drunkonaquariums

Just curious, how long have these shows been lasting?

 

Setlists look great so far.

I was at the St Paul show. They came on at about 8:50 and finished the 2nd encore at almost 11:20. 2 1/2 hours of blistering rock. By the set-list I'm guessing this one was about the same length... maybe a few minutes shorter.

Hmmm, apart from Misunderstood and a couple others that setlist looks almost the same as the Lewiston NY show in July. Was hoping they'd mix things up a bit more after returning from the Europe leg of the tour. Still I am really looking forward to the Massey Hall show next week.

I wouldn't worry. This setlist, I think, has everything to do with the venue. Awful sound. They had to play all their rockers and barn-burners to make everyone dance and forget about the sound. A lot of their more subtle/introspective material wouldn't have sounded good at Roy Wilkins. I'm sure they'll dig a little deeper in the next few shows.

I thought they made the most of that venue. The sound was really bad, but they made me forget about it early on. They played barn burners and skipped the introspective stuff. My buddy and I brought 4 people who'd never been to a Wilco show before and they all had a blast. The 2nd encore was amazing. My favorite songs of the night were Hummingbird and Theologians.

Here's the Star Tribune review: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/63421907.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUt:aDyaEP:kD:aUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

And set list with commentary: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/63423162.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUgOy9cP3DieyckcUsI

Has anyone heard Unlikely Japan?

Check out Owl & Bear's archive, they've got it: http://www.owlandbear.com/wilco-archive/

Got it, don't know how I missed it when I looked before. Thanks!

Apologies for bringing up this old topic! I was just watching the KCRW performance of this song and I really love Nel's lap steel parts in this song, does anyone know what he plays on them? (Sorry, I've never heard the Chelsea Walls version, I don't know if there's lap steel in that).

Sorry can't help with the tab but do you have the link to that performance?

Curtained Xcel would be sweet, especially with a GA floor. I went to Des Moines last year at Val Air Ballroom. Not a great sounding venue, but it was an awesome vibe in there. GA floor is preferable, but I'd still take Northrop over RW.

We've gotta do something. Roy Wilkins is the worst sound venue in the Twin Cities. It's a 1930s hockey arena, currently serving as home for the Minnesota Rollergirls roller derby thing. From everyone I've talked to, the venue literally ruins shows. I can't believe Wilco booked the place. Still a month and a half until the show. I'm calling for a popular revolt. We've gotta collect signatures or something. Get them to change the venue. Northrop Auditorium has amazing sound and views and has gotta hold close to 5,000, the capacity at Roy Wilkins.

If some guy hadn't shouted "Too Far Apart" at the 11/05/2005 Madison show, a full theater of people and I would have missed out on 2:05 of pure awesome. Chronic shouters are bad, but if you pick one title to shout and only do it once, I can't fault you for it.

Well, that's cool. It's also different when you're yelling out a title of an old or rare song. Maybe one he doesn't typically play live. But for the most part I hear people yelling "SUNKEN TREASURE!" or "HEAVY METAL DRUMMER!"

I go to Wilco shows with my buddy who's 6'6". Our philosophy is that virtually anywhere he stands he's going to be blocking someone's view. Just because he's tall, he shouldn't have to spend the show walking on eggshells making sure he's not blocking anyone. And we're big Wilco fans, we don't want to stand way in back where the sound bounces around in a lot of venues. I'm not very tall and it sucks when somebody blocks me, but it's a part of the deal with general admission floors.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that what I can't stand are the vehement song-requesters. Not just at Wilco shows but shows in general. Give it up. They are playing a set list. Your song's either on there or not. At least Wilco takes requests through their web site. From recordings I've heard this seems to happen a ton at Tweedy solo shows. People just screaming song titles.

I voted "about the same" because I've only seen 4 Wilco shows, all since 2007. The first time I saw Wilco was in an auditorium with seats. To my dismay, through the first several songs of the show everyone in the back half of the floor was sitting down. I can't sit down for a rock show, much less a Wilco show. I need to stand, move and feel the music. After about 5 songs I couldn't take it so I stood up and some around me did the same. I could hear comments and tell that many people were irritated that we were standing. To me, it was ridiculous. I don't come to the show and get shitty drunk and scream the whole time, because it's not really enjoyable that way either. But I like to have a good time at a show. Wilco's "Daddy Rock" reputation is somewhat deserved when you have shushers and sitters at the show. I think you can still analyze all you want, but stand the fuck up!

Yep. Facts are for suckers.

Hahaha... Never heard Liam Finn, I'll have to check him out before the St Paul show.

I think it'd be awesome if they kept Blitzen Trapper for the fall tour. I love those guys. Sort of a new folk rock with hints of bluegrass, old time, etc. Almost hearken back to Uncle Tupelo. Last time I saw Wilco, John Doe opened for them. All I have to say about that is Nels Cline must owe them or something. Otherwise I don't know how they ended up on tour because they were awful. Just a 90s-style shitty generic rock band.

I always like it when they open shows with Sunken Treasure.

I think I liked it more when Tweedy wore the white one for the Sky Blue Sky tour, not sure I'm into the whole band in uniform kind of thing. It's cool for a festival or a Halloween show or something.

Ghost is the best Wilco album and the songs are amazing live. First album w/ current lineup of band which plays their songs live basically the same way they were recorded. However, I believe the songs were made to be played live. I didn't get At Least That's What You Said the first 30 times I listened to Ghost. It was my least favorite song on the album. When I saw it live I woke up. Hell Is Chrome, same thing. Of the Wilco shows I've been to, Handshake Drugs gets the crowd going as much as any Wilco song. Theologians, Late Greats, Hummingbird, so many songs that give you goosebumps at a show. Best Wilco album, best live material.

Saying Wilco is on the decline is typical hyper-criticism of musical art. Wilco has 7 albums and probably 5 albums worth of B-sides, singles, Woody Guthrie material, etc. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born are two of the best rock albums of the past 20 years, no question. Sky Blue Sky and the Album are excellent rock records, though they may not be as groundbreaking creatively. But so what? I offer a comparison.

Neil Young has something like 30 albums. Probably 20 of them I wouldn't listen to for 15 minutes. Much of his music is atrocious. But on the other hand he is one of the great folk songwriters and performers of the 20th century. He is an artist, a whole artist. He's written amazing songs and terrible ones and hundreds in the middle. So give Wilco a little wiggle room. Just because you don't love every alum doesn't mean the band is on the decline. They'll keep creating and playing amazing shows. Take a second look when you criticize Tweedy's later songwriting. I'm thinking of You Are My Face, Please Be Patient With Me, Country Disappeared, Solitaire; these songs would stand out YHF, Ghost, or any of the previous albums.

Does anybody have a recording of this show? I was there and I'd love to hear it again. I'm waiting to leech it through bit torrent but nobody's seeding it currently.

How big is Northrop Auditorium... that's gotta hold close to 5,000. Much better venue. They were great there in '07.

Sounds like a great show, and two hours is a really long festival set. Even when they headlined Saturday night of Lolla last year, they only got an hour and a half. But why leave the stage and play the obligatory encore game when they can stick to it and get in at least one additional song with the time they save? You DID see an encore, there just wasn't an unnecessary break before it.

You're right, 2 hours is a long festival set... but Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews played 3 hours each on Friday and Saturday night. Granted Wilco doesn't play 19-minute noodle jams, but it would have been nice if they'd had some more time is all.

"Impossible Germany" isn't on Kicking Television. Perhaps you mean the Ashes of American Flags soundtrack?

I just realized I had been listening to a different live show recording that for some reason I thought was Kicking TV... thanks for correcting me.

By the way, Detroit Lakes is in the great state of Minnesota, not Michigan. Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. 10,000 Lakes Festival. Get it?

According to the most recent post on the torrent page for this show, Country Disappeared is not one of the songs on the tape. There seems to be some problems with the song list/track list, so we shall see.

You're right... I just listened to the torrent and I was thinking of Sonny Feeling before... good call.

Thank you!

I was at the show. My 4th Wilco show and it was amazing. The festival vibe was great, a lot more dancing and crowd frenzy than the other Wilco shows I've been to (once I was actually asked to SIT DOWN by someone behind me!). The only slightly oddball thing was that they played one blistering 2 hour set with no encores. I know with festivals they have sort of a strict set time... but it would have been nice to see an encore.

One of the highlights of the show was when Tweedy asked the crowd to throw all their glow sticks on stage. It looked like thousands of them were flying up there... after a while Jeff actually had to ask people to stop because they were hitting him in the head. The new album played great live, especially Country Disappeared and One Wing. Biggest surprise song for me was Can't Stand It. Only disappointment was Walken, which they played near the end of the set. Nels' solo during Impossible Germany was a lot different than I've heard it before. It started out sort of how he played it on the Kicking Television album, but after that it went way off the recorded track which I thought was awesome. Great show, can't wait to see them in October!

Hi all,

This is my first time using this board. I'm an avid Wilco fan and supporter... but I've never bought tickets via presale before. Wilco's web site says that presale for the 10/2/09 show at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St Paul is tomorrow at 10am. I'm not familiar with the Front Gate website but I can't find anything about it there.

Maybe some of you are familiar with presales. Will I need a password? How does the Front Gate service work? If anybody can help me out I'd appreciate it. Respond to this topic or e-mail me.

Thanks,

Ben