Shug

I failed to see Clapton on his From The Cradle blues tour in 1994. Show was sold out, but some tix were released afternoon of the show and I chose not to make the drive. I also failed to see him when Derek Trucks was in his band and they were doing Derek and the Dominos stuff. I've seen Clapton many times, but always with his lame, overly smooth bands, not his gritty real stuff. He'll probably never play like that again. I totally blew it.

Passed on seeing Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers on New Year's in San Francisco in 1991. I went to see the Grateful Dead as I always did. I'm not too into grunge or the Chilis, but if there ever was a time to see them, it was 1991 when Eddie Vedder was still climbing the rafters and to see all three of them together surely was fantastic.

When I was in junior high in 1978, I wanted to see Cheap Trick just after Live At Budokan was released. I had never heard of the other three bands on the bill: Blue Oyster Cult, Pat Travers, and UFO. My 11- year old mind would've been blown away to see all four of those bands in their prime had I convinced my Mom to get me to the show.

Asked out of sincere curiosity: There are two threads about Rookie Card doing shows covering Wilco that were posted by someone apparently from the band itself. Doesn't that fall under the category of self-promotion? Doesn't allowing those threads to remain seem like an inconsistent application of the rules against self-promotion?

For the record, I don't see anything wrong with the Rookie Card threads. Seems like something that would be of interest to Wilco fans.

Having not seen the original thread (or not remembering it off the top of my head), telling people to tone down self-promotion isn't a bad thing in order to preserve the community. This isn't a promotional site, it's a Wilco fan site; to keep the community alive, we need to keep it that way.

Well, in my opinion, there wasn't any self-promotion going on. The post was about a fan going to a bunch of shows wanting to meet up with other fans and inviting them to participate in a photo journalism project documenting the Wilco fan experience. I suppose I can see how others might interpret that as self-promotion, but deleting the thread seems pretty harsh. On other boards I'm a member of, that only happens when people start calling one another names and blatantly attacking one another. I say lighten up and make the board a welcoming place to people who are totally positive and excited about Wilco.

I would like to apologize to the VC community for the impression that my very first post had to some. Yup, my first post was removed from the site because it appeared that I was self-promoting for a book/blog. It was not my intention to promote anything. I'm not selling anything I was just trying to share my experience as a Wilco fan. I am following the band for their 6 dates in May and I was trying to meet some fans before I started the journey. Since my first post I did meet a fan who invited me (along with 30 other fans) to a Texas BBQ before the Denton show. That's Texas hospitality for you.

Anyway VC I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Thanks to my Monitor for the kind words. So....is there anyone else out there traveling to the six shows. I think I'm most excited to go to Cains in Tulsa. It's the only GA tix I have.

I read your first post and personally I didn't find it out of line or offensive in any way. IMO, you have no need to apologize. In my experience, the moderators on here are kinda anal-rententive. I think your idea of documenting the fan experience with photos and writings is a cool one and I thought reaching out here for participants was a completely appropriate gesture, for whatever my opinion is worth (not much). Have a great time seeing all those shows, sounds like a blast. I look forward to the results of your efforts. You could PM me about it when its done instead of posting here since that apparently is frowned upon.

I think it's an awfully big assumption to make that Wilco isn't "putting 100 percent into everything". I don't get the impression that anybody in that band is settling for anything less than putting everything they've got into their musical endeavors. Whether or not the end result fits any one person's particular taste, or what Wilco should sound like based on some notion that the earlier albums are the "valid" Wilco sound, is a very subjective thing.

 

I became a hardcore fan shortly after Sky Blue Sky was released (after finally seeing a live show), and this incarnation of the band is all I know, which gives me a much different point of view than somebody who has been listening from the beginning. I've listened to tons of shows from every period, and have found things to love with every iteration of this band. That being said, I really love what both Nels and Pat bring to Wilco, especially in a live setting. I disagree with the idea that Nels to "too good". I think he's a perfect fit, and represents an evolution in the sound of the band (that I happen to like). To me, Wilco just sounds like a band that has members that have personally and musically matured, and I'm okay with what's been described as the "dad rock" sound (even though I don't find that term very useful). For some people, Wilco's new music sounds less vital, and I'm okay with that opinion too. I used to be a huge Pearl Jam fan in high school, was with them from the earliest days, bought every import I could find, convinced myself that any obscure crappy B-Side (Bee Girl, WTF?) was gold...and then, suddenly after the 4th album, they just lost it for me. My relationship with the band changed, they got older, I got older, etc. It happens. I look forward to Wilco's next album, whatever it may sound like.

Very well said, sir! I agree on nearly every point. To me, Wilco's strength is as a live band. To my ears, none of their studio recordings from any phase in their career explode with energy like many live performances do. So I don't care too much about the sound of the new record, I just want them to keep playing amazingly great live and I'll be more than happy.

I wonder if there is still a chance they will play the Whitewater in New Braunfels, TX in addition to the other Texas dates or if that fell through? I gotta look at a map of Texas to see where Denton is. Cain's sounds fantastic, though. Might shoot for that one.

MODERATOR EDIT: Jump ahead to this post for announcement of US dates: http://forums.viachicago.org/topic/44796-2011-tour-dates/page__view__findpost__p__1454073

Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, TX is mentioning a Wilco show in May 2011 on their Facebook page.

If this is happening, I'm thrilled and am hoping for some more shows in Arizona around that time.

Anybody else got any info on 2011 tour dates?

Nice review and comments, Shug. Yours is the post I've pictured myself writing about this band many times from the point of view of a grizzled veteran of hundreds of shows for over 30 years. I first saw Wilco opening for The Jayhawks back when AM came out, and noted then what a tight band they are live. What they have evolved into now is truly something special and spectacular. Caught 2 shows earlier this year on The Evening with... Tour. Truly amazing.

Thanks! When I look at the comments on all the Wilco videos on YouTube, there are a lot that are similar to stuff I'm saying. Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about Wilco! I'm a big Jayhawks fan, too, I know there is lots of overlap between those two bands' fanbases. How cool to have seen both bands at one show back in those days.

Nevermind Walsh, Frey or the Black Crowes. The lineup you have for the day Wilco is playing is phenominal. Calexico opened up for Wilco on the Ghost is Born tour and I have become a huge Calexico fan. They are absolutley fantastic live. I also see Devotchka on the list. Another unique band who plays awesome indie folk music. They are from Colorado and they are multi instrumentalists as well. An aboslutly fantastic bill! If I was going I would just be seeing those three bands lol.

I guess I have different tastes, because I could not wait for both of those bands to get off the stage. Calexico, boring, Devotchka, excruciating! The New Mastersounds, however, were great. They played a side stage and are devotees of The Meters and Booker T and The MGs. Funky jazzy 60s R&B instrumentals, really a great vibe and a fun dancing scene.

Yeah, the setting was amazing, it was a great drive up from Arizona through the gorgeous Colorado countryside and it was really nice to be outdoors, up close to the stage without too much effort and to have really good sound.

As I said in another thread, I’ve really gotten into Wilco since I picked up Ashes Of American Flags DVD and this show was the first I’ve been to since then. I had previously seen Wilco in 2003 and was not terribly impressed back then. Based on Kicking Television and the Ashes DVD, I’ve done a complete 180 since then and I think the band has evolved into something very special with the current lineup. I was hoping for a show that I’d find as exciting as the performances on Ashes.

Frankly, this show blew me away, leaving my jaw hanging open in amazement at how frickin’ tight Wilco are and grinning like a fool at how hard they rock out when they build up a head of steam. I was pretty sure I loved Wilco before this show, now there is no doubt. I'd follow this band from city to city or see multiple nights in a heartbeat. I’ve been a hardcore rock fan for more than 30 years and I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of concerts in the past 28 years. I think I know what a great rock show is and I do not exaggerate when I say this Wilco show is in my top ten of all time. Now for sure I’m a Wilco newcomer and I’d guess this was just a typical show for them, but I sincerely feel like I was watching one of the greatest rock bands of the past 30 years. I was thrilled with the standards like Handshake Drugs, A Shot In The Arm, Heavy Metal Drummer, Impossible Germany, via Chicago, etc. and was deeply suprised at how great stuff like Box Full Of Letters, I'm Always In Love and You Never Know were. Songs like Theologians and Hate It Here really came to life seeing them in person, even more so than watching them of the DVD. When they started playing Kingpin, my wife and I were jumping up and down like schoolgirls, we were so excited and happy to be hearing one of our two faves (the other being Monday, which they didn't play). I had requested Kingpin on wilcoworld.net, not sure if that had anything to do with it, but its nice to think they pay attention to what their fans would like to hear.

I think Wilco is the tightest live ensemble rock band I’ve ever seen and I've seen The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, and many many others many many times. I could not believe how synchronized and perfect they were, even when they were rocking hard. And as perfect as they sound, it doesn’t sound clinical or over-rehearsed. It just sounds like they have musical telepathy from playing together, listening carefully to one another and consciously working out complex arrangements. The guitar arrangements were stunning especially on Impossible Germany and the guitar duel on Hoodoo Voodoo. I loved how the show gradually built up to a crescendo. The last 10 songs or so were like a freight train. Glenn and John are a mighty mighty rhythm section. When Glenn starts pounding it out so hard, I think he's one of the best drummers in rock. John's bass playing can be so melodic even while his timing and groove are so spot on. Nels' manic guitar solos stand out so brilliantly when the rest of the band is riffing hard behind him. Mike's keyboards are subtle, but still a really key component to the overall sound. Pat really is a musical backbone of the band, too. I loved his solos in Hoodoo Voodoo, great stuff. And Jeff's vocals are always soulful, whether he's playing a weird and introspective stream-of-consciousness song, folk rock, or straight up rock 'n' roll. I f#@cking love this band!

I could really go on and on about why I think Wilco are among the best live rock bands of all time, but I'm preachin' to the choir. I was just utterly blown away and I'm so happy to have another band to follow that gets what real live rock music is all about and is still going strong (especially with The Black Crowes going on hiatus after this year). This review may be a bit over the top, but I don't say these things lightly. Maybe you remember the first time you really "got" Wilco in person and you'll know how I feel, still coming down from the high from this show. When's the next one?!?

Nevermind Walsh, Frey or the Black Crowes. The lineup you have for the day Wilco is playing is phenominal. Calexico opened up for Wilco on the Ghost is Born tour and I have become a huge Calexico fan. They are absolutley fantastic live. I also see Devotchka on the list. Another unique band who plays awesome indie folk music. They are from Colorado and they are multi instrumentalists as well. An aboslutly fantastic bill! If I was going I would just be seeing those three bands lol.

The Eagles are washed up, IMO, but if you haven't checked out The Black Crowes' live show in awhile, you might want to consider it before you write them off, especially the acoustic sets they've been doing on their current tour and their new "acoustic-live-in-the-studio" career retrospective, Croweology. For me, the three best live bands in rock today are The Black Crowes, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket (highly subjective and indicative of my taste for roots-based, soulful, 70s-ish ensemble rock music)

I'm looking forward to checking out Calexico. I've never seen them, even though they are from AZ where I live right now. I'm not too into Balkan/Eastern European folk rock, but maybe Devotchka will surprise me.

Wishful Thinking is currently the top request on WilcoWorld.

Can't find the request section on WilcoWorld. Link? Thanks!

Thanks, glad to hear that one-off shows might have interesting setlists and that Wilco are probably still on a roll from recent summer shows.

Yeah, those 38 song setlists from the "evening with" shows look monstrously good. With shows like that (two long sets, and multiple encores with multiple songs in each) I think Wilco can claim the title of hardest working band in rock, having taken it away from Springsteen! I don't think we're gonna get that at a festival, but even their regular setlists are very long. I'm hoping to hear Monday and Kingpin, although it looks like they haven't played the later in awhile.

I'll do what I can to report back after the weekend, if someone hasn't beat me to it.

We are getting ready to drive up to Colorado from Arizona to see the show this weekend. Its only going to be my second time seeing Wilco, the first was in Memphis 2002 on the roof of the Gibson Guitar factory. I've really gotten into Wilco since the Ashes of American Flags DVD, I think the band was in a really great place on that tour and I'm hoping its gonna be more of the same in 2010.

I'm wondering, since this show is kind of all by itself in time and not part of a bunch of shows close together, if Wilco are gonna come out firing on all cylinders or if its gonna take them some time to get warmed up and loose. How do they usually do after some time off? Maybe a lame and impossible to answer question, but I'm pretty excited for the show and I'm hoping they will rock out.

Anybody else going to this show?