Magnetized

I’ve really enjoyed your show recaps, Vince. And I salute your intrepid road trip!

I seem to remember that Chris Kattan and his girlfriend were serenaded by Jeff at the Letters to Santa auction a few months ago.

And best liner notes for the YHF deluxe edition went to Bob Mehr, who wrote Trouble Boys about The Replacments.

Thanks for your tremendous reportage on these shows, sir! With your setlist and Lady Susan’s videography, I think we are covered for night 4 except for one thing. Who was the opener? It looked like Judd Apatow was backstage so I’m guessing it was him but can you confirm?

Great write up, as usual. Next best thing to being there. Fascinating to hear about the new song, both lyrically and the way he sang it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he shares it on Starship Casual at some point, but there’s nothing like hearing it for the first time in a setting like Largo. Keep ‘em coming!

Nice report, Vince. How did the unruly audience react to Anbulance? And how was the singing along to the more familiar songs?

I was also up front so hard to gauge the enthusiasm level elsewhere, but it seemed like there was more than usual singing along (accurately!) and great, warm crowd responses. A friend who was farther back and lived in New Orleans said she thought it was an especially receptive crowd, and Jeff seemed genuinely pleased and appreciative. It was an absolutely stellar set and I can’t wait for tonight!

I’m no Bbop but since I was there I’ll try to give you a flavor of this festival and Wilco’s setlist. It was a 3-day festival set in the Botanical Gardens in Memphis. Apparently the festival has morphed a bit. It used to known by another name and was held elsewhere in town, but they seem to have settled on Memphofest in this location. There were two stages, one larger than the other and not too far apart, and they alternated set times so theoretically you could have seen all the acts on the bill if you didn’t care where you stood. No chairs allowed, and it was a late festival running from arou

For anyone on Facebook, there’s a thread you might be interested in. https://www.facebook.com/groups/390889574423674/permalink/2256017774577502/

It’s always so interesting to read your take on things, Paul. I can’t wait to hear your further thoughts about the “Era of Good Feelings” and what you discern from Jeff’s specific reactions. I think we can assume (hope?) this Wilco era won’t devolve into chaos the way it did in the United States!

Hope all of our VC friends can join in a group photo shoot at Solid Sound. Meet under the WILCO letters at 4:00* (see correction below) on Saturday wearing your favorite Wilco or Tweedy Show gear. No RSVP needed but here’s a link to the Facebook event. https://fb.me/e/1N13T1oFQ ***Admin Edit from kidsmoke: Diane has advised me that the photo shoot time has been moved to 2:00 p.m. Everybody don your Wilco finery and come join us for a SSF 7 commemorative photo!!!

I wouldn’t say he was humbled by anything.

Boy, it was like a balm for the soul to read your recap, Paul. I wasn’t there last night but will be for the rest of the NY shows, and I was fuming after reading so many hateful/hurtful comments in the Facebook group. I was bitterly disappointed to see people expressing outrage and accusing Wilco of getting soft and lazy. How could they be so shortsighted and entitled? Your review put me in a better frame of mind, but I may never get over my negative feelings about some of the so-called “fans.”

I’ll be at all 5 shows. And very excited about spending all that time in sunny, warm Los Angeles too.

Oh my, where to start? I remember when I first signed up, following a Wilco show at a place in Tallahassee called The Moon. I had seen them a couple of times sporadically over the years but in this case I had just moved to Tallahassee for a new job and didn’t know anyone there and could not manage to get any of my new work friends to come with me to the show, so I went by myself. (Not for the first time and definitely not the last.) I came home so inspired and emotional that I just had to share my enthusiasm somewhere, so I did an extensive search for some kind of a Wilco group. [As an aside,

I’ll take that Moscow Mule! 🇷🇺🍹

I won’t be at the Wilco shows in LA 😕 but will be making up for that by going to all 5 shows at Largo! 😍 It’ll be my first time at this venue and I couldn’t be more excited. See you there, Donna!

Bböp’s recap is spot on as usual and greatly appreciated for the detailed documentation. What’s impossible to capture in words though is the fire and energy coming off that stage. Right from the get go when they launched into Bright Leaves it just felt like they were playing at their absolute peak and it took my breath away. Almost every song seemed to have extra juice and some, like Sunken Treasure, went places I can’t recall seeing them go before. Not to mention, the sound was perfect, I mean PERFECT, from the rail in between John and Pat. You don’t often get that kind of sound quality when

I assume this isn’t Swedish. But really, I haven’t got a clue what you’re getting at.

The editor in question is Jeff’s book editor, who clearly knows him well and is simpatico with his sensibilities and way of expressing himself. Jeff always has complex, original thoughts in interviews, etc., but he doesn’t always express them in the moment in a sound bite-ready way. A skilled editor can help a writer’s complex thoughts come across more clearly and concisely, while still retaining the unique “voice” of the writer.

Not trying to argue about your basic premise here, but the facts are wrong. The masks were made by a fan who lives in the LA area. He copied the design of the curtains and made the masks available for sale through the Tweedys, with all proceeds going to a Chicago-based charity.

The curtain design is discontinued.

Animal Farm? Too inscrutable for me.

It’s really hard to swallow, how people could be questioning Jeff’s decision to…gasp!…charge money to read and listen to exclusive content. After the totally free gift that has been the Tweedy Show for 200 episodes during the lockdown, after all the charitable projects he’s undertaken over the years, after performing free backstage shows and still refunding ticket prices for rained out shows, and after continuing to make some content free on his new substack, he has the temerity to actually want us to PAY for something he creates?? The nerve! It seems more than a bit churlish to w

I’ve been waiting for your show recap, Paul, because my friends and I were saying that that was the best show we’ve seen Wilco play on this tour. I always wonder if it’s just because it’s the most recent show that I’m all agog but your write up confirmed that it was a really special show indeed. One small bit of banter you didn’t mention was Jeff saying that this was the most exposure his haunches have had in a long time, I guess because his pants were also thoroughly soaked and clinging. He said “drink it up!” I don’t remember a livelier Spiders ever, or one with more