last cigarettes

Just got home from Yo La Tengo at the Paradise. A lovely way to cap Father’s Day.

WILCO! Down from Boston for the night, with my best buddy, who hasn’t seen them since ‘03. Should be fun…

Cortney Barnett! With my 13 year old son (who is a fellow obsessive). For Christmas last year I got tickets for us to see her at the Wang in February, and after band Covid cancellation, venue change, and many months of waiting, we’re finally here. First time seeing her since Solid Sound. 😎

Wrapped up Beach Road Weekend tonight on the rail for a great festival set from Wilco. Spiders was a happy surprise for a closer, especially AFTER I Got You. Other standouts from the weekend for me were Beck, Lettuce, Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris, Billy Strings, Shovels & Rope, Khruangbin, Bully.

Karate and Helms at the Sinclair in Cambridge.

WILCO!!! Also hopefully Sylvan Esso, if these thunderstorms could blow past. Neko’s set after her Substack hour in Courtyard D was also a very pleasant surprise. So nice to be back here- it’s been a long time coming. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hi friends (and siblings)! My wife and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this August (on Jeff’s birthday 🎂- we didn’t plan it that way, but it’s a fitting coincidence 😎), and we got passes as soon as they went on sale for the two of us to spend the weekend on the Vineyard with my wife’s brother and family, Wilco (and others). We can’t wait to celebrate… Which brings me to the hitch. We didn’t get passes for our two kids, anticipating that more affordable kids tickets would be available later (our relatives who live on the island told us that’s been the case for

Also saw Gunn/Parker at the Sinclair last night. Beautiful show.

Tim, how was TTB? And Dino/Lemonheads/Walker? My buddy and I were strongly considering the latter, but opted for Flaming Lips/Particle Kid at HOB a couple weeks ago instead. My long overdue first time seeing the Lips, and Wayne and Co. did not disappoint. Also thinking about TTB for Friday or Saturday- if anyone has face value tix they can’t use, please DM me. 😁

It’s finally here!!! (well, the on-sale, anyways. 😁) Can’t wait to see all your faces again.

WILCO!

JRAD! Just got home, actually. Quite a night. I’ve never felt so grateful to be under a giant tent. Can’t wait to go back there tomorrow…🤘🤩

Bbop, stellar recaps on this run as always- you’ve got such a knack for putting us there when we can’t be. Rest assured, you still have a loyal readership, even when we only post sporadically. Thanks for all your hard work. 😁 Glad you got a rocking Casino Queen- the encore from Solid Sound ‘17 (when it was sandwiched between Hate it Here and Hoodoo Voodoo) remains one of my all-time favorite show cappers. I’m mighty excited to see the Boston gig next week, and so itching to see the band again that I don’t think I’ll mind much if it’s still a greatest-hits-ish setlist wi

happy birthday, jeff! we wish we were spending tonight in boston with you and sleater-kinney (also our 18th anniversary ❤️), but instead we’re watching tweedy show reruns on the couch with our kids and our new puppy. it’s good to have a backup plan. we can’t wait to see you next summer...

i am indeed- JP resident for 17 plus years now, and grew up just outside boston. last night was my first time watching live in a little while, and i was so happy to catch that beautiful rendition of muzzle. i know that jeff is no longer accepting birthday requests, but if anyone wants to help send out brainwaves through the series of tubes, i'd be super special if we get to hear either acuff-rose or gun on thursday. i know he's played them both already. i'm just sayin'...

thanks for the kind words, guys. tim and vince, you have both always made me feel welcome in this community since i joined. monty, your level of deep appreciation and obsessive organization make you a welcome new friend- great to have you here. watching the tweedy show is also taking a little of the sting out of not seeing wilco and sleater-kinney in my hometown, on our anniversary (and jeff's birthday!), with my wife and brother-in-law and sister-in-law in august. i've never been more grateful that it's not an odd-year summer- i'm keeping myself hopeful with visions of joe's field next june

so well said. love to all...

so... long time client here. i've been mostly watching episodes on youtube rather than live, so i haven't been as connected with all of you as i wish i were. i also wish i'd been a little less shy at past solid sounds and other shows, and said hello instead of just smiling in the background (though my kids and i are in the group photo from last year- if any clients have a decent resolution copy that they'd like to send along i'd be much obliged )... i tend to be more of a reader (lurker just sounds creepy) than a contributor on VC. i seem to only post here immediately post-show (when i'm s

wilco again!

WILCO

any head who hasn’t yet watched the documentary “anthem to beauty” should seek it out. i haven’t viewed it in ages, but i still get chills thinking about robert discussing his lyric writing for american beauty. he was really tapped into some spring of eloquence that even he acknowledged “was not made by the hands of men”. that was my first dead album (dad’s old copy on my first turntable in 5th grade), and the gateway for years of amazing, ear-opening, soul-reorganizing music that has followed ever since. ripple, brokedown palace, attics- all still bring chills, but the most meaningful for me

such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there… rest well, robert. your words will live on to inspire and console far beyond your time on this marble.

iron & wine & calexico, andrew bird, at the (your bank here- currently rockland trust) pavilion in boston. too bad that despite 41 years of trying, i still can’t whistle. maybe i’m defective. i’ll still appreciate.

julian lage trio, at the sinclair in cambridge. mind blown.

it was a record release show for the new major stars album, in the tiny upstairs of the hong kong in harvard square. chris’ trio was tight and purposeful, mountain movers spun out some beautiful psychedelia, and then major stars came in like a guitar tornado. i can’t believe it’s taken me so long to see them live- i won’t miss them again (the new record is fantastic, BTW).