassMoCA, Mountain Man, North Adams, Solid Sound, Solid Sound Festival, the Berkshires, Wilco
Last year's Solid Sound Festival kicked off with beautiful skies. (© 2010 Steven P. Marsh)
Are you joining Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? in North Adams, Mass., today for the beginning of the second annual edition of Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival?
If you haven’t decided yet, it’s NOT TOO LATE. So all of you last-minute types should definitely keep reading.
Wilco at the 2010 Solid Sound Festival.
As it did last year, it’s taking over the campus of MASS MoCA, the fantastic contemporary art museum that has made this struggling former factory town a destination for lovers of art and music.
And the best thing for you last-minute types is that passes are still available for $124.50. Unlike last year, single-day tickets are also available at $65 for today or Sunday and $78 for Saturday.
Click through to the jump for more photos from last year’s festival and more info about this weekend’s activities.
Posted in Art, Blues, Concerts, Contemporary, Country, Folk, Humor, Jazz, Music, News, Pop and Rock, Punk, Theater, World Music
Tagged Greg "G. Wiz" Wieczorek, Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, MASS MoCA, Nick Zammuto, Pat Sansone, Solid Sound, The Autumn Defense, Wilco
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? 