Autumn Souvenir

It's been a pretty unreal year. I can't recall reflecting on a year and having such a long list of enriching experiences, some of which I never imagined possible. Here are a few of the highlights of the year 2013: Solid Sound Music Festival Three beautiful days in the quiet and rustic town of North Adams, MA. The selection of artists couldn't have been better: Wilco (x2), Low, Neko Case, Dream Syndicate, White Denim and many more. Wilco opened their "covers" set with a blistering take on Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town" followed by Pavement's "Cut Your Hair." Probably the biggest surge of energy I've felt since Clarence joined Bruce onstage many years back in New Jersey. I've been to some great music festivals, but SS is far-and-away the best. From the music to the staff to the food to the pace, this is the perfect music festival. Friends and Family Spent a lot of time with friends near and far. The Rep

1 Jason Isbell / Northeastern 2 Josh Ritter / The Beast In Its Tracks 3 Low / The Invisible Way 4 Neko Case / The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight... 5 Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis / Cheater's Game 6 Okkervil River / The Silver Gynmasium 7 Arcade Fire / Reflektor 8 Son Volt / Honky Tonk 9 Foxygen / We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic 10 Mavis Staples / One True Vine

In early 2012, former Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap suffered a massive stroke. This tragic turn resulted in one of the most heartfelt and collective reactions the music industry has seen in some time. Musicians ranging from Jakob Dylan, Steve Earle, Jeff Tweedy, Lucero, Joe Henry, Deer Tick and Patterson Hood, recorded some of  Slim's tracks, while former Replacements manager Peter Jesperson gathered all the material, placed the recordings on 7" singles and put them up for auction. The proceeds helped offset Slim's building medical expenses and may have played a role in Paul and Tommy getting The Replacements back for a few of their first shows in over two decades. Peter and a host of musicians came to the aid of one of their own. Beautifully done. We all wish Slim the best.  Songs for Slim

Despite having eight SXSW's under my belt, this weekend in the Berkshires is likely the best music event I've ever been to. Fantastic bands and exhibits, beautiful setting, wonderful staff, perfectly paced. And Wilco, my favorite band going on 20 years, played a full covers set that had me trembling, screaming and dancing for 2+ hours.