Normal American

Powell's in Portland couldn't handle the traffic and their website crashed.  So they posted that they would have to find a new ticketing agent and try again.  It's a great bookstore, big, local...but has never attempted anything of this magnitude!  Good luck getting tickets!

As i post this my husband has been watching live Bruce Springsteen night after night via Periscope.  Does anyone know if Wilco allows this?  Has anyone used it?  It seems like a great tool to see what is happening as a band tours the world.  Apparently a person can broadcast live for a period of time (15 minutes?) and then someone else can do it.  If you have the app, or a website that links (like Backstreets does for Bruce....) you can watch 15 minutes segments amounting to a full show!  Seems awesome!

Also to say, speaking of filiming and phones, sitting in the back I could see how much of this was going on.  Alot.  When I saw Neil Young at Matthew Night Arena, 10,000 people (?), ushers went around and made people turn off their phones, and it didn't seem to take more staff than otherwise would be needed.

Sitting in the back, I didn't really hear the drama going on down front.  But i got the full effect of the set, which was A M A Z I N G.  I don't know exactly how they did it, but the leaves on the trees changed colors, and the background reflected a foggy, or sunny day, or twilight , or sunset, or fall colors.....A completely 3-D effect.  The band was all positioned right along the front of the stage, to make room for the set.  Jeff joked, "After our show will be a performance of a Mid-Summer's Night Dream."   Laminated Cat, Bull Black Nova and Spiders really used the set to full effect, with strobes, etc.  i hope I'm not giving anything away.

I've only seen Wilco for half a dozen times, so this was a fabulous show in my book.  Many songs that I'd not heard live before, a complete sing-along 2nd encore, and the band had the beginning-of-the-tour energy!

The whole summer season is challenging!  After two outdoor shows (Edgefield & Marymoor) this year, I think I'll save my money and travel to a couple of indoor shows in the future.  After hearing some tapes of shows in and around Chicago, I think I'd rather go to a concert with a saavy crowd who appreciates every moment and makes sure the band knows it!

Any more info on a Portland or Bend (OR) date or are they spending the weekend in SF?