This past month, we ran our Adventures in Solid Sound contest, giving our listeners a chance to win a free pair of passes to Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA, June 28th – 30th. Dozens of you submitted your real stories – or not-quite-real ones – and we have chosen some of the best of the bunch! Check them out below:
From Mike Duffy:
It was a normal morning at the unemployment office. I was listening to Monty interview John Hodgeman about his Comedy Cabaret at the 2011 Solid Sound festival. John said that performer Eugene Mirman was a Hampshire College graduate, and he asked listeners to guess his major. Since it was Hampshire College, I called in and guessed ˜Comedy™, which turned out to be correct. I learned that my prize was to receive a hug from Eugene Mirman at the show.
I went in the back door of the Hunter Center and met John Hodgeman in the green room. He said that my wife and I could watch the show from the wing, but that I wouldn’t need to go out on the stage. Turns out, he’s a liar. When he introduced Eugene Mirman, he surprised both of us by announcing that WRSI listener ˜Mike from the Unemployment Office™” had won a hug, and called me out. Eugene took it in stride, and I endured the experience as well as I could.
What I didn’t know was that my friend Mark was in the audience with his friend Tom Adams from Reelife Productions! Tom recorded the whole fiasco, and put it on You Tube. Even worse, Monty put it on WRSI’s Facebook page. It was something I’ll never forget, and never live down, since it will live forever at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8QrYMw7VaY
From Michelle Alexoff:
2019 Solid Sound Sunday-I am not making this up! Bleary- eyed from a friend’s birthday celebration the night before, I stumble through some art exhibits, bop around to some food, a little hair of the dog and eventually it was time for my heartthrob Jonathan Richman to take to the stage.
He came out to open his set by singing a little Santa Lucia-sigh, my heart! Then he and Tommy Larkin completely captivate the audience- and me, front and center, swooning through the set. After Jonathan knocked me off my feet with a truly enchanting set, the skies turned dark. Real dark.
Jeff & Friends were up next. Would the show go on? There was some real weather in the forecast-but the show went on! Darkened skies, wind blowing in, Jeff & Friends play and play! And in came the rain. And it rained and rained! The band is playing Neil Young’s˜The Losing End™. A true personal favorite- how did Jeff know!?!
It’s pouring. The crowd is singing & swaying together in the rain. My heart is bursting open as Jeff sings “Every night my tears fall down, like raaaaaiiin” as it rains and rains on us all. I’m crying with so much joy and such a full heart. I look around to take it all in, watch this beautiful crowd and smile at my neighbors-and lo and behold, behind me and the crowd is a full-blown blazing rainbow!
Magic at Mass MoCA! A show like no other!
From Greg Kelly:
I walked through the gates of Solid Sound
and I went by myself so I looked around
hoping to find somebody I knew
Then the rain did start and a strong wind blew
Resigned to the fact I was all by myself
I ran into MassMoca and put my pack on a shelf
Umbrella? Pancho? Galoshes? Check
Every year in North Adams I get nothing but wet
And as I entered courtyard number one
Through the dark clouds peeked the hot sun
The music started and it was better than most
Then I bumped into John Lennon
Am I seeing a ghost?
He told me he was there and didn’t have any friends
And won’t you be my neighbor?
We wandered the grounds and we danced without a care
I asked Are you hungry? and turned but he was no longer there
Wilco took the stage and played only songs by The Beatles
It was so good I was walking on pins and needles
Jeff Tweedy said: We have a special guest!
And out walked Mr. Rogers in a red sweater vest
They sang Fred’s song in a rock and roll style
I looked to my left and Lennon was there!
I drove him to Pittsburgh because he asked
He’s Mr. Rogers’ roommate and owes two months rent
Solid Sound Festival was tripping and I’m so glad I went.
From Fraser Stowe:
You wouldn’t believe my Adventure in Solid Sound…As soon as I won my tickets from 93.9 The River, I was excited for the great lineup at the 2024 Solid Sound Festival. As if Wilco and Nick Lowe with Los Straightjackets wasn’t enough, can you believe Elvis Costello and The Imposters also show up for an un-announced, surprise set on Saturday afternoon? Along with the rest of the crowd, I go nuts hearing this announcement.
The only trouble? The Imposters’ drummer, Pete Thomas, can’t make it: cancelled flight. And Elvis makes the crazy decision to tryout drummers from the audience to see if someone has what it takes to put down the backbeat for their set. You bet I put my hat in the ring, and yes, I was nervous as hell. But I know so much of Elvis’ catalog backwards and forwards, when it’s my turn, I am solid and surprised myself a little at how well I nail it.
I still pinch myself because I think I must have been dreaming, when instead of watching Elvis Costello’s surprise set at Solid Sound, I was up on stage backing him up on drums, filling in for my other hero, Pete Thomas. Sometimes I still can’t believe it. Can you?
From Bill Reno:
Way back in 2010, Wilco put together their first Solid Sound festival. Being a fan, I jumped at the chance for a weekend with Wilco. Along with two of my daughters, we headed up on Thursday with my girlfriend at the time (wife in the present day) planning to meet us the next day.
As it turned out, my girlfriend / wife texted on Friday to say she was under the weather and wouldn’t make it so we went about our day. The next morning, she called to say she was in the hospital having had a minor heart attack. I offered to come back home but she was insistent (as was her doctor who was a Wilco fan) that we stay and come back as planned. Festival was great – Mavis / etc.
When I finally got back home, all was well. I felt bad that Elizabeth had missed it all so I emailed the band’s management. I didn’t hear back but a week or so later, Elizabeth got a picture with get well greetings autographed by the band. A few weeks later, I get an excited call from her doctor saying she got the most unbelievable surprise in the mail – an autographed picture from the band “thanking her for her service”.
Needless to say, both gestures just further cemented my respect for the band.
Thanks to everyone who submitted their entries! Tune into our morning show this week – Steve Sanderson may slip in a few live reads from some of his favorites on air, so we hear…
Which of these adventures really happened, and which didn’t? Who knows for sure. What we do know is that this year’s Solid Sound Festival will surely delight and amaze you just as it did for these folks…and there’s still time to score tickets to see great acts like Wilco, Young@Heart, Hailu Mergia, Iris DeMent, Marc Ribot, Sylvan Esso, and more at Mass MoCA this June! Check out the lineup and get tickets here.
