Magnetized

Oh that was an upsetting debate. Romney appeared so much stronger than Obama it made me sick. I know it's bullshit-- just say everything should be pushed back to the states and the federal government should get out of it and somehow the free market economy will make everything all right-- but perception counts for so much. I'm hoping that the analysts and fact checkers will bring some much needed perspective to all of this. It just boils down to a difference in world view. Basically, I'm truly stunned and frankly horrified at how well Romney came off in this debate, if you don't think about

I had a ticket for Adam Ant. But I'm watching the debates and eating Thai food instead. I think that will turn out to have been the right decision.

The only time I've heard it was at the 3/30/2012 Tweedy solo charity show in Chicago--the first night of the 2-night stand. A friend I was with sent me an audience taping, which I love. I assume it's available for download at one of the usual sites, but I can't ever seem to figure out how to do that. I'm not aware of it having been played anywhere else--maybe one of the living room shows? If anyone is truly dying to hear this and if you can't find the recording anywhere else, send me a PM and I'll burn a copy for you.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Crow. You've written a very moving tribute to both of your parents--you've done them proud. From what you have posted before about your son it sounds like you're following in your dad's footsteps.

In reading the reviews from the Hollywood Bowl show, I saw a reference to a blog entry from the LA Times Pop & Hiss music blog (10/11/2011) that I didn't remember reading before. If this has already been posted, moderators, feel free to delete, or move to another thread. http://latimesblogs....al-history.html I found this fascinating, and I remember being struck by the song when Jeff played it at the solo benefit shows at the end of March. He made a comment that there's no way we were going to recognize it (requested by Brianna) but that this was how it all started. Then he sang what was

I feel certain that that's what's what's going on in At Least That's What You Said. As much as I love lyrics, they're almost beside the point in this song. I think the music tells the story of the doomed relationship, the hurt, the anger, the pain and regret, and the eventual denouement. This song just kills me.

That is exactly how I feel. And that is almost exactly what I did say and do when I met Jeff Tweedy. And, to a lesser degree, when I've met the other guys. You expressed my sentiments perfectly. Are you sure you're not just my more articulate alter ego??

Ditto. I'm always interested in the after the show threads, and I always appreciate bbop's impeccable setlist reporting plus any comments he chooses to post. Plus everyone else's input of course.

Jack White tonight at Charlottesville Pavilion tonight. Wonder if we'll get the all girl or all boy backing band?

Out of all the memorable lines that Jeff Tweedy has penned, I think this is my favorite. It's so relevant to how I relate to the experiences that life has to offer, and especially to music, and more specifically live music, and even more specifically, to a Wilco concert. I LIVE for those precious hours when I'm just swept up in the moment and overwhelmed with the magnificence of it all. (Please forgive the gushing--I just saw my last Wilco shows of the year in Berkeley and am still kind of floating.) So the short answer is, yes, it will be okay for at least those few hours, and why should yo

Thanks for the setlist, Paul. I really loved this show. It seemed like one for the fans. Sunken Treasue was amazingly good, and Radio Cure and Wishful Thinking and Magazine--I can never hear those enough. It seemed like a lot of thought went into the pacing of this show. A really nice, dreamy mood. I was too close to the front to tell how well it was going over with the audience at large, though. What is a heavenly setlist for a hardcore Wilco geek might seem insufficiently rockin' for more casual fans. I thougbt Jeff in particular seemed like he was having a loose, fun time. Can't wait

Sounds great! What a kickoff to your run of shows.

Dying to see a setlist or report from this show. C'mon, Santa Feans!

There's a new one called The New Normal that looks horrible so far. But maybe it's just trying too hard and will settle in. I'll give it this much--there's a kid on there who does a spot-on Little Edie (from Grey Gardens) impersonation.

The original British The Office Runners up (in no particular order) Freaks and Geeks The Sopranos Arrested Development Mad Men Breaking Bad

Wow. This blows me away. Really, you don't think character is important? I honestly don't mean that in any kind of a disrespectful way, but I don't think anything is MORE important. For one thing, we can't foresee what kinds of events will come up in the next 4 years, and I want to have confidence that our president has integrity and a strong moral compass--both of which are elements of character. If he doesn't have those things, he won't have good advisors or they will quickly lose respect for him. Same with relations with Congress. Same with the selection of Supreme Court justices. No one

There was a good, balanced discussion of the issues on the Diane Rehm (sp?) show on NPR this morning. They used the Chicago strike as a jumping off point but also had people representing other cities, academia, etc., all weighing in. I think it's available online via NPR's website. As with most complex problems, there don't seem to be easy answers to the questions about how to measure teacher effectiveness.

Let's look for a definition of "fan," shall we? As Nigel Tufnel said, "it's a fine line between clever and stupid." Perhaps the same applies between fan and stalker. Following someone's blog is not stalking.

Right. I'm a creep, remember?

Spencer is 16 and does go to a public high school in Chicago. I recommend his blog to anyone interested in following the development of a young artist. He's a musician and photographer but it seems to me that his real strength lies in writing. He has interesting things to say and he conveys them really well. Edit: Sorry to get OT.

Here's what Spencer Tweedy had to say about it: http://spencertweedy.com/ My teachers are on strike My teachers are on strike, and that’s sad. It’s sad for teachers, because they want to teach. They like teaching; that’s why they became a teacher. They’re not striking because they just can’t stand being a facilitator of growth in kids. They’re on strike because that’s what they love to do, and they want to do it in a system that is less broken. It’s sad for teachers, because many of them can hardly get by on what they’re unfairly paid now, and missing one week’s (or two weeks’, or three’

I don't think that's the point. I think the Democratic party was trying to acknowlege the complexity of Middle East politics by not including the "Jerusalem is the capital" plank in its platform, and it feels like a wussy move to have reinstated it. But that's politics. It's probably not realistic to think you can get reelected if you are seen as anything other than totally pro-Israel. Acknowledging that it's a complicated situation with merits on both sides does not exactly translate in a soundbite-driven political arena. So, as with many other issues, pragmatism trumps messy, complicated tru

Perfectly stated, in my opinion.

He does, though! Well, maybe not flowers exactly, but noticeably clean and fresh as a daisy. After stalking the poor man for years, I finally got a chance to get a hug from him this summer and I was honestly struck by how good he smelled! This was in the afternoon, though, not post-show. No matter what, he's always the boy with the poetry powers.

I've posted this before somewhere, but for me it was Herman's Hermits and the Rolling Stones--a triple bill with somebody else I don't remember, back in 1965. This was early in the British Invasion and it was in Virginia Beach, VA. I was 15. But here's the kicker--Herman's Hermits were the headliner! The Stones played just before them, and I wish to god I could remember who the first band was.