woman at the bar

I had such a good time with You People. The line between hot and cozy melted. And the More Like The Moon stands out to me among the other gems. Can't express enough thanks to Sam and Sooz and Sue and Jeff and Zelda. And the little pies were the icing on the cake, if such a thing can be said.

I was torn between that request and the couple I had in the back of my head all summer, so I was relieved when Judy used it. Those Spanish guitar solos - I could listen for hours.

I confirmed my suspicions on WilcoBase - aside from a couple performances in 2006/07 there would have been no way for me to see Jeff play Via Chicago solo, so it was very appropriate for me to finally see him play it - in Chicago, with my friends, in my friends' basement. That song became a big part of settling in this city and the dear friends I've made in the last 7 years.

having a nice time reviewing the photos and great memories from the night. Thank you Hotel S&S for hospitality over the years, thank you friends for having such great taste in food and music and for making the trip to Chicago, and thank you Jeff and Susan for the music, the shows and your generosity. Maybe not quite Ladies and Gentlemen, but we certainly wouldn't be here it wasn't for you.

Hi hi - looong time no post. I need help with the Uncle Tupelo song, Acuff Rose. I would like to use it in my wedding (not necessarily as a highlight piece for a dance or entrance, but it will have a special place in the night) and I can't find "the best" version.

I have various live versions of Jeff solo, and most of them are usable if I can figure out a way to cut down the crowd cheering (it can be pretty jarring considering it will be playing from an amplifier). I love the versions of his raw, almost acoustic vocals where he really belts out the lyrics, and of course the energetic guitar strumming along with the delicate picking...

do you have any favorite versions?

I recall seeing a small company named "Wilco" on Irving Park road (nw side of Chicago) and always hoped Jeff got the name from that.....

look closer - I think it's actually called Wilcox. It's a real estate broker office.

But hey, he did ask me if it was ok if he played the quiet version. I could've opted for the loud and raucous rendition.

either that or he was "warning us" about the volume levels... (his or ours )

This song was gorgeous. I thought I would've needed the 2nd Spanish guitar solo, but I was wrong. It was presented perfectly.

"Thirteen" was the 13th song of the night. Now THAT'S weird.

spooky.. and it was almost the 13th of the month!

I know it comes around every year right about this time, but the PCD is settling in hard and fast as I bid farewell to the final guests of the weekend this afternoon. These weekends, and especially the show itself, always go so fast (despite the minimal hours of sleep we manage to carve out) so you would think I'd get use to it...

Unwelcome Guest truly was ethereal, and Simple Twist of Fate was perfectly executed. I hope Jeff didn't feel too obliged with the "off the book" requests, but start to finish, I'd say the song ideas and Jeff's performing couldn't have been better. The timing was clock work when Laura requested More Like the Moon (so exquisite in the quiet, exact delivery) and it opened up the tie I had going in my head for an Uncle Tupelo song.

The opening words to the night can't leave my head, and it pretty much sums up my 2008 Basement Show experience:

"Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine

There's somethin' special on my mind..."

You spend your life growing up and listening to music. Standing in front of mirrors using a hairbrush as a mic. Using Dad's tennis racket as a guitar. Imagining what it would be like to be on stage with the musicians that affirm life for you. And then, in a suburb somewhere north of O'Hare in Chicago, 25 years after you first put a tonearm down on a record, a childhood dream comes true.

 

I've sat with my guitar and played and sang Someone Else's Song about 1500 times on my couch at home over the past few years. Last night I accompanied Jeff as he played it. I let him take the vocals.

 

A quick fist bump from Jeff before we got started, and a little bit of a mixup on capo placement, but then we were off. No words can describe what it felt like to stand next to him with a guitar in my hands. When he sang the opening words, I heard those words like I've never heard them before. Not through the mic/amp as I've heard it so many times before. But as a musician standing next to him on a stage. His voice startled me with its power. I can't describe it any other way. I kept focused though (somehow) because I knew this was being recorded. I tried to soak in as much of the moment as possible. One slight glitch at the end of the song that I dont know if anyone else noticed, and then the song ended, followed by (and maybe it was in my mind) an eruption of cheers that startled me back into reality. A quick gratuitous bow, another fist bump and quick hug with Jeff, and then me and my trusty guitar headed back to my seat. I don't remember if my feet touched the ground on the way back.

 

I can't thank everyone enough -- Erin and the Colemans for hosting, Wendy/Edie for pulling this off, John and Jenny, Skyflynn/Kevin and Amy, Jules and Jenna, Neil, Tweedling, Warner, and everyone else -- too many to mention -- whose kind words and encouragement gave me the guts to ask Jeff if he wouldn't mind a partner for Someone Else's Song. Thanks to John and Melissa and Brian for the beautiful souvenirs. I hope I am getting everyone's names right. Last night was a whirlwind. Of course, thanks to my wonderful wife, who promised me that I could pull it off. And who was probably as nervous as I was while she snapped pics and tried to get some video on our camera.

 

I will post something soon about the rest of the night (sorry to be so narcissistic ). We had a long trip back and I need to go take a nap. But while I am still on a high, I wanted to get as much down about that moment last night as possible. I am desperately trying to hang on to every second, every moment. I don't want any of it to fade.

 

Thanks Sue. Thanks Jeff.

 

--Matt

Great Post

There was a story in the NY Times Sunday magazine a couple of weeks ago which discussed this e-mail. They referenced a study where older people were shown a series of statements about health-related issues, and were then told clearly whether the statements were true or false. Some of the false statements were shown multiple times, each time clearly stating that this claim was FALSE. Afterwards, they asked these people to look at some statements, and say whether they thought the statements were true or false. The statements which had been shown the most often were the most likely to be believed to be true by the participants, despite having been told repeatedly that the statements were false (this effect was less prevalent in younger test subjects).

 

The researchers said that what seemed to be happening was that people get a thing stuck in their head, the more often it's repeated to them, and that after a while all they can remember is that they've heard that somewhere, from more than one source, and that therefore, it's probably true.

 

And unfortunately, the same will likely be true for some people who have received this e-mail. Unless a strong rebuttal goes viral in the same way that the original has, there will still be some people who, despite having been shown solid evidence that it is not true, will go to the polls with the phrase "Obama is a Muslim" stuck in their heads.

how awful to know that political teams then take this right into guerrilla marketing...

Alison, you could do Clara Schuman in a jiff! and what better than to represent the "high priestess of music" !

i have no ideas.

I think you'd make a great Patsy or Vicki Sue Robinson

nara leao

edith piaf

Selena

kirsty maccoll

karen carpenter and just wear a baggy dress with circles under your eyes

more ideas here!

http://www.geocities.com/trcoleman.geo/dea..._musicians.html

how scary! not that you haven't already Dunja, but hug Tara so hard it almost hurts (well, there are probably a lot of hurts right now.. maybe wait until she's healed more). So glad to hear that both are walking after a site like that accident.

"...Than all words aside,

Take care

Please take care..."

But I do remember that entire road trip as a series of "we got lost!" stories from the kidsmokes and jimtweedy. Did they find your place OK?

oh man, I totally forgot about that. Hilarious.

Do you still play "piggyback" on your road trips? I had such a nice time in that mini-van with everyone.

explodo needs to bring back his american flag avatar.

 

remember when we all did one to copy him?

another prank I forgot. I loved reading about his string of trials and tribulations for a while there. (something about a fight on the sidewalk, and a few other problems that were actually kind of bad but the way he told it was just too funny to not chuckle).

I still have some Wilca buttons. I think one of them is still pinned to my bag.

I joined in January of 2003. I know I joined on the same day as Natalie (Saint Genevieve), and maybe also Kristina? If not, within a day or two. I think I found a link to VC from Jane's old Timeline site.

you've put it together quite well! I joined here probably January 10 or 11 because a friend of mine knew I had really been getting into Wilco before I left for Europe in the Spring that year and being on the road kept me out of the loop. He knew I was a Ryan Adams junky (we met via the RA board the Spring of 2002) and that I was getting into live recordings so he referred me to VC because the recordings for the 3 Vic shows had just come out. I had been back in the states for less than a month, unemployed and hungry for music news.

I remember the afternoon when I actually joined (how weird is that?). The board was that yellowish color someone posted from the archives and Narziss welcomed me and told me to pull up a stool (for the woman... at the bar )

I remember reading about the Great American Music Hall show and the buzz from everyone in the days after the show (Sam saying she finally saw "California Stars" in California, HMD played twice, Alison and Jasmine telling stories about waiting in line). I remember "meeting" Mart after I read a touching post of his and we exchanged pm's. Brianne and I also exchanged long chats about Ryan Adams and this new-found addiction that was VC. It was a fun time.

Little did I know that it would mean probably a good year of seriously low productivity at a job that wasn't taking me anywhere, the driving excitement behind an impulse 22 hour whirlwind trip to Chicago to see the Minus 5 and Wilco at the Abbey (I will never forget being what I now consider totally turned around in the city, following Sam's helpful CTA instructions to the blue line Addison stop and walking down the streets to turn the corner and see all of these people in person for the first time. I was nervous and excited, both for the daunting assembly of people who could be new friends, and for the fun rock show right up front at the Abbey Pub! It was the first rock tourism Kodak moment for me, and I really enjoyed having interesting talks getting to know Heidi and Uyen), or that eventually the people from the board would be my friends and roommates in the aforementioned whirlwind city itself!

wow. memory lane. I know it's the kid in me that never tires of that kind of thing, but it's exciting to recall the tale again. It's been a lot of fun, and pretty special.

Hey, I'm supposed to be Behind the lens! I've added to the gallery, some from night 4.....

 

Same link as before, go towards the end...

I see Kingpin yelling. what fun!

Nostalgia, indeed! WATB busts out the Airstream trailer -- I feel like it's 2003 again!

haha. felt like going back to the good ol' days

yep, nostalgia definitely sets in

good thread Alison. I love this stats stuff

fyi, you've got the opener and closer switched

 

alright, all that's left now is:

 

 

 

if they keep up with unplayed songs like they have, tomorrow night is going to be unreleased and b-side heavy.

and I'll take these with a cherry on top:

pieholden suite

less than you think

venus

more like the moon

woodgrain

at my window

wowee zowee

I have a Monday night ticket and am looking to trade it for a Wednesday night ticket for Wilco at the Riv Feb. 20

email me at

k m h a h n 9 6 @ g m a i l . com

or pm me

Thanks!

Ah, birthdays! Ah, life!

 

Have a wonderful day, K!

that quote has gone a long way on short miles. I love it - and it's still so appropriate.

Thanks everyone for the kind wishes. I had such a nice day and well, yeah, a happy week. Life is great, and I don't feel a day older (not that it matters if I did)

Cheers!

My deepest and sincere condolences to Natalie's local friends and family and especially to everyone here who maintained your friendship with Nat. She really was a special gal - I met her in Portland once. My fondest memories though are of playing around here on VC, swapping stories about Collin Meloy or the wacky culture of message boards (I remember a book discussion somewhere in there too), trying to soak up her appreciation of Robyn Hitchcock (she was the one who notified me about the connection to bees!), and appreciating her artistic interpretation through the tin foil sculptures.

It's strange - over the years I would have fears about this type of thing happening to the community we fostered. It totally sucks that it has actually struck our group.

St. G, you touched countless souls and now as much as we can't let you go, I hope yours is at peaceful rest.

I was meant for the stage,

I was meant for the curtain.

I was meant to tread these boards,

Of this much i am certain.

I was meant for the crowd,

I was meant for the shouting.

I was meant to raise these hands

With quiet all about me. oh, oh.

Mother, please, be proud.

Father, be forgiven.

Even though you told me

'Son, you'll never make a living.' oh, oh.

From the floorboards to the fly,

Here I was fated to reside.

And as I take my final bow,

Was there ever any doubt?

And as the spotlights fade away,

And you're escorted through the foyer,

You will resume your callow ways,

But I was meant for the stage.

The heavens at my birth

Intended me for stardom,

Rays of light shone down on me

And all my sins were pardoned.

I was meant for applause.

I was meant for derision.

Nothing short of fate itself

Has affected my decision. oh, oh.

From the floorboards to the fly,

here i was fated to reside.

And as I take my final bow,

Was there ever any doubt?

And as the spotlights fade away,

And you're escorted through the foyer,

You will resume your callow ways,

But I was meant for the stage.

take two of those - you deserve it on your big day!

Happy Birthday Fraggle Rock. I hope you get a giant nerd.

"Being There" is my favorite Wilco roadtrip choice.

definitely a good one for wide open spaces. I used that when I would go up to Bozeman Montana from Denver. Those lone nights in the car are one of my most memorable road trips.

for me, it's anything Built to Spill - especially Perfect From Now On

of course

thanks