PJP

Greetings, friends. I want to take my 11 year-old to see her first WILCO show, but when the tickets went on sale, all that was left was GA Floor. She’ll have almost no shot at seeing from the floor, so I’m hoping to trade my four floor seats for some seats in the balcony. 
 

This is for Saturday, March 25, at The Riv. 
 

Please let me know if you can help!

Meanwhile someone else will have to vouch for the fact that they have figured out how to make the place sound good.

They haven't. I can't imagine Wilco will play there. The sound sucks and it's hard to find anywhere with good sightlines.

Actually they are having 3 concerts in Wrigley within a matter of 6 days starting tonight. Elton John and Billy Joel there this evening. That being said, a concert at Wrigley in late summer/ early fall does not seem very likely, even on top of the stretch that Wilco could/would play there, or want to for that matter.

Right, and I can't imagine they would want to play there, or that the financial considerations would work. But primarily, the neighborhood and city have to be appeased, and three shows there this year is certainly enough, as far as the neighbors are concerned. Won't be Wrigley for lots of reasons.

I'm thinking after Europe...but that's just pure speculation on my part. Who knows if they'll even add more US dates besides this Chicago one.

 

On a sidenote, you really think Allstate sound is worse than United Center? I'll take Allstate or Sears Center any day over the UC.

After Europe would be my best guess, too.

Yeah, on balance I'd bet on better sound at UC than Allstate. I think it depends on what type of show it is -- the echo off the back wall at United Center can be unbearable, but if it's AC/DC or something, you may never hear it. On the other hand, I'd say Wilco's much more subtle stuff would be doomed in that place. But I just don't recall ever hearing anyone with even tolerable sound at Allstate. I do agree about Sears Center, but it's so far from downtown and books such a small number of decent shows I don't even think about it.

Are we thinking the show will be between 10,000 Lakes and Europe, or after Europe?

All it takes is one of these threads to get down on the abundance of sub-par venues we have here in Chicago. That's not to say we don't still have some really great ones as well, but it doesn't get much worse than the bottom of the list...

 

Aragon-no comment.

United Center- good call on the aluminum celing, awful sound for concerts.

First Midwest-Tinley Park (perhaps the most awful outdoor amp in existance?)

Vic/Riv/Metro-all need MAJOR work.

 

• Aragon has the worst sound and the worst sightlines of any Chicago venue I can think of.
  
• United Center is what it is. All things equal, I think Allstate is crappier. No real alternative for bands who want to sell 20,000 seats in Chicago. That's just life.
  
• Tinley is a nightmare in every sense of the word.
  
• Vic/Riv/Metro are among my favorites. Yes, they need cosmetic work, but that doesn't really bother my concert experience. There are plenty of options for viewing strategies, and in the right hands, each of these rooms can sound outstanding.
  
• Park West is another nice sounding room, provided you don't mind the never-ending clanking of bottles as the bartenders mercilessly toss them into the trash cans.
  
• Meigs Field isn't bad, despite the lack of public transit access and the asphalt. But I still resent the way Jam was strong-armed out of that deal.
  
• Though not really a concert venue (nor a hockey rink), let's just say it: Wrigley Field is just as rotten a place for a concert as it is perfect for baseball.
  

Perhaps a Radiohead-style Grant Park/Hutchinson Field show? That was a terrific evening.

Pollstar, which gets it wrong sometimes but not too often, just listed a Wilco show at The Hideout on Monday. I take it that's the Release Party featuring the ensemble. There's no way Wilco would play Nevada on the 28th, fly home, and then play Oregon on the 30th, right?

Well the school is lucky to have Jeff play for them and they are getting enriched by having huge scholarships for kids to attend. Just saying they are making out good.

 

I guess if people will pay the prices, then go ahead and charge what you can. I would. I just hope the show doesnt price me out eventually.

Not to prolong this point, and I don't really know anything about it personally, but I think Wendy's point is that the kids who get the scholarships (to what is presumably already a fine school) are the ones being enriched.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow via Ticketmaster evidently...

Ticketmaster is only offering Gold Circle / $250 tickets right now. Anyone know what the deal is for the $100 seats?

Tonight's show to be streamed on Wilcoworld!!

http://www.wilcoworld.net/roadcase/index.php

Thanks for that. I'm lucky to be going, but I passed that to a friend who is happy to be able to listen. I see that they say the stream begins at 7. What should we read into that? An early start, or do we still think they're on at 7:30?

email sent ...

This is spoken for by Wendy. Good luck to everyone else.

I've got one extra for tonight. The terms:

• What I paid TM for the ticket (roughly $45);
  
• Meet me at Wacker and Madison ASAP;
  
• No PMs, please. Respond to me at ppreston AT gmail.com. In your response, please say something to suggest that you are indeed a fan, just to try to be sure you're not a dirty scalper who has infiltrated the board.
  

I can't do anything other than the above. I'd meet you at The Riv but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get there. I'll post here when the ticket has actually been handed off. Until then, please assume I'm trying to work something out with someone who responded sooner.

Here are a few more snapshots to add to the mix.

I'll Twitter the set list again, here. Be kind, though, and take things with a grain of salt. I'm expecting to make some mistakes and/or have to quote some lyrics in lieu of giving titles tonight.

Actually, there's no need for me to do that. It will be on the radio, and I assume streaming at wxrt.com, too.

I'll Twitter the set list again, here. Be kind, though, and take things with a grain of salt. I'm expecting to make some mistakes and/or have to quote some lyrics in lieu of giving titles tonight.

Ah, must have been a mistake on the website. There have been a lot of surprises over the last couple of nights, but I'd have been stunned if they were doing that one.

Yep, that was me. I looked back at the Twittering, and I'm not really sure what I was thinking. Perhaps my thumbs were still cold? Sorry for the confusion.

Some more pictures from last night. I was basically in the same spot as Saturday, so I'm just posting a handful.

I'll try Twittering the set list again, here.

Bundle up friends, it's going to be cold on line again, like Friday night was.

What does this mean??? Are these shows being webcast somewhere??? Someone please let me know!!!!

It means I was sending set list updates out via Twitter from The Riv, but I didn't know that my connection had crapped out after Kingpin.

I'll try again Monday night.

I posted some pictures from the balcony here. Looking forward to Monday!

After they played Kingpin they left the stage, began to disassemble the stuff but none of us left. The guys came back out and did "ELT" and "Hoodoo Voodoo" ... Pat and Nels trading solos in HV was simply amazing. Unbelievable show.

Crap. Looks like my connection died after Kingpin. Thanks AT&T. Anyway, that was awesome. I have to say, I can't recall ever seeing any other true encores like that. Wild!

It's already here, and Greg Kot did a blow-by-blow of the whole set here.

That looks like last night to me (night one), no?

If it seems like there is any interest, I'll try to post the set as it goes tonight on Twitter. I started to last night, but realized no one would be watching, so I bagged it. Fair warning, while I know all the stuff, I can't say I'm the best with titles, so it won't be completely accurate, but you'll get the idea.

EDIT: I found my Saturday pair, so I'm all set. I'll post again when I determine what extras I'm left with.