BeShakey

I've just started using Freecorder which would allow you to 'push play on the Roadcase and push record' (of course without some editing you'll get the concert as one long track). In addition, Freecorder allows you to grab streaming videos - so you'll be able to get videos from the Roadcase, plus youtube etc (doesn't seem to work on CBS' site so I can't get the Wilco on Letterman stream, but otherwise its great). Freecorder is a firefox plugin, but if you don't have/like firefox I imagine there must be other similar things out there that are also free.

Unless you are planning on doing a lot or stuff getting a new computer just for audio manipulation seems a bit excessive. Not sure what software people use for ripping (there must be tons of free ones though if you google - if you find something good it might be worthwhile posting about it for others), but for messing with sound levels, removing minor problems (e.g. pops and clicks from vinyl rips), adding fade ins/outs, dividing into individual tracks I have used audacity a lot and am very happy. It isn't the most user friendly, but if you focus only on the essentials it isn't tough at all (and the complexity is an upside because if you find you need some extra features I've found that digging into some of the other components will often reveal the right tool).

As howdjadoo mentioned, you'll not just need a lead for copying from your turntable, but a preamp as well. Alternatively, depending on what you are looking to get a lot of it may be already available on the net, which would be a cheaper/easier option, and leave you to focus on the stuff that isn't easily available.

Hope that helps, there will be a lot of people with a lot of expertise around here, so I'm sure someone will be able to help if you have further questions.

You may be right about the knowing what is going to be played could lead to a dissapointing night out. A huge part of Wilco's Incredible Shrinking Tour was wondering which nuggets would be pulled out of the gold mine, And the Roger Waters reference is a great example. He is at Wrigley field in early June, I believe with the flying Pig but may be wrong, Flaming Lips may have stolen it, and I am not at all enthused. And it is brought to us by American Express, which, according to their presale, Roger is black card member. He has status. The one given at a YHF tribute concert is that at no point can the band pull Hotel Arizona or Sunken Treasure out of their hat and dazzle the crowd. In lieu of a show I will accept a three or four disc YHF box set with the engineer demos, the final demos, the release version, and any versions floating out there I don';t know about. ANd will do so no questions asked. That is the kind of good citizen I am.

I did read something where Jeff spoke positively about a deluxe edition of YHF. Not sure how much stuff would be in that hasn't been heard by hardcore fans. Even so, pulling together all the outtakes and demos, a live show from the era, and a DVD of some kind (anything left over from I Am Trying to Break Your Heart) would be great.

Weren't they down there to work on Wilco, The Album? May have my dates confused but I remember some work going on in New Zeeland. And to be honest you guys have Flight of the Conchordes. Give them back on loan and we will look into sending Wilco down.

Yeh, they did a lot of the W(TA) work while they were in NZ for Seven Worlds Collide.

In terms of them playing an entire album. I'd be more excited if it was something they ocassionally just busted out (a la early Pink Floyd when they used to sometimes play all of DSOTM). Part of the excitement of shows for me is wondering what I'll get to hear. Knowing what will be played is always a bit of a disappointment, plus I can't imagine how it can be fun for a band to play the same songs every night (no idea, beyond the paycheck, how Roger Waters has managed to play the Wall every other night for 2 years).

It is a long way, they have a lot of people they would have to fly over.

Just how many shows could they play in Australia? They're not a draw like Springsteen who can sell 50,000 tickets at the drop of a hat.

I imagine they love The Aussies and Kiwis, but funding these jaunts cannot be cheap

When they came in 2010 they played seven shows including NZ. They sold out most (all?) of the shows, including two each for Sydney and Melbourne. I'd imagine this time round they would be able to play bigger venues and still sell them out. I don't have any inside info on the costs and logistics of Australian tours, but given the number of bands that come here, and their relative popularity (ie it isn't just Springsteen types who can sell out the largest venues at the drop of a hat), and the fact Wilco have been here four times since YHF (plus the Seven Worlds Collide shows) I don't think costs or logistics is the reason for the lack of a tour.

I hate it when people constantly complain that Band X hasn't played their pissant town. My contribution is more that I'm surprised their hasn't been a tour yet, and that surely it will happen, so should be considered when figuring if/when more US/Europe shows might happen.

I'm surprised they haven't announced any Australian shows yet. They have a big fanbase here, haven't been since 2010, and have done multiple UK/US tours in the intervening time. Pretty sure the tours are quite profitable too, as ticket prices here are much higher (although part of that is eaten away by the distances involved).

I think Jim's playing his own game (nothing wrong with that).

My list, with the other songs I considered listed in descending order of preference -

1. At Least That's What You Said (Art of Almost, Wilco (The Song), IATTBYH)

2. I MIght (Casino Queen, Kamera)

3. Spiders (Impossible Germany, A Shot in the Arm, One Wing, Monday)

4. Bull Black Nova (Muzzle of Bees)

5. Jesus etc (Hummingbird)

6. Handshake Drugs (Born Alone)

7. Heavy Metal Drummer (Wishful Thinking)

8. How to Fight Loneliness (ITMWLY)

9. I'm a Wheel (Pot Kettle Black, Standing O)

10. Walken (Theologians, ELT, Passenger Side)

11. Whole Love (What Light)

12. One Sunday Morning (Late Greats)

1, 3, 6, 9, 11 and 12 were line calls and would probably be different on a different day.

So sad for the Welsh, unlucky to get a red card, rather than yellow. Perhaps a repeat of the final last time it was in NZ.

Either way, history will be made tomorrow (NZ has never beaten Australia at the World Cup, and a team has never won the World Cup having lost a game). Going to be huge!

I assume you've all heard the version of Fake Plastic Trees that Jeff did at 7 Worlds Collide, or at some of the solo shows that followed. Any thoughts?

Unfortunatly I don't really know many non-local Wilco fans. Maybe I'll aim to make it in 2012 and hopefully by that stage I'll have found an opening somewhere.

Thanks for your answer, its a long way away but I feel really excited about it already.

I usually give people a compilation covering their whole career and then direct them to albums based on what stuff they liked. A lot of people that don't think they would like 'country rock' find they like Wilco's early stuff.

So, I've been thinking about how amazing it would be to go to one of the Letters to Santa shows. I know it costs a lot, but I'm sure I could swing it with some savings. Buuuuut I live in Australia, so what I'm wondering is, how does the auction work? Do you have to get 30 people together (which would be a struggle from here), or can you jump in with others? I guess I'm wondering whether its possible for anyone that doesn't live in or near Chicago to participate, unless they're willing to travel a a long way and hope.

Damn right. A really great band. Hopefully there'll be a decent sized tour.

Liam Finn (son of Neil) opened for the band on the Australian leg of the Aust/NZ tour at the start of this year. Hes also opened for them in the US before that.

Justin Townes Earle (they seemed to have a bit of a famous musicians very talented kid thing going on) opened in NZ.

Miriam Clancy (very very average NZ artist) opened for the band when they came to NZ in 2008.

So I guess they can be musical, like Jim Morrison on The Ed Sullivan Show, or non-musical, like Dylan getting the Beatles high for the first time.

 

If Bulfinch was a music critic, what stories would he anthologize?

Dylan playing Like a Rolling Stone at the Royal Albert Hall in '66 always gives me goosebumps.

Not quite on the same historic scale, but I always like listening to Pearl Jam playing Breath for the first time in 6 or so years after a big fan campaign(back in the days when they had songs they hadn't played for a while). Vedder to the audience - 'You f*cking c*nts. You c*cksuckers. We come up here and we give and we give and we give and you just want more. And you y'know what? You deserve it' (or something like that, I don't have the recording here to check), and then they launch into it and the crowd goes nuts.

Or the Pearl Jam show where the crowd got pissed off and started throwing shoes at them.

I guess I always like the shows/tours etc that are really confrontational between the crowd and the band. Makes for good stories, and I occassionally get sick of the fawning adoration some bands receive.

he did 'i threw it all away' too

...and I Shall Be Released

Still no news on a recording of this?

Also, I remembered having posted the setlist that he also played Jesus etc (which also wasn't on the setlist). Pretty sure it came after California Stars.

This is the policy:

 

PHOTO AND TAPING POLICIES (NOTE CHANGES AS OF March 2010)

Audio recording would be fine by me. I've seen Wilco three times, plus the three 7 worlds collide shows, and have only got one recording of them of any kind.

Jeff did make a cryptic reply to someone recording a song with his phone that made it sound like the show was being recorded. Perhaps a CD of the Union Chapel and Spain shows?

Great show, and nice of him to take requests (although my request - Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Dow - didn't get played). Complete setlist (grabbed a copy)

Someone Elses Song

Spiders

Be Not So Fearful (with Bill Fay) (Muzzle of Bees was originally listed for this spot but crossed out)

Remember the Mountain Bed

One Wing

Im Always in Love

Someday Some Morning

Laminated Cat

Via Chicago

Simple Twist of Fate

Bob Dylan's 49th Beard

The Ruling Class

Muzzle of Bees

New Madrid

She's a Jar (this was on the setlist but I can't remember if it actually got played)

Impossible Germany (Hummingbird was listed on the setlist, but he definitely didn't play it and did plat this (which wasn't on the setlist, so I'm assuming it was a straight swap)

So Much Wine (on the setlist as so much wire)

California Stars

A Shot in the Arm

I'm the Man Who Loves You

Acuff Rose

I hear you. And honestly, the band shouldn't plan their setlists for the people who attend multiple shows in a row. It seems like they plan them based on past shows in the area, which is really all you can ask for.

Saw them in Wellington a few days ago, and when someone yelled out a request (I couldn't hear what it was) Jeff replied that they weren't going to do it, but that they played it last time they were here. Given that was 2 years ago I assume he looked up the setlist before figuring out what they were going to play. Thats pretty good really.

Anyone know if this was recorded? I went to both shows and got to meet them on the plane, and make a request (which got played), so it'd be awesome ot have a recording as a souvenir (since I couldn't get a setlist).

Harsh, but possibly true. As there isn't much else to do in Wellington (the city where one busker with a guitar is known as a "Festival") I'm sure the setlist will be posted promptly by someone with nothing else to do (just joking my Welly friends)

 

I'm sure a proper setlist will turn up, but this is my best recollection of what was played, though the order will be wrong;

 

Opened with WTS

 

Then in VERY approximate order; BBN, IATTBYH, You are my face, One wing, Deeper Down, Handshake Drugs, A Shot in the Arm, I'll Fight, Poor Places, Reservations, Nothingsevergonna, Jesus etc, ALTWYS, Hate it here, Walken, Via Chicago, HMD, Hummingbird, Spiders, Monday, Outtasite, ITMWLY

 

Encore

Cali Stars

You Never Know

Hoodoo

I'm a Wheel

 

And yes, as mentioned in Russel Baillies review, the Jesus etc singalong was woeful so I'm sure Auckland will be dissed in the intro if they play it tonight in Wellington

Just added the setlist to the Auckland thread. I'm from Wellington, so fully agree that Aucklanders are useless about this stuff (getting a setlist at Auckland was easy, but there was a bring crowd waiting for one in Wellington).

I got a copy of the setlist:

Wilco (the song)

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

Bull Black Nova

I Am Your Face

One Wing

A Shot in the Arm

At Least Thats What You Said

Deeper Down

Handshake Drugs

Impossible Germany

I'll Fight

Poor Places

Reservations

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Hummingbird

Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway

Via Chicago

Jesus etc

Heavy Metal Drummer

Hate it Here

Walken

I'm the Man...

Monday

Outtasite

California Stars

You Never Know

Hoodoo Voodoo

I'm a Wheel

Went to both shows, and while they were both good, the Wellington crowd was much better. They certainly knew the words to Jesus etc. Was lucky and got to meet the band (plus JTE) on the plane to Wellington, and made a request (which got played!). The whole band were really nice which was awesome. I think the fact that the Wellington show was GA also helped - in Auckland the ushers were always rushing to get people into their seats if they stood up (which i can understand as it blocked peoples views, but I can also understand wanting to stand and move round to some of those songs).