blueyedsoul

I haven't been on here in so, so long, but when Donna sends a message and asks a girl to hop on and say hi, that's what you do.

I was always on the quieter side back in the day and did more lurking (but not in a creep way; I promise) than interacting, but I made a handful of lifelong friends because of this place, and I always enjoyed knowing that I was among others who shared my love of Wilco with the same intensity. Logging back in and seeing everything is a giant blast from the past, and it gives me all the feels.

Also, I have fun coincidental happening that will now always share the same day as VC's 20th birthday. Some of you may remember that I was the one who had a coffee shop named Being There. It closed its doors back in 2012, but I have always had a dream of reopening and that has been in the works for a few years now but just hasn't come to fruition. Yet. But I got a message today from my realtor that the offer I sent over to a property owner is being reviewed and all signs point to it being accepted. So, not to get ahead of myself, but thank you VC for the good vibes. Cake on the house from me. You can all have it with your sangria. 

Happy birthday, VC. Here's to 20 more! 

I didn't realize until it was too late (show sold out) that Madison is my best bet for a Wilco show this tour. The only thing I'm finding avaible now is way over ticket price. Boo.

I'm looking for any amount between 1-4 (4 is ideal, but beggars can't be choosers, right?). Thanks in advance for any help!

By the way, Kara, I saw you in line, and I don't know why I didn't go say hello! I think I was frozen.

well, you were one step ahead of me, because i didn't even see you. i have trouble getting to shows early these days, and then on sunday i was in some sort of weird, migraine-induced fog. i made some small talk with the people around me, but that's about all i could muster. and then after the show i left pretty quickly, mostly because we got reprimanded by a security guard for leaning our backs up against the railing by the stage.

next wilco show my goal is to go earlier, stay later, and actually talk to some VC people. if not i'm afraid that i'll eventually turn into anti-social, hermit-like person. plus hopefully next time i can talk michelle into coming! either way though, next time i officially have a date with you to exchange hellos in line.

[quote name='bb

dear wilco,

thank you (for one of the best shows i've ever attended).

sincerely,

blueyedsoul

I second that! (and I feel awful that I'm standing up my Wilco/coffeehouse friend yet again because I'm not gonna make it to this show either... )

i was just thinking about you the other day!!

and also, just so you know, it's never the same without you. but maybe next time, right?

Blueyedsoul-I kept forgetting to ask you where the coffee shop was since...oh...I don't know, forever? I'll definitely make a point to stop by sometime. It's not too far of a hike for me.

yay!!! and also, i'm horrible with recognizing people out of context, so if you do stop by, and i don't act like i know you, would you pretty-pretty-please say something?

i remember driving to somewhere in minnesota north of the cities to see it with my brother when it opened, because it wasn't scheduled to play anywhere in iowa. and then the next week it came out in one of the des moines theaters. so then i went to it again, but this time with a new friend (who is now one of my bestest friends). it was valentine's day, and it was actually the perfect start to a very, very (very) beautiful friendship.

i hadn't watched the film in years, but it was on tv for awhile in the wee hours of the morning four or five months ago, and i watched it while i fed the baby. it was much needed break from watching the world series of poker.

add me to the rollcall!

and as for where to hang out before or after....i'll have to think about it. (i probably won't make it for a pre or post show get together, but i should be able to come up with some decent places to suggest for those who will.) like someone else already said, there's not much right next to val air, but there's a little district called valley junction that's a few miles south of the venue and it's got a few restaurants and i think there's still an irish pub over there. if someone else from the area has better ideas, feel free to add them, and i'll keep thinking and get back to you.

also there's a great, little coffee shop called being there coffee house in altoona (about 10 miles east of des moines) conveniently located right off i-80. exit 143. they're not open on sundays, but if you're spending the night and are looking for a fabulous cup of coffee on monday morning, definitely stop. i hear the place is awesome. *end shameless plug*

oh man, i'm definitely still on a wilco buzz today. that show was *amazing*. i don't know if it was me or the music, but i was just plain mesmerized throughout the entire show. even though i've heard IATTBYH too many times to count, both live and on cd, i feel like i really got it for the first time on sunday night. and that in itself just left me all warm and fuzzy.

i was worried i wouldn't make the front row after getting a late start (i blame my baby; i'm still adjusting to motherhood), but i lucked out when the couple standing in front of us decided to leave/move back(?) before andrew bird even came on. i brought along one of my coffee shop employees and she had never been to wilco or in the front row of any show. she claims to have loved every minute of it.

i always leave wanting more.....

p.s. i'm guessing the chandelier thing is a common problem. we noticed before the show started that there appeared to be something taped around some of the dangly things (proper chandelier termonology, i'm sure) closest to the stage. but still....ouch.

shoot, another birthday that i was late for.

i hope it was fabulous, paul! will i see you at the iowa city show? if so, i'll give you a belated birthday gift. (i've got a different being there coffee house mug with your name on it! well...it doesn't actually have your name. but you know what i mean.)

from one blue eyed soul to the next, happy (belated) birthday!!

Best: It's too hard to choose, but to name two - the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines, before they switched everything around, was pretty great.

i was thinking the exact same thing; therefore, i actually would say that the val air is my vote for the best and the worst. (and i've heard, for some reason unknown to me, that they're still using the lame-o set up.)

i know i haven't been around the boards much lately, but for those of you that i HAVE kept in contact with/seen at recent shows, i just wanted to share....

maxwell john entered the world at 5:06 pm last monday, july 16th. he was quite the surprise seeing as how he came 4 weeks and 1 day early, but he's perfect and healthy and 100% adorable and sweet. i'd post more, but i'm much too tired. (i have a new appreciation and respect for all parents!)

oh....random but always given baby stats at time of birth:

6 pounds 7 ounces

20 inches long

lots o' black hair (clearly from his dad!)

conehead (which has since disappeared, thank goodness)

Hey, I didn't know you had pregnant lady feet! Congratulations!

thank you! yeah, i'm not sure what's going on. my feet are ginormous, and i've got what appears to be a basketball in my tummy. hopefully it's nothing serious.

that's sad that you weren't able to make the show. i don't personally have any plans to go to anymore on this tour, but hopefully you do??

It was nice to see so many out-of-towners and familiar faces - Joyce (thanks!), Jerry, Sandy, Kara, the kidsmokes, Evonne, lessthanithink whose real name I am horrible at remembering, and of course my Moline posse.

it was so good to see you, too! in fact, i was listing off to michelle everyone that i had seen, and when i got to your name i realized that i never really got a chance to talk to you. my bad. i'm sure we'll meet again at a midwest show. i'll make a point to actually speak to you then.

also, you know how you forget something, and then you randomly remember it, and it makes you all warm and fuzzy inside? that happened to me this morning when i remembered that via chicago had been on the setlist. i've heard it so, so many times live, but it's one that i just never get sick of. the hope i had in a notebook full of white, dry pages was all i tried to save.... also, theologians. good stuff. good stuff.

i'm too tired to comment a whole lot, but i just wanted to say that last night was fabulous. i got to see old vc friends, meet new ones, and, of course, the music was wonderfully indescribable. i also continue to be impressed with how sincere and patient the band is with fans after the show. it makes me like wilco that much more. (if it's possible to like them more.)

while i was sad about the shortened encore(s) (me no likey fighting ), i have to say that my poor, swollen, pregnant lady feet were ready to sit down. so, in a rare moment of optimism, i can say that if i was going to happen at any show, this was a good one for it. although i'm bummed to see that poor places was on the list.

also, a quick shout out to donna and brennan. it was absolutely fantastic to spend so much time with you.

more later!

i will be at the show TOMORROW night, not NEXT wednesday night, which is definitely not when i thought the davenport show was up until about a half an hour ago. (oh donna, do i have a story for you!)

i'll be the pregnant girl in row b of some section in some seat. assuming that i can find my tickets in six days less than i thought i had time to find them in.

yay!!!!!

thanks for the pictures! we were in the absolute last row in the theater, so i was thankful that it was a radio broadcast that i was watching. it made it less frustrating that i couldn't see well. (i wasn't as prepared as the old woman with binoculars next to me! )

ooh! yay!

thanks for redirecting me to that thread. i've been slacking on my vc check-ins lately, so i miss a lot of stuff. but do i appreciate the link.

i won't be disappointed if it's only a handful of songs. it's been way too long since i saw wilco live, so i'll take anything i can get right now. plus, this will be just enough to tide me over until the davenport show!

i talked to my sister-in-law earlier, and i *swear* that she said my brother bought me a ticket to something this weekend (in minneapolis) that included wilco as a musical guest. i see nothing about it on their website. anyone know anything about this, or am i just crazy?

i'm not sure of the exact date (and i'm too lazy to look it up), but it was sometime in late may or early june of 2002. i was in amsterdam for an art class, and they just happened to be playing at the melkwag. my brother had given me both being there and summerteeth for Christmas six months prior to my trip, and i'd been listening to them constantly. i had no clue that they were playing in amsterdam until i got there, so it was a very, very awesome surprise. seeing them live directly contributed to me being full-blown in love with their music.

section b, row b, seats 11 & 12. michelle/amaranthine and i will be there with bells on. (well...probably not the bells part.)

yay!!

i saw this on the news. it's a very sad ending to a very sad story.

vibes and prayers sent to you and all involved.

happy belated birthday, brianne!

long time no see, but maybe we get an iowa show sometime here in the near future. hope your birthday was fabulous!