mahinty

According this National Radio (NZ) interview with Jeff by Sam Scott (of the very, very good Phoenix Foundation) Wilco will be in the studio this year.

I've never heard the synth sounds on the Stage, but this is how the Clavia website describes the Stage's synth:

• Classic Analog Synthesis with dual saw, hard sync, and pulse wave modulation.

• Three-operator FM Synthesis with 32 different modulation frequencies.

• Wavetable Synthesis with 32 waveforms, a first for a Clavia synth.

 

With the Unison knob you can fatten your sound for lush pads, thick comps, and fiery leads. We’ve included a 12/24 dB LowPass Filter with resonance, an Amp envelope, a Modulation envelope, an LFO, and a two band equalizer. Three different Synth banks are provided – Synth, Pad, and Lead – for the creation and storage of your own patches, and each bank holds up to 100 sound programs.

I imagine you could get some fairly Moog-y sounds out of it.

I'd say it's a mandolin.

the great thing about nord/clavia is they understand that people don't want to deal with a bunch of digital menus/interfaces when it comes to making music - so i like the fact that everything is pretty much laid out right in front of you, and every parameter is easily available to tweak with your FINGERS

You've got it on the money. It's all about the the knobs, the buttons, the LEDs. The old school simplicity. Nord figured out that a lot us don't want menus and LCD screens. They have not only created keyboards that SOUND like classic vintage keyboards, but you can also use them in the same way (ie sit down, and just play them!). In the process they have gone beyond mere emulation and created new and exciting musical instruments with character and funk.

I use a Nord Electro 2 73, and love it (as does the band and everyone who hears it). If I didn't have one and was in the market for a new keyboard now, I'd get a Stage Compact 73 for the layering/splitting and Synth sounds. Although adding a Wave to my current setup would be pretty cool also. That would get me the Synth stuff, and a Mellotron!

^ My axe

Nice work.

Well done

Go see them if you get a chance.

I saw them about 4 or 5 years ago on their home turf in Wellington.

Their rhymes were bottomless.

The full-length album drops on May 21. It could turn out to be the most musical comedy album ever made. But that is of course is how they've always seen themselves. They started out as a band as they wanted to be in a band - the comedy just followed naturally. The songs, and the musicianship are ridiculously good.

Review in today's paper was pretty much bang-on.

The critic, Simon Sweetman (who is fast gaining a reputation as the local critic who is not afraid to speak the brutal truth), prior to the show confessed his concern about the challenge of keeping his profesional objectivity going into the Wilco show (being a big fan, and all), on his blog:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/blogonthetrac...h-glenn-kotche/

http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/blogonthetrac...-theres-a-waco/

Anyway, he needn't had worried about Wilco not living up to the hype.

Here's the review:

Did anyone tape the show, or get any good photos?

Sunken Treasure

Company in my back

You are my face

Side with the Seeds

I am Trying to Break Your Heart

Hell is Chrome

Handshake Drugs

Shot in the Arm

Reservations

Impossible Germany

How to fight loneliness

California Stars

Jesus, etc

Walken

I'm the man who loves you

Hummingbird

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Late Greats

Hate it here

Heavy Metal Drummer

Red-eyed and blue

I got you (at the end of the century)

Monday

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Spiders (Kidsmoke)

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Wow.

Best gig ever.

They came on a bit before 9pm and did a good two hours+.

No banter until after Impossible Germany, but then it was all on. Jeff was hilarious. He even had a little dance in the ad hoc "Mosh pit" during Hummingbird.

I want to add my thanks for posting the article.

My pleasure.

It's good to share the love.

Interview in today's paper with Mikael:

4 sleeps until the Wellington gig!

Boo yeah.

Check it:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?...jectid=10497685

Does anyone know if this story made the print edition?

This from Jeff, was encouraging:

I don't think we've ever played in New Zealand firing on all cylinders. I'm really anxious to get to do that.

Encouraging, indeed.

Would you get in a plane flown by this guy?

New Zealand Support Act announced

(see http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0803/S00084.htm):

Miriam Clancy (performing with her band in Auckland, and solo in Wellington).

She

47 Days to go!

According to The Opera House website (http://www.theoperahouse.co.nz/) tickets have been selling well for the Wellington show, with only seats in the gallery now left.

Dave563, I agree that front row of the Dress Circle woudl have been a pretty sweet spot (I saw The Phoenix Foundation a couple of years ago in those seats), I'm pretty happy with my seats, seven rows from the front.

I think we're pretty lucky that we get to see them in a intimate venue, that has good acoustics, and a bit of style.

Only 52 days to go!

Looks like the New Zealand dates are firming up at Wicoworld, with the Wellington venue announced as The Opera House on 24 March. Auckland gets a gig as well, between the Coromandel Bluesfest and Wellington show.

Back to New Zealand....

It looks like Wilco's Auckland appearance is part of the new "Bluesfest" in the Coromandel:

http://www.bluesfest.co.nz/

It's an add-on to the Aussie Blues & Roots Festival circuit, that includes the famous Byron Bay Festival.

Other first announcement acts include: Buddy Guy, KT Tunstall, Keb Mo, Ian Brown, Midge Marsden, Hollie Smith, Pluto, Little Bushman and The Checks.

Tickets go on sale on January 14.

I think I'd rather go to a Wilco-only show, and will hold out for more info on the hypothetical Wellington show...

Haha...lets hope not. But the article says that it would be in the easter weekend which is in April. Wilco is here end of March so I think we are safe...so far so good, but i'm still worried that they haven't announced a new venue yet.

Easter is not in April next year, Good Friday actually falls on 21 March (http://www.ers.dol.govt.nz/holidays_act_2003/dates/2006_9.html). Man that's early. Something to do with the moon, or something.

Those crazy pagans.

Back to the Wellington show.

I'm hoping that Wilco aren't playing as part of the two day "Rock" festival that's just been announced, which has KISS as headliners (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00111.htm).

That would be wrong.

So very wrong.

It would beyond heartbreaking if they cancelled the Wellington gig. Town hall wouldn't be too bad...

 

I hope I don't have to go to Auckland for this.

 

Oh and it is too late to not get my hopes up, somewhat sad that its not gona be in a smallish venue.

 

How many tickets do you think they would sell in Wellington anyway? (To all wellingtonians?)

 

We only have 200,000 people or so in the city, and most are douche bags.

We'd get truckloads of people along to a Wilco gig in Wellington (we've go to talk it up Dave, talk it up).

I am getting a little anxious now that the Welly venue has been changed to

Dave563, I too was in complete shock when I read down the list of new shows, and saw Welly on the list.

The Front Room is an intimate venue for a band like Wilco, which will be great, but we're gonna have to be fast when the tickets go on sale. This will sell-out in no time.

I'm ridiculously excited about the prospect.