M Christine

What a delight to share the rail with you theashtraysays! Beautiful venue, beautiful night, beautiful friends, beautiful band. Plus I got to properly break in a neophyte to rail protocol. 

Thanks for filling in for bbop.
 

(edited to add: I miss these smileys)

After kidsmoke invited me to help celebrate VC’s 20th birthday, I had to ponder a bit.

I became aware of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco in the early to mid 90s, after I got “cable” in my new house and started listening to the Americana station on my TV. Something about Tweedy’s voice tugged at a place I never knew existed in me.

It wasn’t until the late 90s I bought a computer, and in short order discovered the VC rabbit hole. I remember vividly the first time I posted. It seemed like magic.

Real life happened on these pages. People fell in love and married. Had affairs. Had babies. Died too young. I sought solace here after the death of my sister.

This virtual community was witness to so much. It was virtual, but inconceivably real.

All tied together by Tweedy.

It occurred to me several times in the past decade that our political discourse would have been far more informed, had some of the American populace cut their internet teeth on VC. A place where you better have facts straight before you get into a debate about music (or any other damn subject for that matter).

It is not hyperbole to say that this community changed the course of my life. My daughter Sarah played percussion on the Great Wall in China and in Carnegie Hall, because I started taking her to Wilco shows when she was 9, and she fell in love with the drummer.

Some people are nostalgic for high school or college. I was in my late 40s when I joined VC. I am nostalgic for those days.

Thank you Jeff. Thank you dear friends for all the fun and camaraderie. Thank you also to my birthday twin, Donna for keeping VC alive all these years.

I don’t think I can make this. 
 

😋

I don’t know how bbop can be expected to carry out his job responsibilities with that much harassment.

😄

I’m pretty sure the word was “studly”.

Either way.

At the Louisville show, after seeing theashtraysays was also keeping track of setlist and banter quotes, I asked him (in between tunes of course lol) if he was taking bbop's place, he said, "Nah. He's sturdy".

I was at the solo Springfield show where the guy jumped on stage and put Jeff in a neck-hold. I was also at the KC solo show where a dude heckled him about Bennett. It's abuse, and those of us who care about him feel quite protective of our humans, or ANY beings being abused. Pretty sure it would suck to have a stranger shouting at me, sick, in my work place about an intimate friend now dead. But Jeff, he's sturdy. 

Thanks bbop, for also being sturdy.

I can see "M. (hristine" still near the top of the top poster list and can see some posts in the poster history. Maybe you forgot your anachronistic spelling? Anyway, nice to hear from you. Ta-ra.

Andrew, indeed that must be the case. In my haste to post, I found the first login that worked. Nice to hear from you as well. 

Also, how bizarre that the board has erased my history here.

The slower arrangement of I'm The Man Who Loves You, coupled with Jeff's vulnerable reading, left me with full body goosebumps. 

Like bbop, we left a sweaty mess. What a tremendous, loose, happy show. I have been spoiled, I know, living in a city that Wilco frequents, and seems to feel comfortable playing. Last night seemed all the more poignant, knowing it might be a long ass time before I get to see the band again. Wishing you well, Wilco, in all of your various endeavors in 2018. You have given me so much joy.

bbop, always so delightful for Sarah and I to be able to spend time with you. Looking forward to the next time! xo