Madcap

Wow, glad I sat this one out. I think the crowd at his solo shows always tends to border on obnoxious (but then again I would prefer it if everyone was totally silent haha), and this sounds like it was over the top. I'll never understand people who treat solo acoustic shows like they're party shows.

Review (not mine):

 

https://noisey.vice.com/blog/wilco-chicago-pitchfork-review-essay

That's a pretty terrible review.  It certainly wasn't my favorite set of wilco (I thought the set after Star Wars was pretty uninspiring until Impossible Germany->Red Eyed/Blue->the finish), but it wasn't because the band wasn't into it by any stretch of the imagination. 

I think the pitchfork crowd can just be kind of lame for the most part.  I remember in 2010 on Pavement's comeback tour freaking out when the set started because it was such a big deal and the crowd around me could not have given less of a crap, which of course is ironic since Pitchfork wouldn't exist without Pavement!

I guess I don't understand why the royalty issue would prevent them from playing songs on W(TA) and not SBS, YHF, etc.

They were definitely filming the Pitchfork interview so hopefully it will make its way on,one shorty.

Last night at the Pitchfork discussion with Jeff (which was excellent btw), someone asked him if the band ever took entire albums out of their live repertoire for periods of time and Jeff mentioned that they didn't play W(TA) songs for a period of time because they were tired of paying other people to play their own songs.  Does anyone know what he's referring to there?  It was their last album on Nonesuch and i'm guessing it's some rights issue, but they obviously played songs from their prior albums too.

Aside from the Pavement set in 2010 I haven't gone since 2006 and 2007 since the lineups haven't been that appealing and it was always seemed to be on the hottest weekend of the year.  Of course I'm going friday and saturday this weekend and it's going to be a bazillion degrees out.  I just hope that no music gets cancelled because of storms or something.

I love these shows and go every year, but the crowd always ends up bothering me by the end with their yelling,etc. good show though, highlights were lost love, be not so fearful, blasting fonda, long cut, flowering and forget the flowers personally. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised with the requesters restraint in not requesting Jeff play random covers and instead just play songs in the tweedy/wilco songbook, so bravo!

Oh, I also loved how he got mixed up with no more poetry because it sounds exactly like several other songs he had already played haha.

If someone in line could possibly request Pieholden Suite or True Love Will Find You in the End that would be great

I very much like the sound of a thursday show too, buy those tickets people!

This is I believe the latest the benefit show has ever been, but i've seen them in January, February, March and April before.  No complaints about anything as these are a totally different beast than the Tweedy shows or any regular Jeff solo accoustic show as those who have gone before can attest to.

http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/7845

Anyone have any idea what this record store release is?  It says The Basement Tapes, but it only lists it as 1 LP and the artwork is different.

Bob rules live, voice is surprisingly decent and the band is very tight.  A lot of the blue hairs were disappointed that he wasn't playing the hits when I saw him last fall, but its a great show.

Wheeee so much Tweedy/Wilco in Chicago over the last 6 months! Fantastic!

Oh yeah, there was laughter in the balcony too. I just found the set so endearing and the music was a Syd Barrett-esque mix of sweet and goofy. Very curious as to how it's going to hold up once I listen to the album haha.

I was up in the balcony so I couldn't see him very well, but I was wondering if the migrane was why he cut the solo set short or if that's how they were going to do this tour. I've seen a bunch of Jeff solo shows so I wasn't too disappointed, but talk about bad luck after the Taste show getting cancelled too. I enjoyed the show otherwise, band sounded good. LOVED the opener too. He was so earnest to the point of comedy it seemed, bought his LP on the way out.

Bands aren't going to play shows at a loss, so in that regard they absolutely need to operate to service the bottom line. We can romanticize the business all we want but this is their job and they ultimately do it to make money. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

I think it's hilarious that people complain about how expensive tickets are these days compared to 20 years ago.  I'm seeing a ton of that with this "Grateful Dead" run.  It's simple economics and supply and demand.  Stuff is more expensive than it was back in the day and it costs more to see a band at a big venue than it does to see them at a bar.  Sure, i'd love to pay $20 to see Wilco or Neil Young or Phish, but I love those bands and it's worth it to me to pay what the venue/promoter determines is market value to see them.  If it's not worth it to you, don't go, simple as that.  No offense, but everyone complaining about ticket prices just come off as entitled whiny brats to me.

Sweet, mine finally showed up today!

yep, that's exactly the response I got when I contacted them.  hopefully that means that they're just moving slowly because of the weather.

Has anyone who did the preorder for the Chicago shows received their tickets yet?  I'm worried mine got lost in the mail.

Very pumped about the Pitchfork announcement. That's been the weekend Phish has played Northerly the last couple of years so I haven't been able to go, but the Friday and Saturday lineups this year are just too good to pass up. Never thought I'd see Wilco play Pitchfork by the way, doesn't seem like they're "hip" enough for that crowd.

got tickets to both chicago shows, easy peasy

wondering if he's doing two shows here to make up for the taste?  either way, this is great news.  guessing this means no benefit shows this year, which is ok too.

I'll agree 100% with everything in the OP. My first time attending this event and Jeff just did not seem that interested in singing. Of my 40+ Wilco/Tweedy solo shows this was easily the most disappointing. I thought the setlist was fairly generic as far as Tweedy setlists go too.

The improv on the other hand was somewhat unexpectedly hilarious. Horatio Sanz and TJ (from the sonic commercials) killed it and everyone else was great too.

Nice! Would love to see Be Not So Fearful and New Madrid come back at the 'living room' show next month.

setlist?

My 27th wilco show and I'd say it's possibly a top 5 for me. You know it's going to be a good night when they open with red eyed and blue/I got you.