DiamondClaw

Yeah, I bet that was a treat. I remember they played it acoustic once or twice at the end of shows back almost 10 years ago. I wonder how this version sounded.

Love seeing Mystery Binds in there again. I was bummed I missed that one at the last Riv show, as it's one of my favorites off the new album and it seems destined to be a rarity. While almost every other song from these runs have popped up on YouTube in some form, there is still stubbornly no live footage of Mystery Binds out there!

I was at the show last night. Just wait for @bböp’s recap write up. I’m sure it will be filled with some goodies (and one specific fan accomplishment in particular 😄). Anyway, in the meantime, suffice to say the show was extraordinary. Recency bias or no, I’d say it was the best hometown show I’ve personally seen since the 2014 residency. A large part of that, I suspect, is being back at the Riv, which is basically their home field advantage. It just feels like they can really cut loose there. The lack of structure to the set list is a factor as well. As the show was

The first song is great. I played it once this morning and it's been stuck in my head all day.

Hi all, somehow I didn't end up getting tickets for the second night of the upcoming stand in Chicago, and now the show is sold out. I'm interested in two tickets, anywhere from GA to mezzanine to first balcony would be great. Let me know if you have any you'd like to offload. Thanks!

Wow, I love everything about this clip. Nels just rips it up.

I think/hope they'll give him a shout out at the Riv. Lin was a pretty big champion of the band. XRT played a live version of "Impossible Germany" as part of the tribute yesterday.

What a great tribute yesterday. 4+ hours without a single commercial. Hard not to get choked up a time or two between the stories and the Lin's Bins, and some great music. I'm really going to miss him. It'll be strange for Wilco to take the stage at the Riv in March without Lin in the building.

I'm in for the Thursday show as of now. Going to try for Saturday as well. Wife has a family spring break trip planned for us starting on Sunday, so unless I find a way to magically rearrange that, I'll be happy with two shows!

I think my list is done, or at least as done as it's going to get! 2022 was a really good year I'd say. I can go 30 deep with good albums, but here's a top 20: 1. Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa 2. Dawes - Misadventures of Doomscroller 3. Kurt Vile - Watch My Moves 4. Kevin Morby - This is a Photograph 5. Josh Rouse - Going Places 6. Nilufer Yanya - Painless 7. Wilco - Cruel Country 8. Phoenix - Alpha Zulu 9. Weyes Blood - And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow 10. Death Cab For Cutie - Asphalt Meadows 11. Wet Leg - Wet Leg 12. Drugdea

I tried! When I saw how this was all going to line up, I concocted a trip to New Orleans for the wife and me. My wife is not a music fan (Wilco or Spoon anyway) but does love New Orleans, so I actually go her on board. Oysters, Cafe Du Monde, she was even willing to go to the Spoon shows... until we found out she had an important work event she couldn't miss. Soo close!

Agree these songs are just made for this format! Sounds super crisp and perfect.

Ah! Well this sounds incredibly cool, but there is just no way I could make it to Carol's in time for what is sure to already be a long line.

Well, day of and still no word. @Chez, heads your house, tails mine? 😆

You are literally living my dream.

If neither your deck nor the Hideout work out, I just redid my patio with a 10'x12' gazebo and am happy to make that available for an intimate Wilco stage. Fire pit reserved for White Sox grumblings and laments!

Still no more info on this, ay? I guess we don't know this is actually a show. It could be some kind of promotion or Cruel Country physical release party/kick off event or an announcement. But with the last show of the year tomorrow, it would be strange for Chicago to get no concerts on the CC tour.

Very intrigued to see what this is! The Riv and the Vic appear to be available that night...

I'm wondering the same thing, but for the Amazon super deluxe CD version.

Ah, that makes sense. (I couldn't picture John calling in to complain about the White Sox refusal to fire Tony La Russa or something! ) I know Spiegs is a big Wilco fan — I actually met him at a Wilco concert at the Riv years ago and talked to him about it.

Ha, really? You’re going to have to explain the context for that one!

I agree with all this. Jeff doesn't need or want any artistic or songwriting direction. Jeff's going to come in with the songs and a general direction, period. But the sound could be developed a bit. Dave Fridmann is a name that intrigues me because he's worked with Spoon, including on They Want My Soul, and I love the sound he gets. As for The Whole Love, it does feel taken for granted in a way. They certainly haven't returned to the meticulousness of that album ever since.

You're right, Tom Schick is not responsible for the artistic direction like a producer or Jeff/Wilco themselves are, so he shouldn't be saddled with criticism really. It's not his task. I would definitely be interested in a bit more of a baroque direction, compared to the barebones approach they've taken recently. I can't see them bringing in a "name" outside producer like Lanois or T-Bone Burnett though. Just handing some of those duties and details back to Pat would be nice. He did such a great job on The Whole Love.

I've been thinking about this lately. On the one hand, Wilco has never really had a true outside producer. O'Rourke would be the closest thing to that. And they don't need direction or anything. On the other hand, I do think Jeff needs someone to challenge him on some of his ideas or at least play devil's advocate with him, to objectively tell him to reconsider some of his first-blush choices (lyrics, vocals, arrangements). Tom Schick is a talented guy, but Jeff would benefit from a shaking things up sound-wise a bit, even if that means a more labor-intensive project.

I wonder if part of the reasoning for releasing Cruel Country so quickly was to allow for another new album relatively soon. Something else this year seems unlikely, but maybe something spring 2023? Even though we don't really know much about this other album aside from Jeff saying it's a "sculpted art pop" with "alien song forms," I'm really looking forward to it.