FixedBayonet

Speaking of the Wiggles, about seven or eight years ago when Wilco first came to Australia (the Leroy Bach line-up), they played at the Big Day Out. I was standing next to Murray from the Wiggles as Wilco came out on stage and Jeff Tweedy spotted him and said, "It's a pleasure to play in front of you, sir!" to which Murray Wiggle replied, "The pleasure's all mine, mister Tweedy!" The audience got a real kick out of it. I then of course read or heard something a little later about how Jeff dug the Wiggles because he used to play them for his boys when they were younger. I reckon my anecdote mus

Funny you should ask. Lately, I've been revisiting Steely Dan in a big way (which I haven't done since I was a teenager which was before Wilco were conceived of) and I'm hearing a great deal of their influence on Tweedy's songwriting, from the arrangements (keyboard motifs, guitar solos that are afforded their own melody structure and even time signature changes) to the at-times oblique lyrics. Obviously the Beatles, Stones, Placemats etc but another set of influences I hear creeping in are Can, Fleetwood Mac (the Buckingham/Nicks pop years rather than the Peter Green years) and King Crimson

I live in Sydney, Australia in a suburb called Enmore, which is where Wilco has played the last two times they've been here (at the Enmore Theatre). It seems like everyone I know knows the band. I've been following since Uncle Tupelo days, and have done my best to turn folks onto them. I remember a couple of years ago, my mom and dad popped around and my mom says, "Oh, that band that you like, they were on television last night. It was a black and white documentary about them." I was gobsmacked. "Your father and I really enjoyed it. That Jeff seems like a funny man." I've turned numerous g/fs

I just finished listening to the whole dealy. Hell, it's GOOD. Nice concert. JT was really whipping the crowd into an involvement frenzy. He actuallyasked them to clap along. Not sure what to make of THAT... Right, it's lunch time here in Sydney, Australia. Time to nosh.

Yep, word to that, Froggy. I've been having anxiety attacks for nearly 30 years and was only diagnosed with it ten years ago. Straight onto Xanax. And I also have migraines. In fact, I was having one last night but thought, f**k it, I'll push on through. Glad I did. I was able to go home after the Enmore show (which was awesome but during which my iPod battery died after 25 minutes of recording - eeep). Cue more anxiety. Anyway, there's always been something in the way the guitar sounds on AGIB have reminded me of having an anxiety attack. Now I figure I'm not talking out of my hat. Stupi

I think they'll be on at 8.30 til 910. I won't be finishing work until 8pm anyway, so I'll probably be there a bit late. Truth be told, I don't really care for them. Trust me to work hard against the prevailing winds of coolsyness in the indie scene. I was in a band when I was 16 too. And we weren't very good either but no one gave us a deal.

Alright. Only one more sleep til I get to see Wilco again for the third time in less than a year. Tomorrow night at the Enmore Theatre then off to Byron Bay on Thursday afternoon to see them play again. Thank you Jebus. I will try to record show with fancy new iPod recording dingle thingo. Offer made. Cannot guarantee quality!

The doyen of rock critics has become dismissive, irrelevant and prone to generalisation, just like every other rock critic. Seriously tho', how does it all become so literal that we can simply interpret Mr Tweedy's private life by reading anything we damn well like into his lyrics? Pretentious tweet? Wha'? What does it even MEAN? God, I hate critics now. Even Christgau. And by the way, how DO you pronounce his surname? Krist-gow? Christ-gow? Cris-co? Please help.

Buenos dias, senor! Muchas gracias por el Wilco notificacion! Pardon my atrocious espanol and thanks for posting this. Great news. Give my regards to Espana!

Hunh? I ordered a cheeseburger.

And I DO mean 'noramlly'. Because I'm a large, hairy, tattoed man and I have urges. And not all of them are 'noraml'. Or normal for that matter. I had a Wilco ticket going spare in Sydney and do you think I could get one of our sistren to come along? Nuh uh. I had to take a fellow instead. As much as I hate making out with men, it was a good night in all. And I DO mean 'noramlly'. Because I'm a large, hairy, tattoed man and I have urges. And not all of them are 'noraml'. Or normal for that matter. I had a Wilco ticket going spare in Sydney and do you think I could get one of our sistren to c

Pee in a cup? That's a bit... specialised isn't it? Noramlly it costs a lot more than dinner and a Wilco ticket to get a lady to do THAT. Or maybe I'm just not meeting the right kinds of women...

Personally, I hope he gets a root.

Yup - his band, formerly known as Clover, backed up EC on his very first album.

In the scheme of things, it seems like writing an 'open' letter to Jeff is not a bad idea necessarily. We're all aware that he's aware of the existence of this board, and has even commented on it numerous times. But somehow it still seems like a cheap shot. Jeff's personal life is, like it or not, still his business. He's been talking about the rehab thing quite a bit, I agree. But I fail to see how that should cheapen the experience of the music. Clearly, in the roiling undertow of AGIB I can hear the unease of his interior life - to a DEGREE. However, the songwriter is always guarded about t