Three dollars and 63 cents

I have to be in Chicago for a conference for work Dec. 27-30, so I'm really hoping there will be a NYE show.

I did a lot of people watching the last time I saw Dylan, which was over the summer. It was the strangest assortment of people I think I've ever seen in one place. He didn't play too many newer songs at that show, and there were some great rearrangements of some older songs like Masters of War and Every Grain of Sand. It was probably the best Dylan show I've been to, despite the strange and cranky crowd, my lousy spot, and the really hot weather. The band was pitch-perfect for the whole show. I'm not crazy about Modern Times, either. Nothing he's done since Time Out of Mind has been nearly

That was my first Wilco show, and one of the best shows I've ever seen by any band. They were in top form. I highly recommend the recording.

I've seen him twice, once in 2003 and once in 2005. Once he was fabulous and the second time he was pissy and awful and finally got booed off stage. I'd heard so many good things about this tour, and he was just starting to win me back, but this makes me doubt I'll ever go see him again. You just don't know which version of him you'll get--the terrific performer or the temperamental snot. Everybody is allowed to have an off night, but that's so unfair to his fans when he throws a tantrum like that and cuts a show short. He still gets the same amount of money for the performance, even if he giv

Jeff said that at last summer's show in Northampton, MA, and Let's Fight was played right before Misunderstood, so that's probably your source.

The college where I started teaching this month has a place on campus that sells Starbucks coffee. I was horrified at first, but then I realized it's the freshest coffee on the entire campus because of the quick turnover. It's also the only place that has strong enough coffee for me. I've spent more on Starbucks coffee in the last few weeks than I probably have in my whole life. I order my beans from this place, near where I grew up. I like that I can even order how darkly I want my coffee roasted. Those candy bars they sell with the coffee beans in them are about the best things in the univ

I love the version of it on Jeff's Sunken Treasure DVD. I agree it would be a great addition to some of these fall shows, but it's great to see them breaking out so many songs from Being There and A.M. right now, too.

Wow, what a pairing. Somebody who's going to one of these shows have an extra good time for me!

I was hoping this was whatever VH1/MTV had taped from this summer's Northampton show. Was that footage ever used for anything? I never watch either of those channels anymore.

YHF. Being There and Sky Blue Sky round out my top three. I'm basing this on what albums I listen to in their entirety the most, because there isn't a Wilco album I don't like.

It's very cool to see that Banyan will be playing a few shows. Hopefully Nels will come east in the winter or spring with the Singers. I've been listening to Draw Breath and Instrumentals a lot lately and have just been completely blown away by them. I almost drove down to Philly to see him play with Jenny Scheinman in August, but as it turns out he wasn't able to make the show because of his chicken pox. Something to keep in mind is that they probably don't tour extensively very often because they're paying for everything themselves. They all live in California, so it's relatively easy for

I was hoping to get to see KOL on this tour, but it didn't work out. I saw them open for U2 a few years ago, and the crowd was awful to them, which was a shame, because they were pretty good. I think they're a great band, and it's been amazing to watch how much they've evolved with each new album. I'd love to get the chance to see them when they're headlining.

Tickets for the last show I saw were outrageously high--something like $70. I was going to skip the show, but a friend took me as a way of celebrating my finishing grad school. My friend had a lousy time, but he's not much of a Dylan fan, and Dylan seems to be one of those artists people either love or strongly dislike. I love him, so I try to catch him whenever he comes around. There are definitely other artists I enjoy seeing more, but I love seeing how Dylan reworks old songs to make them sound new again. And part of me is always in a bit of awe when I see him, since he's such a legend.

I'm sure everybody here going is a little disappointed, but Dylan and his band are sounding great this year. I saw them back in June, and it was the best show I'd seen by him, so I definitely recommend going.

There are a few songs I'm not crazy about, but overall, I enjoyed it. I also like that there aren't skits between the songs, like on his previous albums.

The Pines Theater in Northampton is probably my very favorite concert venue. It's relatively small, and the backdrop is beautiful. I've seen Wilco there the last two years, so it will seem a little strange when I see them somewhere else for the first time.

I'm glad to see Michigan struggling (even though they're ahead again). They're one of Penn State's only opponents this year I'm really worried about. I'm still bitter over that last-second touchdown two seasons ago that probably kept Penn State from having a shot at the national championship.

I have these and am happy with them. The part you put in your ear is very squishy, so they don't hurt, and because they're noise reducing, I don't play my iPod nearly as loudly as I used to.

John's magic beard > Nels's I-can't-shave-because-I-had-the-demon-chicken-pox beard. I'm glad Nels shaved, but I'm liking John's new look.

Wilco shows next spring

Hopefully this will be on YouTube tomorrow. I just can't stay awake any longer. Excellent choice of songs, though. That's the first song I cranked up in my car for my hour's drive home from work this evening.

I'd love a copy if you haven't sent out your 10 yet. I'm always looking for a good music magazine. I actually can't wait for my subscription to Rolling Stone to run out, because I'm getting so bored with it!

I finally picked up a copy of this a few weeks ago, but I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet. I'm looking forward to it.

Sunday Morning--The Velvet Underground

I keep hoping that the band was just fibbing and really they were filming for a DVD that will be out in time for the holidays. I think I'm being overly optimistic, though, since I know there were signs up from VH1 basically saying that if you were in the front, you were giving consent to appear in whatever happens with that footage.