The Art of the Dibs

A weekend in the Berkshires, on the grounds of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, in North Adams: the biennial Solid Sound arts-and-music festival, convened and headlined by the band Wilco. MASS MoCA occupies a former printworks and electrical plant, so most of the festivities take place in renovated factory buildings and brick courtyards, but the main stage is in a vast field. The attendees line up early. Many of them—of a demographic susceptible to mid-tempos and achy joints—carry portable chairs. Once inside, they fan out into the field and set up miniature encampments, asserting dominion over patches of grass, in anticipation of the bands coming onstage later in the afternoon. Then they leave their stuff and wander the rest of the festival—other, smaller acts, art exhibits, pop-up performances, interactive expos, food trucks, record store, beer. Civilized.