Three dollars and 63 cents

I'm a big U2 fan, and that's probably my favorite U2 book. I've got an old hardcover copy of it that will be held together with duct tape before too much longer I think. I also really like BP Fallon's book from that era, U2 Faraway, So Close, but I'm not sure if that's back in print. I finished Sarah Gruen's novel Water for Elephants a few days ago. There were parts of it I really liked and parts of it that felt thin to me, especially the blossoming relationship between the narrator and another character. She did an amazing job of bringing the animals to life, but sometimes I found myself w

That would be six shows in a row and nine shows in ten days. Why wear themselves out like that when it's just the start of the tour?

Does the Tower allow cameras? Mine's too big to hide, and I'm going to be annoyed if they send me back to my car with it.

I'll be there. My ticket arrived while I was away for the holidays. I'm coming in from about four hours away, so after the show I may just start driving back and stop when I get tired instead of staying in Philly overnight. I have a question about seating. My ticket says "left orchestra" but has no section--is that the smaller section all the way to the left, or the larger half of the orchestra? I'm so excited that I'm going to be up relatively close (I'm row LL) on Nels's side. That's exactly where I wanted to be!

I really got into Nels's non-Wilco work last summer. I still have a lot to explore, but so far the best word I can think to describe my reaction to it has been dumbfounded. I love what he's brought to Wilco, but his work with the band really only shows a small part of his range. There's such an amazing level of artistry in his playing. There are some pieces that aren't immediately accessible, but he's one of those artists who if you're willing to work a little to listen to, you're almost always rewarded. I think Instrumentals is my favorite Singers album. I highly recommend all three of them,

There's a theater capable of showing U2 3D about an hour away from me in Syracuse, and I'm really disappointed that so far they're not scheduled to show it. I've been looking forward to seeing it since the time it was recorded. There was such a magic and an energy to those South American shows, probably in part because U2 had skipped South America on the Elevation Tour and in part just because of how well the band was playing together by that point in the tour. I've got probably at least half of the recordings from the tour, and there aren't many that can match the energy of those shows. I rea

Avenues might be the most heartbreaking song I've ever heard. It kills me every time.

That's how it's been with every Counting Crows album for me except the first one--a few songs I love, a few songs I like, and a lot of songs that are just sort of boring. It's disappointing that they're so inconsistent, because they can be really good sometimes (I'm thinking of songs like Up All Night and Holiday In Spain off Hard Candy, for instance). I loved them for awhile when I was in my late teens, but I got bored with them. How many songs can Adam Duritz get away with writing about how he can't sleep? Also, from what I've heard, this won't be a double album. I think it's a single di

That's seven shows in eight days, not to mention that they'd be doubling back north just to turn around and go back south to Charleston. I guess it's not impossible, but it seems really unlikely to me.

There doesn't seem to be any room in the schedule for them to add another show in the Northeast. I'm wondering if they might add maybe two or three more shows in the Midwest or on the West Coast before they head to Australia, but I think the rest of the tour is pretty much set. They can't play a show every single day.

That's how I felt about Easy Tiger, too. It's not a bad album (I ranked it in my top 15 for the year), but it's safe and sort of boring, and those are two words I never want to use to describe Ryan Adams. I'm so glad to see some negative comments about We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. All year I've been thinking it was overrated and a far cry from their great work back when they were a trio. That Modest Mouse is gone now, though, and they're practically bubble gum pop to me now. I liked a few of the songs, but I'm shocked to see this album making so many year-end lists. My biggest

Hop Devil is my favorite, but I'm always interested in trying new beers, especially IPAs. I also love Victory's Storm King Stout, though at nearly 10% alcohol, one usually knocks me on my ass. I found out recently that a good bar for microbrews around here has an equally strong coffee stout, so I'm going to have to go try that. I couldn't drink for most of the fall because I had mono, but this is my favorite time of year for beer, since I like the dark, hoppy beers best. I want to try to track down a six pack of Stone's Arrogant Bastard. I love their IPA and I really like AB, too, but I've

I've never seen or heard the whole episode, but I do have an mp3 of that amazing cover of Wild Horses they did. It somehow manages to be more heartbreaking than the original, in my mind at least.

Fellow literature geek I also love this one. I bought the postcard of it on ebay, but the posters are all going for over $100 now, so this will have to remain a "maybe someday" purchase for now:

I saw her open for Bob Dylan back in 2003 and she was marvelous, though she only got to play five or six songs. She writes about heartbreak so brilliantly, but it seems like her most recent breakup didn't hit her hard enough to get her out of her songwriting slump. That said, I really can't get into the National because I can't stand the lead singer's voice. I don't know what it is. Musically, I like their sound, but it's ruined for me as soon as the singing starts. I respect them, I just don't really like them.

I'm thinking of ordering a Dublin poster: I always forget to buy a poster when I'm at a show. Hopefully I'll remember. It will help that I'll have a seat to set it on. I know I won't be using it for anything else, besides my coat!

I really kick myself for being too lazy to drive the hour and a half to see her back in July. I knew I'd regret it later. I haven't given West enough of a listen to be able to vote, but what I did hear definitely didn't grab me. I feel like she hasn't put out anything better than Car Wheels On A Gravel Road yet, though I have faith she's capable of it.

Amen, Matt

Ticketbastard isn't getting another dollar from me after their convenience charges, so I always choose standard delivery. I've never not gotten a ticket in time for a show.

The Electric Factory is one of the worst venues I've ever seen a show at, sound wise. It's just a big concrete box (with $8 Yuenglings, if I recall correctly).

My browser freaked out on me, I had to close out and go back in, and I still managed to get a seat in row LL on Nels's side for Philly. I couldn't be happier. That's much better than I expected to get. My Ticketmaster mojo doesn't let me down once again!

Now that's just mean. It's like they're doing this:

4th of July would make me very, very happy.

I've been wondering how they'll fill in these dates, too. Upstate New York for once would also be great, especially with all the colleges around here. I can't go to New Haven because I've got to teach at 9 the next morning, but I could do a Monday or Wednesday show if the drive wasn't too horrible.

That's weird, because the last time I looked it just showed tickets going onsale Saturday. The other two times I've seen Wilco it's been with friends who brought kids, so we just spread out a blanket in the grass in the back (not that there's a bad spot at the Pines, but we were still far back). I'd really like the chance to get down closer, especially if I'm going to make an almost four hour trip. I figured it would be tough to get tickets since this is the first time they've been in Philly for awhile, but I didn't expect it to be this tough. We'll see what happens!