mpolak21

 Damn my topic typo - can an admin person correct eff Tweedy to Jeff please!

I took care of it, thanks for the setlist!

Thanks for all the recaps on this tour, Paul! I love how thoughtful these reports are.

Not as good as a bbop report but here’s an overview — https://m.inlander.com/spokane/concert-review-jeff-tweedy-show-nearly-devolves-into-disaster-despite-his-best-efforts/Content?oid=13075773

I've often argued that this song best showcases the strengths and abilities of their current longstanding lineup. It's got all of the dynamics, arrangement brilliance and nuanced playing to show what the 6 of them can do together. Maybe not my favorite song, but one of the best presentations of the art of Wilconess.

I watch this a few times a year.

I completely agree. The six-piece does a great job capturing all the layers of that recording which has Jeff on a 12-string baritone acoustic, Jim O’Rourke on acoustic, Leroy plays bass on it. Jim, John and Mike all put down piano parts and the electric parts are Jeff in pure “SG/prunes/custard/and migraines” mode.

Woodgrain

I just read through the whole thread, and I'm shocked that it hasn't even been mentioned. Or if someone did, I missed their post.

Seriously, that is a turd so large it's hard to believe JT himself laid it.

Oh man I completely forgot about that song.

There are some rough patches on Sky Blue Sky and Wilco The Album that have been dunked upon here plenty and I don’t have much to say other than I agree (Shake it Off, Leave Me, What Light, You Never Know, You & I, Sonny Feeling). But the one I really don’t like is a B-side that eventually became a great song (it was re-written as Summer Teeth) and that is Tried and True, which has always been nails on a chalkboard to me.

Muzzle of Bees

Not quite what you are looking for but the audio for these are available on the Wilco Live Archive in the Alpha Romeo Tango boxset compliation.

I’m pretty sure that is a Martin with the headstock logo worn off. Those vintage nylon Martins are a real treat to play.

A new Wilco song called "All Lives, You Say?" is available for immediate download with a charitable contribution. Proceeds will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center, in the memory of Jeff Tweedy's father, Robert L. Tweedy (1933-2017).  

That comment immediately preceded another highlight for me, which was the interesting version of I'm Always In Love the band has been playing lately on occasion this year. Jeff is using what looks to me like some sort of gold-colored Gibson or Epiphone hollow-body guitar on that one and perhaps as a consequence, the result has been what (in my mind, anyway) is a sludgier, slightly slower version of the song that kind of gives it a bit of an earthiness somehow. Anyway, I like it. That song always brings a little extra energy to any set, I think.

I think it's a Gibson ES-175 (https://loviesguitars.com/product/1979-gibson-es-175-natural/). Richard Thompson played one in the early days of Fairport Convention. I really like the newish arrangement of that as well. The xylophone is a nice touch. 

It did indeed rock, and was extra creepy / spooky out in the woods with a rather long intro from Jeff that sends chills all over me.

It's not quite the album electric version; more of a hybrid with Jeff on acoustic, Nels on a resonator(?) and Pat on electric. Pat's guitar outro is stellar.

Vince

I think this arrangement is becoming my preferred version. 

bbop has given so much to this board and the VC community. It's time I help him out by filling in some of the details he may have omitted from last evening's recap. 

 

Before the third to last song of the main set Jeff introduced the song by stating that he had been incorrectly introducing the song as We Aren't the World and gave us the full title We Aren't The World (Safety Girl) "for those keeping score...Paul!" He then went on to say that Paul went to a lot of shows and that the band grew concerned if he wasn't in the audience. Jeff started recounting supposed band conversation that went along the lines of "I don't know, maybe we should hang up some trees and paint a bunch of fucking leaves so he'll come back." He had the audience all say hi to Paul, which we did enthusiastically. Later in the hootenanny portion of the show after the first song, Jeff reminded us that we should all sing along if we were so inclined unless we wanted to stay quiet and just have Paul sing along. The audience then shouted Paul's name in unison at which point Jeff let Paul know that he wasn't being booed, but that people were shouting his name. While Jeff was clearly taking the piss out of Paul -- as our British friends say -- it was all done with the greatest affection and appreciation. No recappers were harmed in the making of this show.  

 

What do you think bbop? Was that helpful? Did I leave anything out? Will you be pushing me in front of the 38 Geary on Friday?

Paul is my favorite member of the Wilcos. 

Paul, did it seem to you like Nels' had a monitor go out on Art of Almost too? I can't remember if we talked about this after the show, but in the section right after Glenn's drum roll that transitions into one his signature face-melting solos it seemed like he was struggling with a few of his pedals. 

Wilco is the first LOUD rock band I've seen at the Clay Center. I was innocently thinking coming in "oh Tedeschi Trucks sounded great here, I bet Wilco will too." Not taking into account just how loud something like say "You Satellite" is. 

From my perspective, Star Wars sounded great, and the sound issues really started when they started into their older material. 

I was really surprised by the amount of people walking out, I feel like that was a crowd of a lot of casual fans who weren't really aware how long Wilco sets are. At least I'll keep telling myself that to not get too angry at the people who left during Impossible Germany. 

I grew up in Charleston and I went to high school about two blocks away from the site where Wilco played last night. And I spent the first three years of high school watching the construction of this Theater/Science Museum. I never would have imagined that the band I was growing further and further obsessed with as YHF and Summerteeth became glued into my Mazda's CD player would one day be playing there. And we've gotten two shows in four months! 

All right enough of me, Setlist time (feel free to chip in with corrections, Paul, I'm going to try to do it from memory.)

EKG (intro music played as band came onto stage. 

1. More...

2. Random Name Generator

3. The Joke Explained

4. You Satellite

5. Taste The Ceiling

6. Pickled Ginger

7, Where Do I Begin (first song of the night that made me tear up)

8. Cold Slope

9. King of You

10. Magnetized

11. Via Chicago

12. Handshake Drugs

13. Camera (the More Like The Moon version, Jeff just handled the vocals, Pat and Nels played the guitar parts)

14. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

15. Art of Almost 

16. Sunken Treasure (electric arrangement) 

17. Hummingbird

18. Box Full of Letters 

19. Heavy Metal Drummer

20. I'm The Man Who Loves You

21. Dawned On Me

22. Impossible Germany

23. The Late Greats 

Hootenanny encore (all acoustic)

24. Misunderstood

25. It's Just That Simple

26. War on War

27. I'm Always in Love

28. Jesus, etc.

29. A Shot in the Arm.  

Banter corner -- Jeff introduced Box Full of Letters by saying "we'd like to do some older songs now, this is from our first record. (cheers) "Shut up, you don't have it."

Gear notes -- Jeff had three or four Strats he rotated in on the electric numbers -- Where Do I Begin, Sunken Treasure, Cold Slope/King of You, and a few others. He also had a blonde Rickenbacker 330 for The Late Greats. 

On Cold Slope/King of You, Nels played a Collins -- pictured here (https://www.instagram.com/p/BGFgKlQrrX3/). And played this one (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lancemarks/media/Nels_Green.jpg.html) on Art of Almost and Camera. 

There were some sound balance issues throughout the night that did not impede the performance at all, but I definitely couldn't hear a lot of Mike after the Star Wars set. The Hootenanny encore sounded perfect though. The wall of guitar noise the Nels, Jeff and Pat are getting is completely breathtaking. It's like watching My Bloody Valentine if they had stage charisma. 

Excellent night overall. How did I do, Paul?

--Mike

I told Paul he could take a night off tonight, since the Wilcos played in my hometown for the first time in 21 years.

For the unaware, Mountain Stage is a public radio program that broadcasts from the Capitol complex of my home state of West Virginia. Four or five acts do short sets that are edited later for broadcast. Wilco headlined and did about a 35

minute acoustic set much like their show ending hootenannies.

Here's what we got.

1.) Misunderstood (Mike was on acoustic, John 12-string. Jeff and John did harmonies on the eight nothings.)

2.) Joke Explained (Mike played a multi-colored melodica that someone opined "looked like he was smoking a box of crayolas. John played an acoustic bass.)

3.) It's Just That Simple (John on acoustic, sublime)

4.) War on War (John got the 12-string again and Pat put down the banjo and played xylophone).

5.) I'm Always in Love (I told Paul, "I hope they play something from Summerteeth" and they delivered!)

6.) Jesus, etc. (John moved back over to bass. Pretty sure Pat was on banjo. One of the show highlights).

7.) California Stars (same setup as Jesus)

8.) A Shot in the Arm (Pat back on xylophone, John on 12-string, this song always makes me teary when they do it)

And Finally

9. Space Oddity (Jeff on 12-string, nailed it perfectly, sublime ending to the night).

Not a lot of banter because they were trying to fit as much music in as possible. Jeff, Glenn on his small drum kit, and Nels on dobro came back out with the Mountain Stage house band and a few of the acts for the closing song Wade in the Water.

--Mike

SG (I think) through an RX Overdrive and a Crowther Prunes and Custard.  

From everything I've read, Tweedy used SG's for almost all of his electric parts on AGIB. I'll have to dig through my stuff to see if I can find this long magazine feature with Jeff from 2004 that detailed the Ghost guitar sound.

--Mike

This old thread is being closed in favor of the new RTT thread, titled "Today". 

That's it. Awful name.

 

I think the early Wilco had a fascination with bad band names. On the recording of one of the nights at the Fillmore in 1997, Tweedy and Bennett do a "20 Questions with Wilco" from the stage between songs -- must have been questions submitted by the audience. It's really funny. One of the questions was, "what's the worst band name you've ever heard?"  Bennett: "Orange Wallet."

I think the worst band name I've ever heard is Barabbas. Their gimmick was shouting to the audience "who do you want?" and the audience shouting back "Barabbas!" It's immortalized in 24 Hour Party People.

--Mike. 

Technically, the first Wilco show was billed as Black Shampoo. 

I think Coomer said that they were going to go with that name but their wives/girlfriends hated it. So much of my knowledge of the Wilcos are things from the Kot book or old articles I half remember reading. 

Maybe I'm Amazed

Back Seat of My Car

Big Barn Red

Little Lamb Dragonfly

Let Me Roll It

Every Night

Coming Up

Vanilla Sky

Great Day

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey 

Doesn't sound like any guitar-smashing is taking place?

 

http://sooutoftune.org/concerts/581

Something was wrong with one Jeff's Jazzmasters and he threw it towards the amp of the song. 

I think it is Jonathan Parker.

Yes, JP was part of the stage crew in the early years of the band and would occasionally join in with an extra guitar or tambourine during live shows. 

Another great A Hard Day's Night moment is when John sings "I love you so" on I'll Be Back.

The "one sweet dream" part of You Never Give Me Your Money is perfect as is the "out of college, money spent." That song showcases everything I love about McCartney.

purchased!

Awesome, it's one of my favorite shirts

I would like to have one please

http://bit.ly/1m6NoCh

Paul's bass in the intro for Dear Prudence.

The transition from the end of Paul's middle part of A Day in the Life to John's last verses. Particularly the end at 3:16-3:19.

The mellotron on Strawberry Fields.

The backwards guitar solo on I'm Only Sleeping (listen to a re-created solo before the tape was run backwards here: http://www.kristiangoddard.net/Blog/Beatles_Playground.htm).