unifiedtheory

Thanks, everyone! On the jazz side of things I also love An Oscar Peterson Christmas and Kenny Burrell's Have Yourself a Soulful Christmas. And another recent favorite to add: Khruangbin's dreamy, funk-inflected cover of Guaraldi's Christmas Time is Here.

Happy holidays, VCers! I'm on the hunt for some fresh holiday music, looking specifically for things that are slightly off the snow-tromped path. What are some of your favorites? To stoke the fire I'll offer a few favorites of my own: the album Quality Street by Nick Lowe and the song The Week Between by Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick. Recordings of past Aimee Mann Christmas shows are also a staple in our house this time of year -- they are funny and freewheeling and loopy. Her cover of the Snow Miser/Heat Miser song is great fun, and Calling on Mary has a kind of mournful, searching b

Thanks for the reports! One of my favorite bits of Wilco lore concerns the recording of Casino Queen (as told by Greg Kot in Learning to Die). If I remember correctly, Brian Henneman was meant to play guitar on the song, but he was in the throes of a mighty hangover. Instead he sat in the corner of the studio clinking a gin bottle or two -- perhaps the ones that led to said hangover -- a clinking you can can hear on the recording. Thousand Dollar Car was a staple of college singalongs, and hearing that song always brings me back. Must've been great to see Jeff and Brian back in the old neigh

That explains the promo I saw the other day. "Vampire Weekend: Now with 12.6% more cowbell." Thanks, Paul!

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, but I just saw an Instagram comment that raised a question I've been wondering about: What happened to Josh, the Wilco guitar tech perhaps best known for his shirtless cowbell performances? He wasn't at Solid Sound (not that I saw, anyway), and hasn't been on the road with the band this fall, either. Anyone know?

He looked engaged and upbeat at the Brooklyn Steel show, too. I was about ten people back on Pat's side and we got several appreciative nods and bows throughout the show. A few windmills and raised guitar neck salutes, too. Was very happy to see that.

I'm amazed that you can take verbatim notes in packed, dimly lit venues in real time. One of your superpowers, for sure. The few times I've posted reports it's been quite a lot of detective work to figure out my scribbling after the show. I'm curious if you have a go-to notebook for Wilco shows? Another small banter moment I remembered in the days following Radio City: After Nels's solo on Impossible Germany, Jeff said "You know, he lives around here," which I thought was a fun riff on Jeff's occasional "he walks among us" Nels Cline tribute line.

I'm sorry you had to contend with so many talkers! Sustained talking at concerts boggles my mind. Last night there was a group behind us whose enthusiastic screech singing devolved into belligerent yell/singing/name shouting as the concert went on (and presumably as more drinks were consumed). It's a tough situation: On the one hand you never want to dampen anyone's genuine enthusiasm. On the other hand it seems like such a simple rule of thumb: Enjoy the show, and within reason don't do anything to interfere with anyone else's enjoyment of the show. But sadly some people seem to think that th

As always, thanks for the excellent reportage, bböp! I will add that Jeff introduced "Everyone Hides" by announcing that the band had made a video for the song, and that "one of the stars of the video is here tonight. I won't point him out, though." Another snippet from Banter Corner came on the heels of Jeff's mop remarks, when he asked the unidentified beer spiller if the band had startled him/her/they to cause the spill. "Was it the drum break in Via Chicago?" he asked, and did an impression of someone jumping back in surprise. That comment got a smile from Glenn. And it was a welcome mom

I have a friend who's looking for a single ticket for Brooklyn Steel. Anyone got one? Thanks!

1. How To Fight Loneliness 2. Summer Teeth 3. Thirteen (Big Star cover) -- This was on the setlist for Solid Sound night 2 in 2015, which was cut short due to weather 4. Pick Up The Change 5. ELT 6. Dreamer In My Dreams 7. Too Far Apart 8. What Light 9. My Darling 10. Blue-eyed Soul

Just edited my original post with a full recap. Also, a question: How long has Jeff been rocking his braids? I don't recall seeing them last summer or early fall, but I do seem to remember a reference to one of the crew braiding his hair during their European tour last fall.

Another stellar night at the Beacon! Apologies if there are errors in the song order, or if I've left anything out, but here's what I have for tonight's setlist. Recap to come tomorrow. On And On And On Normal American Kids* If I Ever Was A Child Cry All Day IATTBYH Art Of Almost She’s A Jar Misunderstood (Hootenanny arrangement – Jeff on acoustic, Nels on lap steel, Pat on banjitar, John on 12-string acoustic) Someone To Lose Reservations Impossible Germany Jesus, Etc. We Aren't The World (Safety Girl) Laminated Cat Via Chicago Locator Heavy Metal Drummer I'm The Man Who Loves You Hummingbi

Thanks for the intel, Bböp. I hope his visa issues get resolved soon. On another note, it occurred to me that, unless I'm mistaken, these shows are the band's first full concerts in Manhattan since Terminal 5 in 2012. The NYC area has been graced with a bounty of Wilco appearances during the past few years, more than I could've hoped or expected. But it's still a bit surprising that it's been nearly 5 years since they've ventured into the deep chrome canyons. The Beacon really is an ideal home for them, the one drawback perhaps being that the theater setting encourages sitting more than prim

Thanks, Sandy. I wish I'd been there, too! Excited to get back to it tomorrow night. Are you going to the full run?

My thoughts exactly! Thanks for the reports, Sandy!

A few more stray thoughts from the night: The whole band seemed in great spirits. We were farthest from Pat, but he seemed especially aware and appreciative of the crowd's energy. No windmills, but he did the wind up move a few times. He's rocking a full beard now, which reminded me a bit of a younger man's version of Bob Weir's beard. Pat's a lot younger than Weir, but through their respective careers they've shared a kind of enduring boyishness, so it seems a halfway decent comparison. Or maybe I just like saying "Bob Weir's beard." Maybe there's a future Wilco b-side in the phrase, a nod

Thanks for the setlist, remphish1, and for the other write-ups and recordings, everyone! A few notes and thoughts to add to what others have said: My wife and I were in the 6th row on Nels's side. As other has noted, Wilco's guitar wizard cast a particularly powerful magic last night. Because Nels always seems to emanate a kind of brilliant light in both music and spirit, I've sometimes had a hard time determining what makes a given performance especially transcendent. (As Jeff said at one NYC show: "he walks among us.") But I imagine this run of shows, being a homecoming for Nels, and a Bea

From what I can find online, the loge overhangs the orchestra beginning at Row O. I thought it was curious that the loge was priced at the highest level whereas some orchestra seats that are closer to the stage (but maybe farther to the left or right) were cheaper. I think some people really favor the loge perspective so it's considered a premium?

Strangely I found that Safari worked a lot faster than Firefox. Firefox didn't seem to do the extra level of anti-bot measures (no picture selection screen) but took considerably longer pulling tickets. Seemed like there were still decent pairs of seats popping up 15-20 minutes in, so hopefully everyone on the board got something. I won't be able to make all 4 shows, but a long run makes things easier for everyone. Beacon plus Solid Sound is making 2017 seem like an embarrassment of Wilco riches.

Anyone see any tapers at the show? I saw a mic rig in front of the sound board but I figure that's part of their usual setup?

Thanks for posting the list, Parisistale! That's some impressive posting speed. I had barely hit the signing line when I saw that you'd put it up. Seeing any band in the friendly confines of Rough Trade is a treat -- I was lucky to catch Sturgill Simpson's album release show there earlier this year -- and the fact that Wilco dropped by felt like Christmas morning on a warm September night. The only time I'd ever seen Wilco in such an intimate setting was their first Otto's warm-up show in May 2004. (My wife saw them play an in-store at Tower Records in Chicago in the days when you could basi

Thanks, Remphish1, good catch on the later show. I just called Rough Trade and they confirmed that Wilco will be playing a 40-minute set. They said the band hadn't announced / confirmed a signing afterward, but the store's Twitter feed did mention last week that they'd be doing one. I imagine they'll do one if the schedule and store logistics allow.

Rough Trade's Twitter feed did say there would be a signing, but as of yesterday it seemed like the store was still waiting to confirm certain details. They also weren't sure how long the band would play. Would it be half-hour in store show, a full set? (They can accommodate a whole show in their wonderful back room, so here's hoping for a longer show.) Anyone have any intel on that? Rough Trade is a gem of a store. The staff are knowledgeable and kind and eager to chat about music and make new recommendations. I walked away with two copes of Schmilco and a new vinyl reissue of Kaleidoscope

Thanks for the heads up, Pathfire! And to all of you for the additional info. Managed to race to Rough Trade, and as of 3 pm they still had wristbands left. (You get one per record, limit two.) I was lucky enough to see Sturgill Simpson there earlier this year and can't believe my wife and I will get to see the boys in such a small, special venue. And the week before our anniversary, no less. Very grateful you posted this and that I was lucky to see it in time.