Watch Wilco & Billy Bragg play first ‘Mermaid Ave’ set ft. Natalie Mer

A week after their NYC show at Forest Hills Stadium (where they jammed with Yo La Tengo during their second encore), Wilco headed to North Adams, MA for the 2026 edition of their biennial festival Solid Sound. Leading this year’s lineup was their first-ever full performance with Billy Bragg of songs from their collaborative Mermaid Avenue series, and that happened on Friday (6/26). The albums set previously unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics to new music, and Woody’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, was on hand for the occasion, telling the crowd, “I have waited 28 years to have these men [Jeff Tweedy & Billy Bragg], one on each arm.”

Natalie Merchant was one of the set’s special guests, joining Wilco and Bragg not just for “Birds and Ships,” which she features on on Mermaid Avenue, but “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” And “California Stars.” The Mekons‘ Sally Timms and Jon Langford came out for “All You Fascists,” Macie Stewart (Finom) for “The Unwelcome Guest,” Liam Kazar for “The Jolly Banker,” and Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie, joined the extended group for a set-ending rendition of “This Land is Your Land.” Watch video clips below.

Speaking of Yo La Tengo, two thirds of the band, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, ended Friday with a DJ set, and also performing were L’Rain, Gang of Four (who brought Jeff Tweedy out for “Anthrax” and Sally Timms out for “I Love a Man in a Uniform”), Sharp Pins, Scott the Hoople (who had Liam Kazar and one of Jeff Tweedy’s sons, Spencer Tweedy, performing with him), Billy Bragg (ahead of his set with Wilco), Sam & Louise Sullivan, and Living Hour. See pictures from the whole day by Ellen Qbertplaya below.

Stay tuned for the rest of our Solid Sound 2026 coverage.