yankee

Hot, thanks!

I'm gonna get right one this one. Wanna work out some keyboard stuff for it!

Hot, thanks!

I'm gonna get right one this one. Wanna work out some keyboard stuff for it!

i just got the wilco songbook and its pretty much piano music which is a little disappointing since i got it for guitar. just has the chords above each measure. but i can play a tid bit of piano and was wondering what are some easy songs to learn first out of the book?

I play piano and I don't find the book very helpful in terms of playing the tunes on the keys (only had to glance at Groo's copy to decide the sheets I had were more helpful). It's not so much a real piano arrangement of the song as a simplified transcription of the vocal melody and chords. So it ends up sounding hokey of you try to play what's on the page on the piano.

That said, I think How to Fight Loneliness works really well on piano, and it's pretty easy. I don't use the book. I just kinda improvise the piano part using a sheet that shows just the chords . . .

Bm Bm A6 A6 G G F# F#

Bm Bm A6 A6

How to fight loneliness

G G F# F#

Smile all the time

Bm Bm A6 A6

Shine your teeth 'til meaningless

G G F# F#

Sharpen them with lies

Em Em A A

And whatever is going down

Em Em A

Will follow you around

Bbdim Bm Bm

That's how you fight loneliness

etc. . . . .

Just noodle around on based on those chords until you find something you like. It's pretty nice. Then if you can play along with someone on guitar, it really starts to sound like a proper song.

I can see how people would prefer to listen to just Jeff, but having been lucky enough to attend a few of these, I can tell you that seeing your friends getting to perform with Jeff, and Jeff being so gracious and generous to his fellow performers, is absolutely one of the coolest things about the night.

I've been to two of these (2006 and 2007) and got to play with Jeff at both. It was a blast! And from what I understand, playing together was actually Jeff's idea, since he found out that our group was the Wilco Ensemble from the Old Town School of Folk Music. He really seemed to have fun.

The Wilco class at the Old Town School is currently on break since we've covered all the regular albums, however, several of us will be performing Uncle Tupelo's Anodyne at the Hidden Cove Lounge (5336 N Lincoln in Chicago) this Friday at 6 p.m. So if you want to hear some live Uncle Tupelo covers, and hear more living room show stories, just come on over and listen in then chat with us after the show. If you get us started, I'm sure you'll hear lots of stories about how amazing it was and how cool Jeff and Susan are! :dancing

So, it says this book is for piano and guitar. What if you don't want to play the guitar part, will just a solo piano sound good or no?

Nope, playing this solo on piano as it's written would sound like a third grade piano recital version of the songs. Just the vocal melody with basic chords--not a real piano arrangement.

At best, the book could give you a sense of what the chords are, but you'd have to use those as a starting point for your own arrangement if you want to make it sound good. So it's really no more helpful for a piano player sheets with the just chords and lyrics.

But that's pretty much the case with every book like this that I've ever seen for rock and folk stuff.

Hi, I'm trying to figure it out on the piano (the band version)-can you tell me which inversion of the chords you are using-what's on top or what's on bottom, and do you have the rest of the song (like what happens in that instrumental bridge)? Thanks, John (I proposed to my wife trying to play that "accoustic" version but I'm still working on it!)

hmmmm, I haven't played it in a while. I'll have to look at it again. (Actually haven't looked at this board in months.)

Anyway, I've got to get ready to play some Wilco at a wedding coming up, so might as well take another look at this while I'm at it. If I can remember it, and figure out a way to explain it . . . I'll see what I can do.

One of the very best weeks of my life, too. Such a lot of good people, good music, and a great excuse to take the time to fall in love with Chicago. It's not often you hear someone say "Hey, I think it's up to 15 degrees now"!

Double digits! Hooray, let's go outside!

I only got tickets for Friday and I thought that show was great. I loved how they came out high-energy, guitars blazing on Friday with ELT. Also, Friday I was down on the floor with a bunch of people from the Old Town School Wilco Ensemble and we were hyper and pumped up--jumping up and down on some of the rockers, singing along when the rest of the crowd joined in, and just getting each other more and more pumped. It was so fun! The show ROCKED! "I'm glad I only got tickets for Friday," I thought, "cause that show was so great, nothing could top it. I don't think I could take any more excitement." Then around Sunday afternoon I started wishing I had gotten tickets to just one more show. I followed the set lists and talked to friends who went on other nights about which songs we were excited to hear live.

Then yesterday I got a call at about 4:30 p.m. from a friend who needed to unload 2 tickets due to a family emergency. Well, how could I not help a friend out in this situation?

I put out a call to my other diehard Wilco fan friends. A coworker who hadn't been able to get tickets immediately jumped on the chance to join me.

This time we were in the balcony, where we met up with another big crew from the Old Town School Wilco Ensemble. The experience was way more chill last night, but the music was INCREDIBLE. The first set was really mellow, and most people in the balcony sat through most of the show. I really wanted to stand up, but I restrained myself since there were people still sitting behind me. I waited until those behind me got up before standing. The crowd energy was way lower up there in the balcony, but the band sounded amazing.

Some highlights:

Just a Kid!!!! I had hoped to see this one live!! It's a fun giddy tune.

The drone kind of hurt my head at first, but had amazing layers of sound.

Blood of the Lamb was one I didn't know very well. It managed to be mellow and INTENSE at the same time, with Glen doing some really cool stuff with a driving rhythm and some chime looking things hanging from his drum stick. The layers of instrumentation were beautiful, and it had a strange ominous quality that reminded me of Tom Waits version of "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go."

You Are My Face is a favorite of mine, and it sounded awesome.

Pat was cracking me up with his rocker stances and windmills and such. Totally hilarious.

Seeing John sing while Jeff played bass and smiled. That was a rare experience!

I really tried to pay attention to what each member of the band was doing. Each and every member contributes so much to the total sound. They are all excellent musicians, and they together they create a beautifully blended sound. Each member plays just the right thing to enhance the song. For example, it's cool to see Nels put down the guitar and grab a tamborine for a song. Half of knowing what to play is knowing what not to play. The spaces between the notes matter too, and the band understands this.

Along those lines I sometimes wonder if Sky Blue Sky was an exercise in stripping songs down to their basic essence--pulling them back to just exactly what they need and letting them breath. Once you get to the bare bones of a thing, you can start fleshing it out again. Maybe the next album will be more lush and orchestral? Maybe with violin and horns?

OH, and one more highlight! Jeff said goodbye by saying, "let's do this again next year!" That would be awesome.

The macrame Obama owl:

MACRAME IS BACK!!! I was sitting next to a friend who's just out of college and she had no idea why I freaked when I saw that owl. I remember macrame being big when I was a kid in the 70s. These guys are bringin' it back, old school.

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to hear "Less Than You Think" and it totally blew me away. Fucking AMAZING song. What a show - what a residency. Can't say enough good things about it!!! I'll definitely be on a high for a few days.

 

Subtle highlight of the night: Tweedy apologizing for having to play "I Thought I Held You" and calling it "Total Dogshit - one of the worst songs ever."

yep, and shaking his head like "what was I thinking" when he sang the lyrics, "i'm like a songwriter . . . run out of metaphors"

When doors opened line was just west of alley on Lawrence- not bad- and line moved pretty quickly

dangerous windchill tonight and tomorrow!

I got a good spot Friday after showing up at 7:30 and not waiting in line at all.

Not front row, but near the front of the second level of the floor, house right.

I recommend showing up as doors open or showing up a little early and ducking into the pizza place across the street where you can grab a slice while keeping an eye on the line.

For those still thinking of lining up: Here's an update from the Chicago Tribune.

"... A Wind Chill Advisory has been posted for a large portion of

northern Illinois... generally along and north of Interstate 80...

As this cold... dense air mass moves southward tonight and

Wednesday... tempratures across the advisory area will drop below

zero. The colder air will be ushered in on northwest winds near 25

mph... which will lower wind chills into the 20 to 30 below zero

range late tonight and Wednesday morning.

Coldest temperatures and wind chills will be over the snow covered

areas of north central Illinois... and the north and west suburbs

of Chicago.

A Wind Chill Advisory means that very cold air and strong winds

will combine to generate low wind chills. This will result in

frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

If you must venture outdoors... make sure you wear a hat and

gloves."

I walked in at 7:30 Friday without waiting in line at all. We killed time at the Green Mill until the line had cleared up. We weren't in the very front row, but we near the front of the second level of floor space, house right of the sound guy, so we could see and hear just fine. (Thankfully, the tall people around us were kind enough to position themselves so that us shorties could see around or between them.)

p.s.

I AM SO SICK OF WINTER IN CHICAGO!!!!! January and February are the WORST! Every February, I consider moving somewhere warmer. Then spring comes and the city is great the rest of the year.

Plus, it's funny to see how excited everyone gets on the first day we can all put on short sleeves and sit at sidewalk cafes or go to the beach! It's like a city-wide reunion as everyone emerges from hibernation and celebrates! If you're in town for the residency and haven't been to Chicago when it's warm, I hope you'll come back sometime see how the place transforms!

Nels rocks so hard. Every single member of the band sounded great, in fact. And they sound amazing together.

I love this lineup!!!!!!

AMEN.

Just got to say again. . . OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! I had so much fun!!!!!!!!

I was with a big group from the Old Town School of Folk Music's Wilco Ensemble and we were totally wound up. I have to admit, we weren't the quietest of fans, but we mainly limited our talking to stuff like,

Can you believe that freaking guitar solo?????

Check it out, Jeff played that guitar at the living room show!

Banjo! Yes!!!

DAMN, can you believe we know how to play every song they've done tonight? We've really learned a lot of songs!

Wow, that's a sweet version of that song. We should definitely work out that arrangement and try it out!

Listen! Here comes my favorite bass riff! OH YEAH!!! Hot!

Bob, can we play a show where we play this exact set list???

Oh, and we did shut up and listen quietly during the quiet songs, and cheer like crazy for the more obscure songs.

We also did some singing along, but tried to limit it to times when it seemed appropriate. It was actually beautiful when the crowd joined in and sang along with some of the songs. Jeff said, "You're good singers! Keep it up!" after one that everyone joined in on.

Oh, and I've got to say, I think our entire corner couldn't resist jumping up and down like maniacs during some of the rockin' songs!! We were totally pumped up.

In summary, holy crap! This show rocked SO HARD! It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

well, i know there will be at least one smoker, joker and midnight toker in the room.

:rotfl

But - and I'm sure a part of it was just because of where I was standing - I felt that a fair portion of the audience was downright rude.

Yeah, what kind of jerk would want to go to a Wilco show? Wilco fans suck. Each and every one of them. Only jackasses go to see that band.

Oh, and AMAZING show by the way. I had so much fun!!!!!!!

Alright, so what should I expect out of you'll? Two hours pre-showtime? First thing in the morning, camping out front all week to save on hotels? I know a few nuts on here who will probably be there way, way early. Will you gauge it day by day based on the weather? Looking forward to seeing and meeting many of you'll. I know no one in Chicago, so a few buddies would be nice. Talk to everyone soon, Greg

I'm gonna show up shortly after doors open. I don't like standing in line.

Instead of the Loft, why not visit some other Chicago celebrity houses?

Barack Obama's house! See how nervous you can make the Secret Service agents parked outside...

 

Hey, one of my coworkers lives next door to Barack (he filmed is holiday greeting in her living room). There's definitely plenty of secret service in the neighborhood, and not just parked outside in obvious places.

I'm sure lots of people on this board know the location of the loft. Even though I assume people just ask out of curiosity, I think it's cool that people seem cautious about sharing this information. Jeff and the other guys are so accessible, but if fans bug them too much, they might get more distant. Giving them some space actually brings them closer to their fans, you might say.

Wilco

Nov. 2006 Barrymore theater, Madison WI

Nov. 2006 Auditorium theater, Chicago, IL

soon 1 more at the Riv.

Jeff solo

1 time in 2006

Jeff living room show with the Old Town school Wilco Ensemble:

2 times: 2006 and 2007

Autumn Defense:

1 time at Schubas in Chicago

1 time at Martyrs in Chicago (talked to John after the show. he was cool.)

Nels and Glen: 1 time in Chicago

Ok I realise this is not to do with the passes..but I'm not starting a whole topic for one question that I had about Residency. Anyone been to the Riviera could tell me what they have at the bar? Anyone? Thanks!

The bar is totally uninspiring. Overpriced beers in small cups, and a very limited selection (think $5 a can of Bud Light). I think there are also mixed drinks--also overpriced, low quality, and in little plastic cups.

Most concert mid sized to large venues in Chicago are pretty limited in terms bar selection. I was shocked when I went to the Wilco show at the Barrymore in Madison and discovered they were serving good local brews in large cups for a reasonable price.

But there are no songs on SBS that evoke an emotional response.

the part on Either Way when the music builds and then goes quiet and breaks through like sunshine after rain on the last time it says "maybe the sun will shine today. . . " that gets me every time.

Also, You Are my face, when it gets all intense on "i have no idea why this happens . . . happenstance has changed my plans so many times . . . ." I dig that part too.

Oh, and the chorus on Sky Blue Sky gets me too.

I tend to skip What Light and On and On and On and sometimes I'm just not in the mood for Shake it Off.

YHF is the only album that I tend to listen too without skipping any songs--but I've listened to that album SO MANY times, I'm giving it a little rest.

I'd say I like about 90% of all Wilcos songs. That's about as high as a percentage as any artist gets for me. With some artists, I'm content to buy one song on iTunes.

If Wilco not evolving into its current incarnation meant that it would end up like Farrar/Son Volt (keeping pretty much the same sound, with each new album sounding more and more like a pale imitation of the last), then I'm glad things have worked out the way they have. I saw Jay live a few years ago, and it was one of the most boring shows I've ever been seen

Yeah, I agree. I saw Son Volt about a year and a half ago, and I've never been so bored at a show! But if you want to listen to a band that just creates the same album (and I'd argue, the same SONG) over and over, go listen to them.

I'm glad the Wilco hasn't stayed stuck in the A.M. and Being There sound. I love those albums, but I don't need to own lots of albums from one band if every album sounds the same. I like Wilco's new stuff, and their changing sound has kept me interested in the band.

That said, it's not like I'm all Wilco all the time (although I have had those phases). Got to mix it up a little! Listen to anything constantly and it starts to get old.

i'll take Gun or Wait Up anyday

The Wilco Ensemble is working on Gun and is planning to perform it this Friday at the Old Town School on Lincoln! I'm not in the class this session, but just heard the news from the group's drummer.

It's "First Friday" at the Old Town School this week, which is sort of an open house with a showcase of student groups, and open jam sessions going on in various rooms. It's a lot of fun! If you ever thought of trying out a class at the Old Town School, it's a fun chance to drop in and see what goes on.

The Wilco ensemble will play a couple of tunes in the student ensemble showcase in the main auditorium.

Nice! See you all...well, maybe by the end of the year.

 

The first thing I did after I started the class was print out a bunch of Wilco tabs

Awesome! Keep on practicing and maybe we'll be seeing you in future sessions!

I think we also did the Ruling Class, but I may be wrong, yankee?

Oh yeah, we totally did Ruling Class. I think we learned that about 2 years ago?