1. You and every other Wilco fan with a guitar and the inclination to write a tune. Get in line. 2. There are people on this board who have personal contact with Jeff, but they respect his privacy. They aren't going to give out his contact information to their closest friends, let alone someone they've never met who posts a request online. 3. If you want to get heard, get out there and perform. Work every little venue that will let you play and build a fan base. Make a video and post it on You Tube and hope it goes viral. That's how a lot of musicians get heard these days. And get over th

A new session at the Old Town School starts soon, so if you're in Chicago and want to learn some Tweedy/Wilco tunes, sign up!

(G) i feel like a book but i (Gaug) just can't start it (G6) feel like a lover, (E) broken hearted (Am) i look in the mirror at the (Am#7) face in the glass i (Am7) look like a question (D) no one ever asks a-(G)-lone

Ha! Yes, I think one of our ensemble members did get on the mic and describe pedal steel as the bacon of music. Delicious work on the steel indeed! The ensemble has now learned about half of the new album and we're currently working on some stuff such as Cars Can't Escape, Radio King, and a really rockin' out version of Laminated Cat/Not for the Season. At some point in the next few months we'll probably get out to perform the stuff we've been learning lately. So hopefully some people will join us again for another tribute to Wilco!

The band had a blast too! we played and sang Wilco tunes with the crowd from 9:30 or so until around 1 a.m. Good times. And nice singing Dude!

A few revisions to the list . . . We should be able to play the following: A Shot in the Arm Airline to Heaven Box full of Letters California Stars Candyfloss Casino Queen Company in My Back Far far Away Forget the Flowers Handshake Drugs Heavy Metal Drummer Hoodoo Voodoo How to Fight Loneliness I am Trying to Break Your Heart I Must Be High I Thought I Held You I'm Always in Love I'm the Man Who Loves You Is That the Thanks I Get It's Just That Simple Kamera Late Greats Less Than You Think Monday Muzzle of Bees Not for the Season Outta Mind (outtasite) Outtasite (outta mind) Passenger Si

Yeah, Thriller was also the first album I ever bought, back in maybe 5th grad. I memorized all the songs and sang them with my cousins and friends. We were totally fascinated by the music, the dancing, the videos, and that charismatic young man. I guess the thing that strikes me with this news is that in my mind, that person I admired died a long time ago. I look at the sweet little boy in those early videos, and I feel sad for him. I see the beautiful young man from the Thriller era, and I wonder what ever happened to him. But when I see the pale, mutilated, mask-like face -- the one we

Start thinking about what you want to sing this time! The band could probably play any of these . . . A Shot in the Arm Airline to Heaven At my Window Sad and Lonely Box full of Letters California Stars Candyfloss Casino Queen Company in My Back Far far Away Forget the Flowers Handshake Drugs Heavy Metal Drummer Hoodoo Voodoo How to Fight Loneliness I am Trying to Break Your Heart I Must Be High I Thought I Held You I'm Always in Love I'm the Man Who Loves You Is That the Thanks I Get It's Just That Simple Kamera Late Greats Less Than You Think Monday Muzzle of Bees Not for the Season Outta

This whole situation really reminds me of how hard it is for musicians and other artists to get access to affordable health care. I worry a great deal about my musician friends who can't get insurance through an employer and can't afford to buy their own insurance plans. I've seen too many injuries and illnesses go untreated or get ignored until someone ends up at Cook County Hospital in the emergency room. I also have a close friend who struggles with his pain killer dosage for the pain from coping with stage 4 sarcoma. The cancer is in his muscles, liver, lungs, spine and bones and is bre

With Wilco's busy schedule and all the time away from home, I'm guessing it's the time commitment rather than cost of travel that keeps these shows in the Chicago area. Jeff can fit them in while Wilco is on a break from touring since Jeff and Sue can just hop in the car and go, then be home later that evening. (Two members of our group were lucky enough to get a ride with Jeff and Sue this year. Pretty hilarious to have Jeff drive you somewhere, eh?) But who knows . . . Say if you know that Wilco will be touring in your area . . . and they have a little break in their schedule . . . who kno

Only 1 spot left on Tuesday nights if anyone wants to join. The Saturday session has plenty of space but sign up now if you wanna get in on it. If registration is low on Saturday, it might all just get rolled into one Tuesday night session. http://oldtownschool.org/classes/register/CourseDetail.php?course=3661 In the session that just ended we learned 6 songs off the new album and revisited some of the classics. Good times!

The Late Greats are getting ready to rock it out! Start thinking about your song choices for Wilco Karaoke! It's gonna be fun! Oh, and if anyone is interested, I could post our list of the songs we're prepared to play. (Of course, if anyone has a song they really, really want to sing that's not on the list, we might give it a shot if you're really nice to the band!)

A new session is about to begin and there are still some spots open! http://www.oldtownschool.org/classes/register/CourseDetail.php?course=3661

Hmmm, actually there are a few single dudes --not sure how many since I don't know the status of the new guys. Actually, the Old Town School can be quite the dating scene. There really should be a guide: "The Music Lover's Guide to Dating and the Old Town School" There are so many things to consider if you're hoping to find a special connection with fellow music lover there . . . The table of contents would look something like this . . . How do I pick the right instrument? Which musical genre will attract the type of people I'd like to meet? Which classes foster the best social sc

It was a blast. One member of our group sang "I'm the man who loves you," then dedicated it to his girlfriend, whom me met in class at the Old Town School. He asked her to come on stage . . . and well, long story short, we celebrated the second Wilco ensemble related engagement! Ah, the magic of making music together!

We discussed doing Hoodoo Voodoo and War on War. There were also requests for Company and I'm the Man. I think we're gonna try to get there by 6:30 to sort out the details and run the songs. Hope to see you there!

FYI, the first session of the new Jeff Tweedy ensemble was a blast and we're gonna play a couple of tunes at the Old Town School's First Friday festivities. Music starts at 7:30 at the Lincoln Ave location of the school. Rock on.

Photos from class? From First Friday?

I'm thinking there's a good chance that this class will run again. And since there will be a new Wilco album soon . . . that's more material to learn!

Cool! Hmmmmm, have we met? Do you know any of the usual suspects from the Wilco Ensemble or Bob's other groups (Bowie, Proto Punk)? And I nearly forgot it's First Friday this week. I'm really hoping that the Jeff Tweedy ensemble will play a couple of tunes with in the showcase of student groups! We'll only have one class under our belts, but with so many Wilco Ensemble alumni returning, it should be a piece of cake to get a couple tunes ready. First Friday is a good time! Couldn't hurt. (We have one fiddle player, but he also plays guitar and is working on keys.)

Six spots left in the Jeff Tweedy Ensemble for those who do want to be involved. And I suspect some of these will get snapped up between now and the first session this coming Saturday.

Yeah, it's gonna be sooooo fun. More cities need places like the Old Town School! It's an amazing institution and an amazing community.

Cool. I'll probably be playing keys and maybe a little acoustic guitar.

Yep, on one occasion Jeff has dropped in on one of Bob's classes at the school. These photos are actually from the most recent living room show with the Wilco ensemble. For the 4th year in a row, a Wilco ensemble member entered and won the letters to santa auction for a living room show with Jeff. The rest of the crew then contributed toward the cause. When Jeff heard that the group who'd won a living room show was the Wilco ensemble, he said he'd heard about us and he actually requested that we jam together in lieu of Jeff playing a solo show. He really seems to enjoy it every year and st

Yeah, it's quite a good deal really, particularly since classes run around 90 minutes. Also, this group tends to perform at the end of each session or every other session, so there are sometimes additional rehearsals outside normal class time for those who are interested. The Tuesday session is full, but there are currently 7 spots left for the Saturday session. I suspect that Tuesday night spots were snapped up by the usual suspects the moment the class was announced - the usual suspects being those who've previously been involved in the school's Wilco ensemble. Saturdays are likely to be