jracette

OK, so you got me fired up now, because after the shows here in Alaska I went back and listened to my copy of the Eugene, OR show you reference in this post. I was at that show (living in Eugene at the time) and of all of the Wilco shows I've been to that was my favorite. The context is key - that show fell in the middle of their tour opening for REM, so I saw them in Portland which was so disappointing - crappy, sterile venue, lame yuppie crowd (I love REM but their shows in big amphitheaters like that can draw some boring crowds). I also saw them at Bumbershoot opening for REM in Seattle just before the Eugene show. Their sets were a bit restrained and obviously shorter in that sort of setting (Bumbershoot being a little better for the festival atmosphere and slightly longer set but still not like a regular Wilco headling show). So when they got to Eugene for a headlining gig while they had a few days off of the REM tour, they were ready to cut loose and rock a bit. Which they did. It was clear the band was relieved to let out some of that tension that comes from being the opener on a big arena tour. This was also not long before A Ghost is Born was released and I remember what a shock it was to hear some of those songs in their recorded form (who was expecting spiders (kidsmoke) to be a 10 minute krautrock number?). So, uh, yeah, I'm glad you brought this up.

"I'll mention the new songs here - they both really sounded great, especially Sunny Feeling which had a mood that suited its title - a good midtempo rocker with a really great melody. One Wing had a somewhat darker tone, especially lyrically (I remember specifically a line about "this sort of thing happens to deadweight" or something close to that) but maintained a good groove."

I should clarify about Sunny Feeling that I agree with the others lyrically it is not a happy one either, by mood I meant the music and arrangement. Of the two this was the more straightforward rock tune. I didn't quite get psychedelia out of One Wing, but it is definitely more of a guitar workout. My other cent on the new songs.

[quote name='bb

Hello everyone,

My first post. Can't say I've even been lurking. Message boards haven't really been my thing, but I felt compelled to seek this one out after this weekend.

I was at both shows here in Alaska. I have to say up front, I moved to Alaska three years ago and resigned myself to not seeing much in the way of rock shows for a while. This was a tough pill to swallow because it's been a huge part of my life for a long time after three years in the pacific northwest and four before that in the Denver area (for show discussion purposes - actually Wyoming). In my time in Alaska I've seen Bright Eyes twice (back to back nights in Anchorage), the Mountain Goats, a Camper van Beethoven/Cracker split bill, and a handful of Tim Easton shows because he comes to Fairbanks all the time. And Jason Ringenberg/Farmer Jason. That's it. All of those shows were really great, btw, but few and far between. While in DC visiting some friends in April I got to see Colin Meloy solo and New Pornographers/Okkervil River, which was a real treat for a Fairbanksan starved for decent music. These are all of the shows I've seen in the last three years, which is a precipitous drop from my days seeing shows in Eugene, Portland, and Seattle, and Denver before that.

BTW, Wilco followed such bands as Third Eye Blind, Fuel, Eve 6, and Cake here at the Blue Loon - bands that weren't even very (or any, in the case of the middle two) good when they were in their primes 10-15 years ago, IMO. It's a crime that these bands are charging 35-40 bones to play here. That's what Wilco charged and they've actually released relevant records this decade. And calling anything by those bands relevant is a stretch.

These were my 8th and 9th Wilco shows but first in almost four years thanks to my move. I can't express adequately how stupefied I am that my favorite band came to Alaska, let alone Fairbanks. When the shows were announced I literally could not believe my eyes, and 48 hours after I left the Moose's Tooth I still don't quite believe what I saw. So I'd love to figure out a way to express my gratitude to the band, because it really means a lot to me that they came this far. And I especially want to thank the band for trucking their PA system up, which made all the difference in the world.

I'm one of the locals (actually living in Fairbanks) along the front barricade in this photo: http://www.adn.com/photos/v-gallery/story/...a476626-t3.html, somewhat blurry in the background. My crutches aren't pictured - I'm a month removed from major knee surgery which wasn't going to stop me from fully enjoying either show.

I'll mention the new songs here - they both really sounded great, especially Sunny Feeling which had a mood that suited its title - a good midtempo rocker with a really great melody. One Wing had a somewhat darker tone, especially lyrically (I remember specifically a line about "this sort of thing happens to deadweight" or something close to that) but maintained a good groove. I would say that if these two new songs are indicative we can expect the same sort of lyrical and melodic directness as on Sky Blue Sky but perhaps more focused/less loose and jammy. It was something else to hear two new Wilco songs the first time the public has EVER heard them - in Alaska. Wow. And perhaps I've been at the wrong ones but in 9 Wilco shows that was the first time I've ever heard them have John sing It's Just That Simple (in Anchorage). The Fairbanks show was equally great, and between the two shows I have very few complaints regarding setlist omissions. I really can't reasonably ask for anything more than I got.

I should also mention the Whipsaws, who I've seen in my favorite bar in Fairbanks playing with Tim Easton. They are from Anchorage and opened both shows. If any of you are fans of the Drive-By Truckers or other Southern-ish rock bands, you should check them out. They are an incredibly hardworking band and their new record is pretty good.

Anyways, this has been a long ramble, but I felt compelled to let you all know how special this experience was for a huge Wilco fan stuck in the interior of Alaska. Jeff mentioned at both shows how "hardy" Alaskans are and its true. The people here suffer through brutal winters (50 below with no sunshine, anyone?) and relative isolation (I am 2,500 miles from my hometown, and I grew up well west of the Mississippi). And those of us who once enjoyed a ton of options for live music now only get a few a year at best (still bitter about Meg White's anxiety forcing cancellation of the Stripes' date in Anchorage). So, uh, this was a big deal. Thanks for reading.

Justin

PS I snagged a setlist from the Anchorage show, and have decent pictures from both, which I'll get up on the web somewhere soon.