bustedafternoon

I've seen Wilco like a billion times, and last night's show in Oakland, stands as one of the best. May have been the best Wilco show since the Bennett era. Outstanding. "Via Chicago" sent a chill down my back that I can still feel.

1 Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You

2 Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

3 Jason Isbell - Reunions

4 Run the Jewels - RTJ4

5 Bill Callahan - Gold Record

6 Jeff Tweedy - Love is the King

7 Liz Pappademas - Rock Record

8 Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

9 Kenny Roby - The Reservoir

10 Kevin Morby - Sundowner

Just one person's story : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r95Jv3zczLo&t=4s 

These are great. Thanks for sharing, everyone.

One last lame plug....my take on how Jay (Farrar) and Jeff's records rank, 15-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fONwt9xoWM&t=1151s.

I hope the film still gets made, and I don't know the team behind it at all, but there's a reason I never contributed to the Kickstarter despite my love of Jay B.......can't pinpoint what it was....just a feeling.

I hate to do a repeat of the Wilcopedia topic, but....

I backed the initial Kickstarter, coming on three years ago now, and I have to be honest, I've been pretty disappointed with the lack of updates. Especially since some of the few updates we have received have been promoting the filmmaker's other movies. For instance, in March 2018 he posted two updates, one saying they found new interviews of Jay and the other promoting a Kickstarter for an unrelated move. Then eight months later, we were told they were in the process of shooting a few more interviews and cutting the film. No updates to Kickstarter backers till March 2019 when he posted about a movie called Pizza A Love Story, and didn't even mention the Jay doc. No further updates till July 2019 when he posted that animation was taking a long time. So from March 2018 to now, we've had exactly one (vague) update about the film. This goes right through June 2019 which on the original Kickstarter was suppose to be when backers would receive their signed DVD. The release date came and went, eight months ago(!!!!!) with zero explanation. Looks like a trailer is posted on the new Kickstarter to help raise funds, but no footage, trailer or otherwise, has been sent to the original backers.

Now he's asking for MORE money, but has yet to post to the first Kickstarter about it and explain to the original backers why he needs more money. The new money is supposedly for animation but he was clearly working on animation last summer... so what changed?? According to the new Kickstarter this is for interviews discovered last year that were from "One while Wilco was recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, another from shortly after he was fired from the band, and the last from a few years later". Which sounds exactly like the update from almost two years ago in March 2018 where he said "Hours of never-before-heard interviews with Jay Bennett (during Wilco, right after the split, and a few years later)." So what was it, a year ago, or two years ago? Why is this taking so long? Why wasn't the original $28000 raised enough for animation since the movie, according to the creator, was already mostly shot and in the process of being edited before the original Kickstarter even happened? Where did that money go? 

The new Kickstater has a section called "What Happens If We Don't Reach Our Goal" but it only talks about your credit card not getting charged, it doesn't mention if this film will even happen or not. The new Kickstarter also threatens "So, let’s aim for $22,500 and there won't be a need for a third Kickstarter!", I should mention that $22500 is currently seven times what the Kickstarter is at with just over a week to go.

The whole thing has left a sour taste in my mouth.

But I am relieved to hear that kidsmoke liked what she saw. Was there Jay-era Wilco music? Were Jeff/John/Glenn interviewed? 

If you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rLjeGfaKHE&t=71s.

Would love to hear others' stories.

1. Jason Isbell / Southeastern

2. Purple Mountains / Purple Mountains

3. Wilco / The Whole Love

4. The Jayhawks / Back Roads and Abandoned Motels

5. Bruce Springsteen / Western Stars

6. Sufjan Stevens / Carrie and Lowell

7. Josh Ritter / The Beast In Its Tracks

8. Bill Callahan / Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle

9. Jeff Tweedy / Warmer 

10. Chuck Prophet / Temple Beautiful

 

From the (excellent) feature in Uncut, Jeff says "Rock music has become boring to me" and "Nobody needs new Wilco music".

 

I don't mean to take this too seriously, but as a fan since 1994, I find him saying, "Nobody needs new Wilco music" to be a pretty crappy thing to say to his fans. "How To Fight Loneliness" helped me during a tremendously difficult time, as did all of "Being There." I was in NYC on 9/11 and "YHF" remains the album that is attached to that horrible time. I don't know, it just seems like a slight to his fans, especially those who have really been impacted by his music/words, to just say, "eh, whatever, this doesn't matter." It does matter, Jeff. Well, maybe a little less now.

Thanks for the tip!

Ode To Joy has taken longer than any other Wilco record to hit for me, but it has indeed hit and I love it. If I had to rank the Wilco proper records, it'd look something like this:

1 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2 Being There

3 Summerteeth

4 A Ghost Is Born

5 The Whole Love

6 Ode to Joy

7 Sky Blue Sky

8 AM

9 Wilco (the Album)

10 Star Wars

11 Schmilco

I got the CD and it's REALLY good. Does anyone know if this will get a proper release? It should.

I do wonder if continually minimal albums like this and Schmilco that seem to basically be Jeff and friends albums could lead to discontent among some members of the band.

I've wondered the same. These feel like solo records. Does Jeff really need the talents of Glenn, Nels, etc.? They feel absent for the most part.

My initial reaction is slight disappointment. That said, the songs, with a few exceptions, are sort of hard to digest, which often, in time, results in me liking an album. So I really can't say at this point, other than being underwhelmed at the outset (two listens). "Love is Everywhere" is fantastic but many of the songs just feel dull to me. I'm hoping this changes.

Nothing Jeff has put out since tops Star Wars. Some of the gushing reviews over this album feel a bit like the emperor has no clothes. Maybe some people have a strong personal connection or reaction to this music, that for others falls kinda flat compared to the past records. 

My copy of Ode arrives tonight. Can't wait. In terms of Schmilco and SW, I thought both were pretty weak. Schmilco had a few good songs and SW had a few more good songs, but overall, not up to Wilco standards. That said, I thought Warm and Warmer were great returns to form. Hoping for the same with Ode.

Those $500+ packages are just absurd. I understand that they have hardcore fans who will want exclusive stuff, but $500?!?! Come on.

Also, any word on Warmer on digital? Thought it was coming out 7/12?

How would the attendees say this year stacked up against others? I went 2013, 2015 and 2017, with 2013 being the best (covers show, first time, etc.).

My review: https://www.autumnsouvenir.com/blog/jeff-tweedy-s-warmer

I work in business development in tech/entertainment. Considering a change. Based on this thread, I guess I should teach!

I think it's better than Warm, which I liked a lot. Songs flow incredibly well and the songwriting is better.

Union is streaming at Garden & Gun's website.

I like the songs they premiered early, but overall, the record feels pretty stale. Songs like "Lady LIberty" are kinda brutal. The lyrics are pretty formulaic "protest" songs without much weight.

If they sneak out a new album and it gets a reasonable amount of attention it'll help.  The press from the book and Jeff's solo album has died down and probably isn't going to help sell Wilco tickets.  If there's not a new album or some sort of new gimmick we haven't seen yet, I wouldn't be surprised if they do smaller venues.  In any case, I certainly don't see them moving up in venue size unless there's a new album and it gets raves.

Yeah, agree. I think the sort of 2001-2011 decade, in which they could play pretty much anywhere, has ebbed a bit. Their audience is older and they're likely not attracting many new fans. I would love it if they went back to playing The Fillmore and similar venues .

In terms of venues, I wonder if Wilco will slip a bit in terms of size on the next tour. Here in the Bay Area, they last played two nights at the Greek in Berkeley. If memory serves, the second night was only about 1/2 or 2/3 full. On this tour, I imagine they can do one night at the Greek or maybe two nights at The Fillmore. I don't think they have the draw that they did years back.

Man, the four songs that have been previewed are all great. This sounds like Jay's best record in a long time.

And there's the Minus 5 "Down with Wilco" album released in 2003 which was basically a collaboration between McCaughey and Wilco with contributions from Peter Buck and Ken Stringfellow (of the Posies), and others.

"Down with Wilco" might be the most underrated record across everything that Jeff has touched. This record is VERY good.

I've been to the last three Solid Sounds and this feels right in line with previous years, in terms of quality of lineup. Jeff and co. do such a good job of currently relevant, historical classics and new/lesser known acts. I'd love to go again, but I'm likely going to sit this one out and look to return in 2021. For those who may be going for the first time, it's an incredible experience across the board: music, people, comedy, art, community. I've been to a fair amount of festivals and Solid Sound is far-and-away the best.