knotgreen

I still don't fully get why Wilco has chosen to vary its setlists so much here of all places — as opposed to other multi-night stands — but I'm trying not to question too much and, as they say, laissez les bon temps rouler. 

Agreed, but this bodes very well for AOTJ (after Ode to Joy) 

Feels like this thread needs a little reviving, so I’ll post about the news that surfaced today about Jeff playing the “This Land Is Your Land” 80th anniversary concert benefitting Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center. The show, which also features Haley Heynderickx, Gangstagrass, John Fullbright and Branjae, will take place at Town Hall in New York City on Feb. 23.

I'm a bit tempted by this show. I have to imagine Jeff's set will be somewhat short, but I've recently discovered Haley Heynderickx, and really how could I not be intrigued by "gangstagrass"?! Conveniently, there's a Live From Here show at Town Hall the night before (guests TBA) which would make for a nice 2 days in the Big Apple.... 

edit: Live From Here on 02/22 does not include Jeff, sadly. (Guests: Nathaniel Rateliff, Aoife O'Donovan, Rachel Syme & Josh Gondelman)

Spiders is such a curveball for a final show in a pretty long run of shows. I think I fell asleep right before it was played. Oops! 

It was a real treat to hear it again, especially with SVE contributing some haunting backing vocals.       

Nice! This alone is worth the cost of admission (IMHO).

Looking forward to the live stream tonight.

Grabbed one for ya, knotgreen! There was no limit to how many you could buy (at $30 a pop). They were also selling discounted deluxe editions for $300. Wonder how many of those are still sitting around...

 

Anyway, for anyone interested, it seems like there will be plenty of the Chicago edition OTJs to go around. But then again, I did get there early — fwiw, they opened the shop a little early — and business seemed to be picking up by the time I left.

Wow - thank you!! I'll shoot you a PM to figure it out from here. 

Maybe of little interest around here, but I'm seeing that Tom's daughters and widow have dropped lawsuits against one another over his estate. I can't begin to imagine what a painful mess that is, but one silver lining is that we will likely hear the long-teased Wildflowers box set in the not too distant future. There are few albums that I love as much as that one, and I'm excited to hear outtakes/demos from those sessions.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tom-petty-estate-widow-daughters-settlement-926829/

If I can buy more than one, I’ll try to grab one for you...

Hey thanks, man! Enjoy the hometown shows! 

Hey... uhhh... if you happen to be attending the pop up and are not a collector I sure would love one of these 

Roadcases 24-27, Jeff solo at Largo in December 2013. Jeff's under the weather and does about as much chatting as he does playing. 

Before Us video set to footage of the band working on Ode To Joy at The Loft. This accompanied the FB West Coast tour announcement.

 

https://youtu.be/BIWSGlvnbkU

Cool! If my memory is correct, that's the video that was showed during the Genelec Surround Sound installation at Solid Sound. 

Damn. SVE is a favorite of mine. Looks like Saint Paul is getting Low (nights 1 and 2) and Gaelynn Lea for night 3.

 The fever!

It's contagious 

Hey, all! Looking for 1 GA floor ticket for Friday, Nov. 22 in St. Paul. Please be in touch if you have one.

Thanks!

Hey man, what a cool experience! Thanks for sharing. I guess I know why that guitar was new to me now. I'm glad you got photos of it to show that cool pickguard. Fitting that it's a Bob Wills record. I was wondering about that...

 

So this guitar was made from wood from the original floor, I'm assuming, and not the floor that was replaced a couple years ago? A friend of mine also has some wood from the original floor that he used to make poster frames (mostly for Wilco posters). I forget how he came by it, but I think maybe it they were just throwing it away back then and you could go salvage some of it. I'll have to ask him again sometime. Anyway, I love Cain's. It's such a cool room.

 

And P.S., Tyler, how did I not put it together until now that you're *the* knotgreen? Sorry, man. Thanks for all your contributions and comments over the years. For some reason, I always envisioned that guy was some old ex-Deadhead hippie or something...

It was a very special experience! You might have noticed that they were assembling a small stage in the lot across the street from the venue. When I arrived yesterday there were maybe 150 people celebrating the "ground breaking" for the forthcoming Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture. Tulsa's own Taylor Hanson, of MMMBop fame, was giving a speech and referencing Leon Russell. It was such a funny Tulsa moment and a perfect end to a memorable trip.

With respect to the guitar: It was made of wood from the original flooring, which was pulled up in 2007. That flooring was replaced for a second time a decade or so later.

And many thanks for the kind words, Paul. VC is one of my favorite corners of the internet and I'm happy to contribute in my small way. I hope that our paths will cross again before too long! 

And Nels also had a new-to-me woodgrain Telecaster-style guitar with a unique pickguard apparently made out of an actual Okeh vinyl record (hat tip to Firecracker Kid for pointing that out to me) that he played on California Stars. 

I very accidentally got a mini tour of Cain's yesterday before flying home. I went back to the venue to buy a t-shirt, and one of the owners was working the ticketing counter. After I gushed for a moment about the show and how magical the place felt, we were invited to come check out the office spaces that are in the front of the building. I spotted the guitar that you referenced and it was explained that when this gentleman's family purchased the venue they instigated the renovation which included replacing the old wood floors. That guitar was made from the old floorboards (and was used recently by Jack White during a Raconteurs show). I guess they also made pens out of the wood, which were for sale (and gifted to the band). Anyway, not a ton of info but I thought it was pretty cool!

Great review, Paul. I don’t have much to add except to say that I feel incredibly lucky to have finally seen a show at Cain’s, a venue that my partner frequented throughout her childhood, and one that’s long been on my bucket list.

I will say that there was a certain enthusiasm (for lack of a better word) to Jeff’s guitar playing, particularly on the louder numbers. I am not a musician and so I lack some of the vocabulary necessary to describe his playing, but there were moments where you could see and feel Jeff getting to that transcendent place.

And now, for the first time in many months, I’m without a Wilco show on the calendar. Starting to rationalize a Saint Paul trip next month (thanks, Sandy)!

..by the way how the f is Dave Matthews nominated and not Phish... I’m mean really?!

IMHO Dave is an infinitely better songwriter. I've seen both bands live and I have to say that even the worst of the DMB shows I've seen was better than the Phish show I saw last summer... and I say this as a person who generally prefers Phish. Phish will likely get a nom -- their impact on music festivals and their touring record can't be overstated.  

Had a great time at Brooklyn Steel. I think we got a more relaxed Wilco compared to the previous night, but I suppose that's to be expected at a significantly smaller venue. Plenty of highlights, but how about this catch:

This would not have ended well.

Great review, Paul. Let’s not forget Jeff’s intro to Everyone Hides. It clearly brings him joy calling to attention your cameo in the music video.

I will echo your sentiment about the sound quality, which was worlds better than in Boston (technical difficulties notwithstanding). I was very far off center and even still it sounded fantastic.

Musically, We Were Lucky continues to be a highlight. This is perhaps a very odd take, but there is something about the late set Impossible Germany followed by Box Full of Letters that feels so awkward to me. I can’t quite articulate why, but I’ve felt that way each time I’ve heard it.

While RCMH is one of the prettiest venues I’ve been in (& most comfortable, for whatever that’s worth), I found myself pretty grumpy last night due to all of the talkers around me. Perhaps due to the size of the venue or the new material, but fans nearby were especially chatty. We had to ask two sets of neighbors to stop talking. (One, during BBN, actually turned to her partner and said “I have a funny story to tell you,” which was the final straw). Still glad to have been in the building, but very much looking forward to a GA show tonight.

There's a story here. If anyone here is also in the Shot in the Arm Group on FB, I had posted that my wife of 36 years died this summer from lung cancer. Sharon was my partner in so many musical adventures, but especially in all things Wilco. We had been to all of the first five SS's until 2019 when she was too sick to go. On and On and On was one of her favorite Wilco songs and since it fit the scene so well I had it played at the end of her funeral while everyone stood. I had the lyrics printed for everyone. It was intensely emotional for all there. So I've been requesting the song on the website. I told this story in my first request, and then made a lot of requests all for Sharon. I'm going to sleep tonight knowing that Wilco played On and On and On for Sharon. 

I am so very sorry for your loss. I'm glad that the band played it for you both. 

I suppose that in some respects the band revealed during night 2 of 2 at Boston's Wang Theatre how they'll be handling setlist variety on leg one of the OtJ tour. We knew how the show would start (again promptly at 8:30), but I was surprised by how early Jeff took to the mic to address the crowd, or more accurately a group of men "with the biggest beers" Jeff had ever seen.

It was right after One and a Half Stars that Jeff called out the guys for texting, and after ribbing them for a moment he softened the blow with a "we're not playing for you, we're playing with you."

By my count, we got 17 repeated songs across the two nights. Night 2 featured 9 additional unique songs, including a beautiful On and On and On and one of the best live versions of Laminated Cat that this fan has ever seen. From my perspective, night two's crown jewel was the intense three song run: Laminated Cat, Random Name Generator, and We Were Lucky. We Were Lucky was truly a standout among the 8 OtJ songs; I have to imagine that that song will be converting fans that are either on the fence with the new material or aren't yet familiar with it.

It was before another new song, Everyone Hides, that Jeff once again engaged with the beer drinkers in the front row who were enjoying large cans of light beer. "A bit oxymoronic," Jeff said, "it's Friday.... get yourself a real fucking beer." Now I will refrain from projecting, but one must assume that Jeff was maybe feeling a bit unsure of how the comment landed because after the song he made peace with the beer drinkers: "I haven't had a real beer in 20 years. I have no business shaming your beverage choice."  

As before, the band did not exit the stage for the encore, which started with Hold Me Anyway, a song that Jeff said was written for such an occasion. He made the same comment the previous night too. 

Others should feel free to chime in with their comments. Here's the setlist:

‪Bright Leaves‬
‪Before Us‬
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
‪War on War‬ 
One and a Half Stars
Handshake Drugs
At Least That’s What You Said
Someone to Lose
Hummingbird
White Wooden Cross
Via Chicago
Laminated Cat
Random Name Generator
We Were Lucky
Love is Everywhere (Beware)
On and On and On
Impossible Germany
Box Full of Letters
Everyone Hides
Jesus, etc.
Theologians
I’m the Man Who Loves You
——————
Hold Me Anyway
Misunderstood (24 nothings?)
California Stars
The Late Greats

 

Looks like a good ‘un! Crazy about the PA going out, but sometimes that makes for an even more memorable show...

 

Thanks for the quick reports, and a special shoutout to knotgreen for following the titling “protocol.” It didn’t go unnoticed!

The very least I can do in your absence! 

I’d say that “New Madrid” wasn’t solo then full band. All of the amps were on and the band was playing incredibly quietly as not to drown out Jeff’s voice. I could absolutely hear John’s bass following along and Glenn has his brushes out. The had just gotten Mikael a melodica when the system came back up.

My vantage point was such that I really only heard Jeff and a little of Glenn. It was certainly more stripped down than a proper "unplugged" rendition, and closer to a JT solo rendition. At least that's probably what most of the venue could hear, if they could hear anything at all. 

And so begins the Ode to Joy USA tour!

What a treat to have the band back in town and at one of our nicest theaters. The last time Wilco took the stage at The Wang was in 2011 in support of The Whole Love (and featured one of my very favorite show posters to date - Ode to Citgo). 

The band took the stage at 8:30 and as they had done across Europe launched into two new ones: Bright Leaves and Before Us. I will say that one of my favorite parts of seeing this band on a tour in which they're supporting new material is to experience how the new songs integrate with older material. That was what I was thinking about anyway as they followed up Before Us with IATTBYH, a transition that felt... harmonious?

In that context, I'm always so taken by how these songs feel so compatible and yet there's a tremendous range song-to-song, stylistically, tonally, etc. I'm thinking specifically about the four-song run: How to Fight Loneliness, Bull Black Nova, Random Name Generator, and Reservations, but you could easily say that about several different segments of the evening's set.

There was very little in the way of banter, and even less when you account for the fact that one of the few times Jeff took to the mic to chat the majority of us couldn't hear what he was saying. Something about Glenn visiting a cymbals factory? And a reply to a heckle about "USA!"

There were a couple of technical difficulties which started (I believe) during Box Full of Letters. I was standing pretty far to Nels' side and was two rows back from the pit. The speaker in front of me cut out during part of the song and then came back. I assumed that the band noticed, but they made no comment and soon launched into Everyone Hides. This is when the sound really dropped out and the song stopped. A quick scramble and Jeff requested a larger acoustic guitar and opted to play New Madrid without amplification while the crew worked to make things right. To start, he was joined only by Glenn who played his kit softly with brushes behind him. Not long into New Madrid did things fall back into place and with the full band in tow they finished the song and returned to Everyone Hides. Per Jeff: “When life gives you lemons... play New Madrid.”

Presumably due to "lost time" Wilco never left the stage after the main set's finale, I'm the Man Who Loves You. “Let’s pretend we went off stage, you guys cheered, and we came back.” I thought for sure that Misunderstood would be the last song of the night, but the boys treated to a second and final encore thereafter with proper exiting and returning to the stage.

Start time: 8:30

"Encore" break 1: 10:15

Encore break 2: 10:25

End: 10:40

Bright Leaves
Before Us
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
Kamera
If I Ever Was a Child
Handshake Drugs
One and a Half Stars
Hummingbird
White Wooden Cross
Via Chicago
How to Fight Loneliness
Bull Black Nova
Random Name Generator
Reservations
We Were Lucky
Love is Everywhere (Beware)
Impossible Germany
Box Full of Letters (sound cut left speaker)
Everyone Hides (aborted due to sound failure)
New Madrid (Jeff w/o mic, then full band once sound returned)
Everyone Hides
Heavy Metal Drummer
I’m the Man Who Loves You
-------------------------
Hold Me Anyway
Misunderstood
-------------------------
Red-Eyed and Blue >
I Got You (At The End of the Century)
I’m Always In Love
I’m a Wheel
 

This album release has sure brought out the worst in Wilco fans. Love or hate OtJ, a few minutes in that FaceBook group is more unpleasant than any music Jeff has put out in his entire career. It's really sucking the fun out of this album cycle.