Photo by Charles Harris

The final sets of Solid Sound Festival were performed at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass. on Sunday, including an unforgettable show by Jeff Tweedy & Friends. First, the ensemble took the stage and delivered a 20-song main set, which included a number of the Wilco frontman’s solo material. Then, for the encore, Tweedy was joined by his son Sammy for a classic Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover before David Byrne and Tweedy’s Wilco bandmates came out to assist on “California Stars.” (While at Solid Sound, Bryne also sat in with putlaw country outfit Terry Allen and The Panhandle Mystery Band for “Buck Naked” and “Gimme A Ride To Heaven Boy.” The Talking Heads frontman recorded the former song for Allen’s 1996 set, Human Remains.)

The show got underway with a pretty number off 2019’s Warmer, “Evergreen,” before the band began digging into material off 2020’s Love Is the King. First, they performed the title track off the LP, before moving into “Opaline,” “A Robin or a Wren,” and “Gwendolyn.” Then, they took a trip to 2018 with a set of tunes off Warm: “Having Been Is No Way to Be” and “I Know What It’s Like.”

Tweedy led the band through “Save It for Me” and “The Red Brick” before toying with the twangy tone on “Warm (When the Sun Has Died.” The band continued to play material off of Warm with “Don’t Forget” before returning to tunes from 2020 with “Half-Asleep,” “Natural Disaster,” and “Even I Can See.” Then, the ensemble pulled out a song from Tweedy’s Sukierae repertoire, “World Away.” 

“Bombs Away” and “Some Birds” were performed next, followed by “Guess Again” and “Let’s Go Rain.” Then, for the final song of the band’s main set, they played “Family Ghost.” After a brief break, they returned to the stage to deliver their encore. The three song set of tunes began with a cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Helpless,” with accompaniment from Tweedy’s son. Then, they performed Labi Siffre’s “It Must Be Love” before the members of Wilco and Talking Head legend David Byrne sat in on fan favorite, “California Stars.” Before the sit-in, Tweedy described what was about to happen as “one of the biggest thrills” of his life.

See the complete setlist below.

Jeff Tweedy & Friends 

MASS MoCA– North Adams, Mass.

May 29, 2022 

Set: Evergreen, Love Is the King, Opaline, A Robin or a Wren, Gwendolyn, Having Been Is No Way to Be, I Know What It’s Like, Save It for Me, The Red Brick, Warm (When the Sun Has Died), Don’t Forget, Half-Asleep, Natural Disaster, Even I Can See, World Away, Bombs Above, Guess Again, Let’s Go Rain, Family Ghost

Enc.: Helpless*, It Must Be Love, California Stars^

Notes:

* With Sammy Tweedy 

^ With David Byrne

Setlist via Setlist.fm