Lukestar

(In case yer wondering about the reference, it's "....triple rainbow!"...and the happy cry, which is how I could genuinely react to this right about now, if I let myself.)

Slimsky, as he signed a poster for me at the 1989 House of Guitars in-store before their show later in the evening. 'Thank you, Dancers! Live at the Turf Club' is a great, fun record I recommend anyone pick up and listen to. 

31 minutes ago, Yaz Rock said:

 Regarding Wilco's trips to Western NY, they have played Lewiston NY - a  mere 1 h 45m from Chautauqua - as recently as 2021. They also played there in 2009.

Ha! You are absolutely correct.

Having attended both of those, all I can say is the crippling self-doubt I was experiencing when typing this CHQ review squeezed them out of my memory bank. Thanks for setting the record straight!

(With regards to bböp)

Wilco came to deep Western New York for the first time in many years. Maybe close to 20, as I believe their appearance at the Rockin' at the Knox event, benefitting the Albright-Knox Museum in Buffalo, back in 2005 may be the last they played this part of the region south of Toronto and east of Cleveland. When I saw in March they were scheduled at the Chautauqua Institute, I smiled and thought 'what a crazy choice', but one that totally suites them. For those who may not know (and I'm still not absolutely clear myself, despite being a native WNY'er), the Chautauqua Institute, which rests on the northwestern shore of Chautauqua Lake, is a historic lakeside community that is equal parts living museum, academic/educational institute, cultural center, recreation area, summer community and more. Each summer featuring a weekly subject of lectures, discussions and learning that registrants attend and participate in, and speakers ranging from authors (this the stage Salman Rushdie was speaking from when attacked a few years ago) to international leaders to multiple presidents. I realize this is all very blah blah blah.....but this place is VERY unique, so just trying to put into context. Think of a 100+yr old lakeside college town where the campus includes southern gothic architecture everywhere for student housing, which is owned by people who sit out on their porches every summer night after an enriching day of lecture listening and intellectual growth (at least I assume). 

The Amphitheater is a historic design, but new build as of 2018, which a couple of ushers told us (I'd been in the old for work a event 30yrs ago, and this holds the architectural spirit of the o.g., which had to have been around 80-90yrs at that point). It's smack in the middle of the campus and is sunken, so although it's approximately 3-4 stories high, it doesn't rise above the roofline of the two story homes that immediately surround it. No lawn, there's numbered bench seating within that rises from the floor to grade level, and the GA portion in back is just open seating. I'll let you know right now that although the crowd ranged in age from anywhere around 10 - 80yrs, and the demo from out of towner fans to summer residents with a subscription type seat, there was no question it was standing crowd from the get-go. People were up and cheering every song all night, and I witnessed many senior newcomers to the band on their feet and dancing. 

The band came out to raucous cheering and they immediately began with Misunderstood, which was such a great surprise given the common openers this tour (a nod to CHQ?). The stage was sort of in-the-round, while still at one end of the room, and the seating surrounds it from all sides. However, the rear seats were left empty and the projections that have been running for their shows fell on the lighter toned, tiered rows of benches. This venue has a historic and simple design, but the staging required to accommodate the infrastructure a band like Wilco requires is all there. One of the best features is the proximity of the stage to the audience. It has a total church like feel, with the stage only 3.5 - 4' high, and the front row of bench/pew seating approx. 8-10' from the stage. Leaving the area between without any barrier or security, only polite ushers standing by to gently brush folks back who may have wandered up to stand and dance. The MC who made introductions earlier made clear the aisles and the front of the stage needed to be kept clear, and the crowd self-police notably well, while still creating a lot of energy for the guys to play to, and I will bet money the closeness had everything to do with it.

As for the setlist (see below, from Wilcoworld since I didn't take notes), as the kids say, it was fire. Pat stretched Bird W/O a Tail out so masterfully, it's becoming his counterpoint to IG, IMO (let's hear it for acronyms). I personally have not seen or heard it played live more than one other time since it's debut at SSF 22, which was in Aug. '22, so can't say how it's evolved over time, but it was amazing to see how they were all watching and listening to him, to see where he was taking it (we were close, which I'll get to). He kept finding run after run and it may have gone into the 10 min mark, after which Jeff very admiringly held his arms up for both sides of the stage to prompt the crowd to roar a bit more for Pat and Nels.

As for Nels and what he did with IG, it was simply stunning as he took the first movement into a harmonic realm that I haven't ever heard before (but as mentioned, I ain't no authority), and when Jeff spoke immediately following, he simply said..."Remember folks, he dwells among us". 

In Banter Corner™, Jeff remarked to young fan who was holding a handmade Raised On Wilco sign that it was duly noted and she did not need to continuing holding it up. This was about a third into the show and his tone was clearly a kidding one. He then apologized for her parents having "forced us on you". Later, during the encore, a crew member came over to the girl and asked for the sign, and took it back stage, assuming for it to be signed, which is what happened. (Note - after the final song, Mikael rushed to the edge of stage to crouch down and ask for the sign for was likely the very same purpose, and smiled when realizing it was already happening. Moments later, the Wilcrew member brings it out and literal squealing ensues. Very sweet and funny and there's a photo on the Wilco socials to check out).

As the show began to wind down , Jeff remarked that "we're getting close to the end" to the collective audible dismay of those close the stage, and says immediately off mic, looking towards John and Pat "I mean in general". Smiles and head shaking came from the guys as JT chuckles and says "sorry". 

The other most notable BC moment came just over halfway through the set, after the aforementioned BW/OaT, when Jeff paid tribute and acknowledged the entire Wilcrew and everyone who make their tours run so smoothly. He said they all make a daily request for each show and if they ever played that setlist, it would be a weird one. "I never knew you guys liked those songs"  he says with a questioning smile on his face (paraphrasing). He then directed attention to Jerry/Gerry? (apologies), who mixes front-of house, who he says "requests this song every night and we never play it". Then they played Company In My Back , with "this one's for you, Jerry".

Falling Apart started the encore, with Clai Stars next when they welcomed Cut Worms out to join. Max from CW brought out his guitar and played a solo after singing his verse. My wife and I were seated hard house left in front, so we could see very well all the interaction on stage as they exchanged looks and glances to cue one another, and it was very reassuring  to see Jeff motion with his guitar, while strumming it while sending a tennis backhand, to Max that he should trade back and forth riffs with Nels. Which sorta happened, but mainly it was very nice to see the generosity on stage (is there ever any doubt it doesn't exist on the regular?).

After CS, Jeff thanked the crowd and mentioned the band was taking a break after this show. There was no indication if it meant anything other than for the rest of the summer, which he hoped the crowd to enjoy themselves. They then went into U.S. Blues and it tore the roof off. As they chugged through that, Jeff checked in with Nels and then John, presumably to end it with that song, and cut Monday/Outtsite, which was on the printed setlist (per a photo seen on the socials). It was fitting end to a just over two hour show (onstage around 8:35 and off by 10:45), on a really pleasant summer evening. Walked to the parking lot through the cobblestone streets of Chautauqua which, when approaching the perimeter, were lit from the far end like it was Altamont. 

*once realizing there would be no review for this show, I took it upon myself to write one up in an effort to be a good citizen of Via Chicago. It was an exercise, and  proofed only as I went along, so please excuse typos, grammatical errors, run ons, etc.

Wilcoworld setlist here:

• 1Misunderstood
• 2Forget the Flowers
• 3Handshake Drugs
• 4At Least That's What You Said
• 5I Am My Mother
• 6Cruel Country
• 7I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
• 8Meant to Be
• 9Annihilation
• 10Hummingbird
• 11Side with the Seeds
• 12Evicted
• 13Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull
• 14Company In My Back
• 15Impossible Germany
• 16Jesus, Etc.
• 17Box Full of Letters
• 18The Late Greats
• 19Heavy Metal Drummer
• 20A Shot in the Arm
• ENCORE:
• 21Falling Apart (Right Now)
• 22California Stars
• 23U.S. Blues [Grateful Dead cover]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:30 PM, Passenger Sid said:

Bravo, Wilco. So damn feel-good. So fun watching the skaters. Great job by video-maker & the talented skaters/dancers. 

My wife and I dig it. Great fun with what looks like a beautiful cultural touchstone in Cthi-cah-go. I'm lovin these visual excursions they're taking us on.

10 hours ago, sleapman said:

Fwiw, it looked to me that the band's guitar techs were defintiely setting up for a second encore during Spiders (at least on Nel's side), and the house lights took a few beats to come on after the first encore. I walked by the soundbooth on the way out and it also looked like everybody working back there was ready for more music. Feels like it was an audible from the band to end it. 

As a streamer, I commented to my wife how spry JT seemed on stage, given he's battling such hip pain...swaying back and forth, and even rhythm stepping left and right, shifting his weight to time. 

Then, as they exited after the main set, nugs cut to the stage right camera as the fellas filed passed, and I noticed a distinct gimp in his stride. Maybe the 'body moving' caught up with him and they launched Spiders to end it? (which was a great finish, imo) Either way, my wonderful wife received a new hip a few years ago and our family is acutely aware of the pain that comes with a spent one. Here's to Jeff for dealing, and Wilco for a great end 'o tour show and sharing it with the masses. 

We've had a great run in over here in WNY throughout '21/'22, between SSF/tour re-schedules and regular schedules, and it was really great to have a virtual seat in the room for one of these shows in '23.

This weekend gets my bet. A double whammy announcement of SSF24 and Cousin.

Wilco, keepin' the southern rock cred intact!

That's a major award. You should be proud. 

Thanks for the reports! Always a pleasure to read.

Bookended the week w/Jon Spencer + The HITmakers on Sunday to Angel Olsen and The Big Time Band last night. A nice turn of the months.

5 hours ago, bböp said:

 

For anyone interested...

 

Paul Suwan's Guest DJ set:

-Misunderstood (1/9/03, Chicago)
-Hummingbird (6/8/04, New York)
-Kicking Television (9/13/03, Morrison, CO)
-Be Not So Fearful [Bill Fay] (fragment of unknown Jeff acoustic performance; referring to 5/20/07 show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire when Fay played the song with Wilco)
-Promising (fragment of studio version; referring to 5/7/2005 Vic show)
-Peaches [Presidents of the USA] (house music from 2/16/08, Chicago)
—intermission—
-Black Moon (3/11/12, Zagreb, Croatia)
-Love Will Keep Us Together [The Captain and Tennille] and Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy [Devo] (12/31/04, New York)
-Dreamer In My Dreams (4/6/10, Boston)
-Theologians (4/16/03, Chicago)
-The Lonely 1 (5/19/04, DeKalb, IL)

Nice. Thanks for sharing. I used to have those two* from '04 on an old CD/drive that I lost track of a long time ago.

I only managed to catch the last song of Paul's set during this Wilco Radioooooooo stretch, and it was really great to hear again. It brought me back to when Nels and Pat were the brand new guys and the band became something new, but not different.

(*DeKalb, when I heard Hell Is Chrome played live for the first time and my mind melted, and the two covers from New Year's at the Garden)

12 hours ago, bböp said:

 

Who's that guy? Yeah, I hope they end up doing another edition of WWR sooner than later, though I know it takes a ton of work to put it all together.

 

Anyway, for those jonesing for more Wilco radio, here's that link to the archives of Pat's excellent show, the Baroque Down Palace, from Memphis' WYXR.

 

And here was Nels' "Thoughts Of A Fool" set, as I jotted it down:

-Deep Water (Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant)

-Thoughts Of A Fool (Ernest Tubb)

-He'll Have To Go (Jim Reeves)

-He Stopped Loving Her Today (George Jones)

-I'm Not Ready Yet (Tammy Wynette; written by Tom T. Hall)

-It's Not Supposed To Be That Way (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson)

-Can I Sleep In Your Arms (Carla Bozulich; from Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger; written by Hank Cochran)

-Sunday Morning Coming Down (Kris Kristofferson)

-Albuquerque (Neil Young)

——intermission——

-Sounds Of Night (Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton)

-Sweet Heaven When I Die (Norman Blake, recorded live at McCabe's Guitar Shop)

-instrumental-not sure of title (Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys)

-Friend Of The Devil (Grateful Dead)

-Bryant's Bounce (Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant)

-Snowbird (Chet Atkins)

-Guitar Happy (Joe Maphis)

-Buckaroo (Joe Maphis; written by Buck Owens; cover of Buck Owens and his Buckaroos)

-Why Not? (Hank Garland Trio)

This is great! Thanks for transcribing, bböp! I guess I did hear most of Nels' set, after all. His story about Willie recording with Carla Bozulich is one of those "who'd a thought" kind of tales.

So, how fast were you in jotting down that dude Paul Suwan's setlist? : D

3 hours ago, bböp said:

I have (almost all of) Nels’ setlist, which I’ll post here in a bit. I’m pretty sure Pat’s set was an abridged version of a previously recorded set of his radio show, the Baroque Down Palace, which you can find on the site for Memphis’s WXYR…will try to find a link.

I caught a bit of Paul Suwan's set, too. Great stuff! I wish Wilcoworld Radioooooooo had a month more.

2 hours ago, lost highway said:

Okay, someone's got to have these playlists. I could see waiting for them to take down the radio first, but I think Pat and Nels have made my new favorite mix tapes.

Mikael played some jams, too. I've only heard a bit of his set, but what I did hear was excellent. 

Nerdy note....

The Stones hit their 20yr mark with Undercover (not awful, IMO, given I was 15 and it was part of what formed my perception of who they were as a whole...beginning with Some Girls thru Tattoo You. The following 10yrs of discovering and digging into their entire catalogue were just as formative, and I still feel that thrill when listening from time to time, after having stepped away from their music for a while), their 30yr mark with Voodoo Lounge (uhhhh, ok*) and Bridges to Babylon, almost halfway through their fourth decade (just happy they were still active, making music to go on tour with).

Yo La Tengo deserves note for their longevity and continually creative output.

*Although, over time, Out Of Tears has become my favorite song from that album. Check the video....totally 90's slick and Charlie actually acting.

4 hours ago, bböp said:

Yet he also took a moment to make the point that it could be even better if everyone participated in, for example, clapping their hands over their heads like he had tried to get people to do a song earlier during Hummingbird. Jeff acknowledged that he fully understood that if everyone in the audience was like him and felt very excited on the inside but barely showed it on the outside, that it would be the worst audience ever. (He didn't say this, but I mean, he wrote a song about exactly this; see: Low Key.) So from the "do as I say, not as I do" department, Jeff nevertheless tried to encourage crowd participation by remarking that one's mindset should be that "I'm not gonna go to my deathbed thinking I didn't clap my hands over my head in Madison. I'm gonna be happy I fucking lived."

I once saw a candid photo of myself, taken side stage at a local show, that revealed me with a bit of a scowl. I was horrified, because I remembered thinking to myself, specifically when I saw the camera was pointed at me, "I don't mind this photo being taken, I'm having a great time and it's ok to let people know it once in a while".

So, now I clap along when encouraged.

Indeed. I was told those are the apples grown for dumplings.

Keeping it short....

They came out chipper and cheerful, making way for one another as they realized that one or two entered out of order of their playing position, from stage right.

You can see from above that the setlist deviated from what it had been the preceding few shows (if paying attention, as a nerd like me does) and it was the first of a few surprises (Spiders! which wasn't a surprise except in how they presented it...with all new crowd interaction).

My wife and I were close enough that you could read lips and see very clearly the business of playing a show from the band's standpoint. During the opening of War on War Jeff jokingly shook his head at Glenn and said "Too fast", both chuckling. 

The stage is nice and low at this venue. Probably no more than 5' off the ground, which made it nice and connective between the band and audience.

If you haven't been to any shows this tour, and have only read that they follow up VC with the Many Worlds coda, you'd expect them to segue right into it, as I did. However, Pat was playing piano during VC, with no Guitar nearby, and I thought maybe they were going to take a rest from it that night. But then VC faded and the crew came out with a guitar for Pat, as the rest took a breath of sorts. Then they played it, and it worked so well, with that slight respite in between.

In terms of watching how they interacted and followed each other, it was a crack up to see Nels react to Jeff's soloing on ALTWYS. Making "ouch" faces in respect of the shredding, and vocally expressing his awe of it. Completely genuine and rousing. He's not one to be so expressive, that I've ever noticed, so maybe his partial set with Mike Watt at SSF has gotten him into a new mode of performing? Or, not.

Anyways... this is no longer short, or well written, so I'll clarify that among the other surprises were the four encore tunes. You know how it is when they come back out...you say to yourself "I wonder if they'll play ____ and ____ and ____, or cut it short and play just two, etc. etc.

Well, they, seemingly at the time, kept playing. I guess the apples didn't mind.

Box Full Of Letters is always great and Late Greats was so good to hear again after a long while, it gave me a swell in the ol' chest and stomach area.

If ever there were a Roadcase worthy show from this summer, I hope this is it.

Came on stage just before 8p and left for good just after 10p (10:10p?)

I know I'm leaving things out (if you're still reading), but that's most of what I remember. Woodrow E. Pecker, Prof of Bird Whistling at Juliard, had a student in attendance, and there were a couple of very fun and funny interactions between them and Tweety (see that?). You'll hear it in the Roadcase (fingers crossed).

Kamikaze Palm Tree were fun to watch and really interesting to listen to. Very reminiscent of Cate Le Bon, and if they play near you, go see them.

Beak & Skiff is a beautiful apple orchard in Lafayette, NY the hills of Central New York, just east of Skaneateles (skinny-at-lees) and south west of Syracuse. Coming from Rochester (NY, of course) it's a 62 mile drive east, with over half of it off the thruway. There's a natural amphitheater, however slight, that a regional promoter must've eyeballed a few years ago and worked to plant a stage throughout the summer, this being the third (I think?) they've hosted shows there. Saw The War On Drugs there in June and that was just a good show and pleasant venue experience. File under "Will go back".

A couple photos from the show. John levitating and a crappy rainbow, in that order...

Here's a bit of audio...w/some video attached...

Looks like a good recovery by the band.

Get well, Nels.

1 hour ago, bböp said:

 …with what Jeff said would almost certainly be the only front-to-back performance of it…

…at least for the next twenty years? Fingers crossed they have a french horn player on stage with them then…*wink*nudge*

Mid way through that BEAUTIFUL show, I came to my senses and realized we weren’t getting rained on, as expected all week. What a gorgeous night and great way to kick off the weekend.

Those guys, and ladies at one point, were sharp as hell. Even when Tweedy did a double take at the start of The Universe, he nor anyone else seemed to flinch. They were confident in these songs and it showed. One of the greats, in my book.

I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about how Many Worlds has them absolutely channeling the Dead.

17 hours ago, lizish said:

yum!!

 

Heading out from Buffalo on the 20th and hoping to make Albany on the 27th. 

 

https://eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling

 

cannot wait!!!

As a Rochesterian, I think this is one of coolest things. Have a great ride!

23 minutes ago, jff said:

  I thought the Ode artwork sucked.

The nerve! It's a Grammy winner!! 

This new album is going to make very many people happy, and help make the summer great.

Yes, it seems we'll have to wait for the sun to carry it over tomorrow. Here's a little sample...

https://mora.jp/package/43000008/190296133374/?fmid=newRelease_all_0001