yankee

I just started Guitar 1 at the Old Town School - how good do I have to get before I can join the Wilco Ensemble?

Cool!

Wait until you get at least through with guitar 3 and are comfortable with bar chords and have a basic grasp of fingerboard theory. Otherwise, you'd be totally lost.

But with guitar 1 under your belt, you're on your way! You'll be able to strum some of the basic Wilco tunes in no time!

so after getting linked to this thread, I'm now booked at the Rock n Roll Days Inn... psyched!

It's gonna be packed with Wilco fans!

i just can't imagine having a conversation with jeff, i wouldn't know what to say and would feel like such a dork. i know he is very approachable, down to earth and nice to his fans (thats one of the reasons i love him so much) but i am such a fan and i know my stomach will be in knots but i think i will be able to at least ask for a picture and maybe sign something.

I've had a couple of conversations with him. He was totally cool and interesting. I'm sure I babbled like a fool, but he was really nice and funny. The crazy thing was, the second time I met him, I introduced myself and he said, "Sure, I remember you." (Meaning he remembered me from a previous living room show I assume.)

I've talked to John too. At first he seemed just slightly bothered when I went to say hi to him after an Autumn Defense gig (he was with friends), but he lit up with I asked about the cool bass he'd been playing and told me about the instrument.

Anyway, just be polite and wait for a good moment to ask, and you'll be cool. Jeff's totally nice about taking pictures with fans.

This was in an email I received not long ago from USA Today, about good restaurants that won't break the bank. I've been to exactly none of them.

Milk and Honey is good and very busy on weekends. There are two. The one on Division is more of a sit down place with a bigger menu. The one on Damen near the Damen blue line stop is more like a place to grab a coffee and a muffin. The baked goods aren't exactly cheap (probably a bit more expensive than the stuff at the Starbucks across the street) but they are REALLY good!

The place on Division would be a great brunch spot, if you don't mind waiting for a table. They have good sandwiches. I wouldn't say it's cheap (sandwiches run $7 to $8.50 or so) but it won't break the bank. Since I work near there, I just have to resist going regularly for lunch.

For a really cheap lunch, our office practically uses Sultan's Market (on North just west of Damen) as our work cafeteria. You can't beat a $3 felafel sandwich, or curry rice for $2. They can throw a couple pieces of felafel on top of the rice for an extra buck or so. Just get off the blue line at Damen and walk west a couple of blocks on North.

Oh, from the Damen stop, you can also explore Wicker Park. There are plenty of funky shops, boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars in the area. For pizza and house micro brew beers, check out Piece on North Ave, just east of Damen.

For dinner, Lula's in Logan Square is good, but there are plenty of places in the same price range that are as good or better. I'd go there if you're in Logan Square, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. There's not a whole lot to do in Logan Square, so unless you're staying with friends in the neighborhood, it's not much of a destination. I used to live there and usually ended up hanging out in Wicker Park on weekends.

I'd go for Fatal Wound and Wherever.

I'll go back and listen to those. I'm a lot more familiar with Wilco stuff than the UT stuff. When I do listen to UT, I find that my favorite tunes are all Jeff's tunes.

You dudes ever play Fatal Wound? That's probably my favorite Jeff UT song.

I think the only UT songs we've done are Acuff-Rose, New Madrid and We've Been Had.

Although some of the ensemble members know how to play Gun and a bunch of other UT songs.

We've played Just a Kid at the Old Town School, and we tried Hey Chicken, but never quite got the rhythm right on that one.

The ensemble has now gone through every regular Wilco album, and performed them all. With each album, the material gets more challenging!

yeah, i found it on half.com a while back and it is of no help whatsoever. you're better off just learning the tunes by ear - it'll be better for you in the long run as a musician anyways.

 

it was really obviously transcribed by a piano player who has no interest in wilco whatsoever, and all you get are chord shapes, no tab. i thought it would be helpful to learn some of jay / mikael / pat's tasty keys parts, but it is really a crappy book. my 0.02 USD.

I borrowed a copy from a friend just to check it out. I play piano, and I don't think it's any more useful for piano than it is for guitar. It's just the basic melody and some chords. It's nothing like the keyboard parts on the actual songs.

At best, I'd say the book can get you started on figuring out the songs. But the tabs and chord sheets I've seen people post on this site are generally better that what you'd get in the book. I tend to just use the chord sheets as a guide, then listen to the recordings a million times and try to pick out what the keys are doing.

How in good gods name do i tune to this= F# A D F# A E .THis is like reading chinese to me! Any help would be much appreciated.Thanks

I've heard of drop D and open G tunings, but what's this tuning? And what song is it used for?

Audo from last year's show was streamed over bittorrent without objection from the Tweedys. I assume it will happen again this year. But seriously, the best way to see it is to befriend someone who was there. I guarantee they will show you their performance repeatedly until you puke.

 

Many thanks, again, to Steph and the other "old timers" who gave up their spots so the "newbies" could have a chance. You guys are saints.

 

Oh, and speaking of photos...

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014...amp;id=54300398

I'm glad the new guys could get a chance! Looks like you all had a blast!

I feel lucky I've been able to do it twice!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

has anyone tried green zebra? i hear that's a high end veggie place?

So 4 out of the 9 steps involve beer. Can you like buy the beers but not actually drink one yerself. Or maybe buy real beers for the "oldtimers" and drink root beer yerself . . . I mean, I could probably drink a non-alcoholic beer cept they're for non-alcoholics . . . maybe you could grandfather a clause for wharf rats . . .

 

i mean, shit, we got 12 steps and only the first half of the first step involves alcohol . . .

yep, substituting root beer, diet coke, or whatever, for beer in any of the recommended steps is totally acceptable.

chisoxjtrain boiled it down just right. sign up, bring some enthusiasm for the tunes, and play well with others, and you'll be a regular member of the crew before you know it.

oh, i'd only add that you've gotta be able to play an instrument.

Does anyone here have an opinion of the Chicago Diner? Last time I was in Chicago (for NYE 2006) my girlfriend and I tried to go there but it was totally packed and there were lots of people waiting to get in - which I took as a good sign. Since both she and I are vegetarians (I'm actually vegan - gasp!) I'm interested in checking the place out while we're in town for the Residency. Any reviews of the place/menu would be appreciated.

haven't been to the chicago diner in years, but recall it being OK. the main appeal was the all veggie menu.

blind faith cafe in evanston is good, but it's in evanston (first suburb directly north of the city).

heartland cafe has basic, but tasty vegan options, but again, pretty far north (almost to evanston)

i really loved amitabul (veggie and vegan korean) when they were on southport, but haven't been since they moved way out to the northwest side of the city. don't even know if they survived out there.

i love the all veggie indian places, but there, the vegan thing is gonna be a problem.

OK so I just "stumbled" onto this thread and I am burning with envy! WOW! At the same time I feel happy for the people who were there and the lovely people who made it happen. I know the only people who get a copy of the show are the people who were there ......but...........maybe?........ ?.......(reality)..........

I was at the last 2 Wilco Ensemble living room shows but not this most recent one. I figured it was time to let some of the new ensemble members get the chance, so I joined several other ensemble "old-timers" who gave up their spots to make room for the newbies. (There's a limit of 30 people for these things.) And yes, while I feel it was the right thing to do, it was a painful decision.

Anyway, we have a professional AV guy in our group, an independent film maker, and a sound technician so we're lucky to have a great record of the events, edited beautifully and everything.

But sorry, no can share. Everybody has been really good about not letting the videos leak out. We promised Jeff, and we don't want to be jerks.

We can share photos. And maybe the audio. (Passenger, is the audio going to be shared?)

However, there might be a way. I'd say your best chance of seeing these videos is to follow these steps:

1. Learn to play an instrument (if you don't already play one. )

2. Move to Chicago

3. Sign up for the Wilco ensemble at the Old Town School of Folk Music

4. Buy beers for the long time members of the group

5. Go out for beers with the group after class.

6. Sign up for another (8 week) session (You must prove your dedication by showing up for more than one session before the old timers will accept you as one of the clan.)

7. Buy more beers for the old timers

8. Go out for more beers with the crew after class and get to know people

9. Ask about the living room show, and someone will most likely invite you over to see the DVD. Most of us have forced all of our friends to watch the stuff from previous years over and over and over. . . .

Actually, even if you don't care about the seeing DVD, I'd recommend following these steps!

Hmmmmm, perhaps there is a reason that the other Old Town School groups like the Grateful Dead Ensemble call the Wilco Ensemble the Wil-Cult. . . .

Of course, we call them "those dirty hippies."

(Kidding of course. I love those dirty hippies. )

Sure it's not the 20% A/V beers you've been drinking at Hopleaf?

Yeah, those are some STRONG beers. Gotta be careful with those.

thought id drop some recommendations in that haven't been mentioned.

 

Sushi

Matsuya

3469 N Clark St

 

Kopi is a great veggie coffee house (all kinds of sandwiches), A little taste of heaven is great (best for breakfast or dessert though). THe area is known as Andersonville and there is probably a restaurant within a mile of clark and foster to satisfy any food desire. If your looking to get your drink on the Hop Leaf has a great selection of beer.

I second those recommendations. Reza's and Andie's on Clark near Foster are also great for middle eastern food and have nice vegetarian combo meals. MMMmmmmmmm

Hop Leaf is one of my 2 favorite Chicago bars for beer selection. The other one is The Map Room on Armitage in Bucktown.

Oh, and in case you care, all Chicago bars are now smoke-free! (Smoke makes my head hurt.)

Ear Wax Cafe, if it still exists, had the best veggie burger i've ever eaten and has killer breakfast as well.

Yep, Ear Wax Cafe is still there. I work right around the corner and had the black bean burger a couple of weeks ago. Comes with avacado and salsa on top. YUM.

How ridiculous would this song be live?? Hope they break it out!!!

I've played it live with Jeff. A group of us played it with him at one of the living room shows last year. It was a blast, and Jeff was totally getting into it. We had lots of pedals and noise. Good times!

I've heard that Jeff Tweedy likes to eat at Feed.

 

See, Wilco-related.

I read somewhere that Jeff likes Tank Sushi on Lincoln Ave. right next to the Old Town School of Folk Music! I'd say it's not the best sushi in the city, but it is good, and the staff is friendly.

I'd agree with the Sushi Wabi recommendation. It's delicious, and the place feels like a nightclub inside.

I lived in Japan for a couple of years, so I also like the old school stuff. (You wouldn't see a California roll or a salmon and cream cheese roll in Japan.) My favorite Japanese restaurant in the city is Itto Sushi on Halsted in Lincoln Park (across from Guitar Center). It's more like a casual izakaiya type place, with a big selection of small dishes you can share, a good sushi menu, and some other options. It doesn't have the dark, trendy night club feel of places like Sushi Wabi, but it's the only place I've been to in the city where the staff speaks Japanese. (Most of the Chicago region's Japanese residents live out in the northwest suburbs these days.)

If you're looking for other options downtown, a few of my favorites (not sushi anymore here):

Moto

945 W. Fulton Market

312-491-0058

Expensive, but mind blowing, cutting-edge sci-fi cuisine in the trendy West Loop restaurant row. And the wine director is a Wilco fan!

Cafe Iberico

739 N. La Salle St.

312-573-1510

Great tapas and sangria with a fun, rather noisy atmosphere.

Frontera Grill/ Topolobampo

445 N. Clark St.

312-661-1434

Upscale Mexican cuisine from celebrity chef Rick Bayless. They don't take reservations, so arrive early.

Pizzeria Uno (or Due)

29 E. Ohio St.

312-321-1000

No visit to Chicago would be complete without some serious deep dish pizza.

Anyone ever been to this place? I haven't, and I hear that it's expensive, but as a carnivore I'm intrigued.

I don't eat red meat, but was dragged along for a friend's birthday once. I did the salad bar only option (still $35 or something like that), and had more than enough tasty stuff to choose from. The meat did look excellent if you're a carnivore, and my meat-lover friends had fun trying lots of different things.

But I'd say you've got to plan on eating a LOT of food to get your money's worth at this place--be ready to go all Homer Simpson on the meat, and don't fill up on cheap stuff like bread.

However, if you don't have a huge appetite, you could probably get your fill elsewhere for less money. (I'm only little, so all-you-can-eat places are never a value for me.)

I've also heard good things about Tango Sur for steak.

Welllll, since we're on the topic of restaurants in Chicago, I am very very very open to suggestions on where to spend Thursday (Valentine's Day! ) with my boyfriend, as we'll be arriving early that evening. We'd love to have dinner downtown or uptown to celebrate our favorite city, favorite band, and favorite people (each other) ~ doesn't have to be fancy, outrageous or expensive, mainly just some freakin' awesome food!

 

Anyway, any direction would be great! Thanks! OH YEAH AND I FORGOT TO MENTION HOW EXCITED I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :rock

Any favorite types of food that you like or a general budget? I tons of recommendations but don't know where to begin.

And, great eats in the area too. I've been meaning to try the curry puffs at Thai Grocery; Time Out Chicago just rated them among the 100 best dishes of the past year.

Totally. No need to be afraid in Uptown, just use reasonable precautions. The area is interesting and diverse. And there's plenty of good Asian food. Furama just north on Broadway has good Dim Sum at brunch/lunch time. The places around Argyle and Broadway offer lots of southeast Asian options. And if you feel like venturing even a little farther north, head to my hood, Rogers Park (Oh yeah! What up in the RP???!!!)

Walk along Devon around Devon and Western and you'll have your pick of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. YUMMMM! My favorites:

Udupi Palace

2543 W. Devon Ave.

All vegetarian, south Indian cuisine

BYOB (last time I checked, anyway)

Tiffin

2536 W. Devon Ave.

Meat and veg dishes,

A slightly more "upscale" Indian restaurant with more atmosphere than most of the places on this strip

lunch buffet on weekends

full bar

Hema's Kitchen

6406 N. Oakley Ave. (they also have a Lincoln Park location at 2411 N. Clark St.)

Cozy place with home style meat and veg Indian dishes.

BYOB

Then stop into Patel Brothers grocery on Devon just west of Tiffin to stock up on spices, dahl, basmati rice and all that.

And leave the Uptown SRO's to the sociologists and Bukowski fans. Find somewhere with fewer roaches and bedbugs okay??

 

LouieB

Yes, I think we locals are trying to say that the single room occupancy hotels near the Riv are used mainly by people who would otherwise be in homeless shelters. The SROs aren't for tourists or travelers. People LIVE there, and some of the residents are probably homeless between their stays at the SROs. Or they're in jail. Or they're in a mental institution.

If that's not your scene, definitely stay somewhere else. And really, I don't know of any decent, normal hotels in the area immediately around the Riv.

If you're really on the cheap, a youth hostel would be a better, cleaner, and safer bet. There's a big international hostel downtown near the Art Institute. Otherwise, that Lincoln Park Days Inn is a good idea too.

It was 65 degrees here yesterday!

true, but who knows what it will be like in Feb.

thanks louieB cant wait .. I will visit a couple CHICAGO FIRE stations as I am a LA county fireman..

 

looking very forward to the shows .. I hear nothing but great things about CHICAGO..

I hope you have fun and won't be too put off by our Feb. weather. That's the time of year I always start to think about moving someplace warmer. then spring comes just in time and Chicago is awesome again.

He can always move it up the street or to the other side

Yep. I would tend to park my car in the West Loop, check the signs carefully, and maybe stop back once during the week to check on it or move it.

However, before taking my advice, you might want to note that I have a 1995 Accord that has been brought back from the brink of "totaled" 5 times. (This car has been rear-ended twice, sideswiped by a crazy driver in a big van, backed into at a red light by a driver who didn't realize she was in reverse, and last but not least, it was stolen, smashed up in a chase with police, then recovered.) It looks rough, but runs well.

So I really don't worry when I park on the street and come back to discover a new scratch on the bumper or a new ding on the door. I'm just glad when it's still there, I don't have any parking tickets, and all the windows are in tact,. (Yeah, I've also had a window smashed while parked on the street in Wicker Park.)

But if you love your car and don't want any dings on it, you might be better off coughing up the money for secure parking or just leaving your car at home.