Posts by Maeri Ferguson

Solid Sound wrapped up with a day of clear skies and bright sun. A last-minute opening performance by Daughter of Swords (in place of Le Ren) started things off easy and low-key, and later sets by Sun Ra Arkestra and Chicago stalwarts Eleventh Dream Day kept the energy up in the final moments of a […]

Most festivals leave you racing between sets, compromising time with your favorite—or your new favorite—acts as you try not to miss anything. But at Solid Sound, no artists overlap, giving you the full opportunity to absorb each performance if you choose. Saturday at MASS MoCA was a day for doing just that, as highlights like […]

No one could have imagined on that stormy final day of Solid Sound Festival in 2019 that it would be three years until the next one. But here we are, finally making the much-anticipated return to MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, the museum that hosts Jeff Tweedy and Wilco every other year for three […]

On the sixth consecutive day of Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk On” and the third of the second segment, the schedule got a needed pick-me-up from the bluesy rock musings of Early James, starting off the early afternoon on a high note. Songs like “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Dishes in the Dark” off James’ 2020 release Singing […]

The best moments of day two—or day five, depending on how you look at it—of the second part of Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk On” event came from new voices. While there was clearly an instinct to book plenty of familiar faces to the festival who’ve played, in some cases, a handful of a times in […]

We all knew the cancelation of Newport Folk Festival was inevitable in 2020, but 2021 remained somewhat of a mystery until not long before its scheduled dates. Whether or not it would happen was a big question mark in the aftermath of (and really, the ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic, and if it did happen, what would […]

When you’ve built a strong fan base from singing songs about pain and sadness, it is tough to imagine where you go from there once you’ve found a little inner peace. John Moreland has, for the past several years, succeeded in shredding our hearts to absolute bits, making us ugly-cry to his soulful songs about […]

When the Hiss Golden Messenger show at Webster Hall on November 14th seemed to end abruptly, the crowd suspected something was amiss. One of the most generous bands to grace a stage anywhere, Hiss is known to love an encore, to read the room just right. We later discovered they’d been unceremoniously rushed to conclude […]

When her second full-length album Crushing came out earlier this year, we watched Julia Jacklin continue to evolve as an artist from 2016’s Don’t Let the Kids Win. Her voice as a songwriter, and confidence as a performer seemed to grow stronger; her perspective more self-assured. Even as the songs on Crushing find her still […]

There’s something a little weird about a co-headlining show. No matter what the acts are, whichever plays first just doesn’t attract the same crowd. One act has to function as an opener, regardless of following or fanbase. The strangeness of this took shape on November 7th at the Bowery Ballroom, where Dylan LeBlanc played an hour-long set […]

Ruston Kelly does not fit in. He isn’t making purely country music, or rock and roll, or even Americana. Instead, he has embraced genre-bending by creating one of his own: Dirt Emo. And it is the aptest description of the kind of grungy, moody, slightly twangy songs that make up his 2018 debut record Dying […]

Being a traveling musician—an artist—is not a path toward a glamorous, fulfilling life. Even those lucky enough to get to make a living at it will likely emphasize that the grass is always greener. On his new record with Hiss Golden Messenger (HGM), M.C. Taylor comes to terms with that deep-seated conflict. Terms of Surrender, […]

The final day of Solid Sound almost didn’t even happen. Apocalyptic rain, thunder and lightning nearly took over the day when it hit the area around noon, just in time for many festival-goers to be walking from their cars. Neither umbrellas nor ponchos could offer much protection, so it’s likely the weather deterred a sizeable […]

It was the ultimate rock and roll marathon for the second day of Solid Sound, from wild garage punk to noisy, experimental prog-rock. Despite a forecast that showed hostile periods of thunderstorms (and even hail showers), the sun overcame the clouds and beat down heavily on the crowds. As always with the grounds of Mass […]

The beauty of Solid Sound is the drastic difference between each day at the festival. Night one is an odd balance of calm and buzzy excitement, much like the feeling of ending a long day of work at a show, ready to have a few beers and enjoy the live music you’ve been looking forward […]

Though Solid Sound—a music festival curated by Wilco at which they headline (in different capacities) each of the three nights—may seem a strange concept to some folks, it has actually become one of the most interesting festival offerings in the Northeast. Every other year, Jeff Tweedy and co. are charged with creating a totally unique, […]

It was about two years ago when I first encountered Julia Jacklin, on an unseasonably frigid day in July at the Newport Folk Festival. She played a haunting set, her soft vocals competing with aggressive wind gusts that could knock you off your feet. A few months later, she played at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade to […]

It is a strange experience to see a rock band in a big Jewish temple. There’s a sense that you’re in the presence of something greater, something holy. And that was the case when Cass McCombs took the stage at one such venue, Brooklyn’s Murmurr. A sold-out crowd showed up on a frigid night to […]

It is early in the year, but one of the best double-billings you’ll come across in 2019 is on tour and is not to be missed. T. Hardy Morris and Daniel Romano, both of New West Records and both of whom released excellent records in 2018, have paired up for a series of shows together, […]

One of the true standout records of the year, Soccer Mommy’s Clean is angst at its refined best. Polished, airtight melodies and Sophie Allison’s delicate coo make for an obsession-worthy collection of songs that will no doubt land on many a best-of list by the end of this year. Performing two nights in a row […]