smells like flowers

...Jeff's talked about his love for Wings Over America, the big live LP from the seventies before.

I get serious Wings vibes from Side with the Seeds.

Got tickets for Tampa right at 10 am. Saw row A and absolutely freaked out, thinking it was front row. Have since learned its row 9 but am still happy for the seats!

Here's to whining Floridians getting their dose of Wilco!

Absolutely loving this one!

I believe that is called Stage right.

Heavens to murgatroid - I believe you are correct!

I loved being able to see all of the things that go into making the sounds on a song like Poor Places - stuff you can't necessarily see when you are standing 10 heads back at a show. ....

Yes! The view from behind Glenn's kit was great. He really is some kind of magician.

edit: So, does anyone know if the entire performance is available to watch anywhere? The entire setlist for the night had all kinds of gems (Muzzle of Bees, Misunderstood, and more) but the 11 songs on the taping left me feeling a little, umm... underwhelmed? I think that show probably had a lot of great energy that wasn't really captured by the shortened setlist.

Just saw Paul on the teevee, front and left on the Austin City Limits show! (Well, if left is in front of Nels -- it's right looking out from the stage.)

"pussy"

Read this review of the show and it's been making me laugh and smirk all week. Must read (or skip) to the end for the big reveal.

Wilco Get Raunchy

Review of Jan 24 Hollywood Palladium Show

By Gerry Gomez, Staff Writer

Wilco front-man, Jeff Tweedy asked three or four times how everyone was doing and tried inciting the Palladium crowd on Tuesday evening, as the band stormed through a high energy set which included a selection of songs from their whole career. Tweedy was affable and charismatic, with his usual “aw-shucks” kinda demeanor. He interacted with the crowd often. It was obvious that band and audience were rhetorically doing well, thank you.

As the band hit the stage, the smell of reefer came on strong. While the fumes died down, Wilco kept up their full sonic assault with the opening track off their eighth studio album, The Whole Love, which is as much a progression over the past studio albums, as is their current line-up. The beloved band set the tone from the onset that they were fit, at the top of their game and as tight as a unit as ever. Not bad for what some critics have labeled “Dad Rock.”

When Wilco romps through a set, the audience is left with no doubt about how musically talented the band is. Guitarist, Nels Cline says he wants to levitate during their performances. To the degree that he masters his instrument is proven by the 4th bar of the set opener, “Art of Almost.” That song alone brings all the years of playing together to a fountainhead. The seven minute plus, modern rock specimen catapults Wilco forward and leaves one breathless. To think there was another hour-and-a-half left of the show remaining, was a high induced not just induced by the smoke haze of the ballroom.

One thing Wilco does as well as anyone and much better than other Roots Rock bands, is play for the audience while still doing it for themselves. Over the years, the band has progressed and won over new fans with their expansive musical expressions. On record, Wilco is known as a hard working band with unrelenting attention to detail, who often push their musical boundaries to capture their elusive musical zenith.

For some, their advances are to be taken or left. Understandably, Wilco makes albums to satisfy their creative muse. But live, they always are in tune with what is entertaining for their fans. And that tends to make up a “greatest hits” sort of show, while not ever feeling like as trite. Tuesday night was no different. In fact, their set-list was consciously crafted to be most things to all people. At least that’s how it seemed.

With a catalog so large, surely ones’ favorite song doesn’t get played but they played favorites from most albums. Among the set were: “I Might,” “Bull Black Nova,” “Impossible Germany,” “I Must Be High,” “Always In Love,” “Jesus, Etc.,” “Handshake Drugs,” “War on War,” and “Humingbird.” While “Candy Floss,” “Monday” and “Outtasight (Outta Mind)” were the closers of the first encore.

Of particular note Tuesday night were the version of “Whole Love” and “Impossible Germany.” Perhaps it was the newness of “Whole Love,” but the feel of the song was responded to with excitement. It seemed to have a little something extra enduring about it. “Impossible Germany,” has one of the best guitar parts of the past ten years and hearing that done live by Cline, is simply awe-inspiring.

Adding to the fun of the show, as always, was Tweedy. At one point, he tried pitting the front right of the stage’s crowd to show the band as much love as the front left side of the stage had been displaying. While maybe a corny gimmick, the crowd still surged and cheered to vie for the Stetson wearing lead singers attention.

from the first to the last note of a live wilco show (even the evening with ones) seems to go by so fast to me that i couldnt even begin to give a shit about my phone. i just love when it starts and hate when it ends and i always want more

I feel exactly the same way. About halfway through, I start feeling pangs of sadness that it's not going to last much longer. And after having 2 nights in a row at Solid Sound 2011, even a one-night show seems from the outset like it will not scratch my Wilco itch.

When I was little the song "Wildfire" brought me to tears every time. Poor pony...

I love his voice on them all, but the other day I was listening to SBS and was thinking how beautifully smooth and rich his voice sounds on recent albums.

 

Does anyone notice an accent too? On the occasions I listen to Uncle Tupelo, I can hear what I think of as mid-Midwestern accent, something I hear a lot where I live. I can't think of an example of a pronunciation offhand but will think about it and see if I can add one soon. It's not as pronounced in A.M. (about the time he moved to Chicago, right?).

 

Plus, I have a boot of a solo show in Chicago 2005, and during banter he says something about the "reyaction" of the audience. The way he says "reyaction" is total Chicago accent, which I hear solidly in my friends who live there (funny it's most pronounced in one of my friends who immigated there from Iowa years ago). However, when he's on the road, I don't really notice it. Not that I'm on guard listening for it, but accents and linguistic things like that tend to leap out at me.

Don't know if this is a southern Illinois thing or not, but I've always loved the way Jeff sings "I" as "Ahh." As in, "Ahhh should have been listening, to every word you said."

Has anyone else noticed how in practically every recent interview, Jeff disparages his voice on the early records? He's constantly making cracks about how bad he sang. So I revived this old thread to say that although Jeff's voice certainly has changed and improved in recent years, his voice was probably the single-most appealing characteristic of Wilco when I first heard them. From the opening line of "One Hundred Years From Now," he's hoarse, his voice cracks and I LOVE every minute of it! Ditto his singing on BT and AM. The personal lyrics bring the songs right into your psyche, and his voice carries his message perfectly. Granted, he probably couldn't be nailing the falsettos like he does now with his old voice.

** If you read this, JT -- your voice on the early records, with all its perceived faults, is precisely what brought me (and so many others) to Wilco!

I was at a Mountain Goats show last night at a bar, and I would have given anything to be able to sit down! After working on my feet all day, it was pure torture to be standing around til 12:30 at night. Yes, I'm pretty old. But my ass will never be sitting down at a Wilco show if I can help it! You just can't feel the music the same way, imo.

I've avoided Facebook for all these years and don't intend to get on it now. Not dissing it -- for me, it's just not an interest. So, I'm glad VC's here with the first and last word on the Wilco. And I'm guessing there are a few other non-FBers on here too, so please don't jump ship now!

So how is this?

I really, really liked it. It describes the last day at a Red Lobster in a New England small town, from the point of view of the manager. The novel (novella, really) is a snapshot of a day, in which nothing and everything happens. I had the unfortunate experience of working at an Olive Garden in college (sister restaurant to Red Lobster) and this book seemed really real, as far as getting inside the head of a chain restaurant manager. Not someone you normally think about, so that made it a more compelling read for me.

The four piece played some A.M.!

At the Nashville show we went to (7-24-02), they didn't play a single track off A.M.! I kept waiting and waiting. To this day, I've only heard Casino Queen live once! (it's always my hope to hear that one...)

In 1999, I heard a Wilco song on the Gram Parsons tribute album ("Return of the Grievous Angel") and it hit me hard. Whiskeytown had a song on there too (A Song for You), that I loved so much I hoped someone will play it at my funeral someday, so it's fair to say that had a more intense impact! But, as Jeff's voice cracked all the way through "One Hundred Years from Now," the Wilco-love seed was planted. I didn't see them live til a few years later, in 2002, when they were a four-piece at the start of the YHF tour, and I can remember wishing they'd just play some songs from A.M.! (It took me a while to "get" Yankee). After AGIB, then came waxing and waning affection for SBS and WTA... the intensity just wasn't there for me. I think I got in really deep after Solid Sound 2010, and after making a stop at VC a regular part of my day. Sharing the enthusiasm and love for Wilco with so many other people (granted, most of whom in all likelihood I'll never meet) has made being a Wilco fan so much more fun! Even if no one I hang out with in real life is a super-fan, I get to talk to all of you guys who are -- how great is that!?!

It's the only song from W(TA) that actually has its place on a Wilco setlist.

Still waiting to hear Country Disappeared live. That's my top (and maybe only?) pick from WTA.

A few months after W(TA) came out, I was driving and I saw one! An old Nova, painted in primer black (not shiny like this one). That was kind of cool. It's definitely one I don't need to hear live every time, though.

Good Lord! Sorry pic is so huge!

And don't forget there was talk of Brendan Canty documenting Solid Sound 2011! If we have to skip it this year (which it looks kinda like), I'd love to see a DVD of behind-the-scenes good stuff from Mass MOCA.

John has been practicing yoga for awhile. We go to the same studio and I been in class here or there with him since at least 2003.

That explains why he's the Peter Pan of Wilco!

You sure about that? He's obviously a junkie at this point?

He looks like he's feeling no pain, that's for sure. It reminded me of the part in Jaws where Quint says "you know the thing about a shark's eyes... he's got lifeless eyes... like a doll's eyes." Something to that effect! Jeff's eyes look lifeless in the video.

I do have newfound appreciation for Hotel Arizona, however.

This is funny timing! We had a bit of a pet tragedy last night. My daughter has (had) two pet mice, which are a bit smelly but overall they're cute, low-maintenance pets. Last night I noticed that one of the mice was looking dazed, breathing very shallow, and seemed completely out of it. She was 2, and mice are said to live 1-3 years, so the timing fit. Anyway, it soon became apparent that she had died. We wanted our daughter to be able to see her (and understand that she was really dead), so we left her in the cage with the other mouse. BIG MISTAKE! We learned the hard way that mice eat their dead! By this morning, the dead mouse had no head and the other one probably had a belly-ache. Did a bit of googling and found that indeed, mice eat their dead -- either for supplemental nutrition, or to get rid of the remains before they start to decompose and smell, which would expose their burrow to predators.

Good luck with your new pet, whatever it is, Amaranthine! Just make sure if you get rodents, remove their dead carcasses before the others have a cannibalistic feast.

For some reason I'd never listened to the bonus disc more than once -- got it out last week and became smitten by Message from Mid-Bar. It has a soul sound (aside from the steel guitar) that I don't recall hearing in a Wilco song before. It's been in my head constantly since about the third listen...

More on bonus disc: I also prefer the alt take of Black Moon, without the strings. The percussion stands out so much more. That clinking metal sound reminds me of some kind of cowboy's spur, as he's gimping along the black dunes.

Agree about the velcro (of course with exceptions). Just try to find a pair of girls' Mary Janes with real buckles these days... even for older girls! They're all velcro now. As if to imply kids don't need to learn how to tie, buckle, etc.