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jff

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Posts posted by jff

  1. 13 hours ago, Rusty Shackleford said:

    I wonder if part of it is about being easier on the crew.  This tour seems to be pretty rough on them, and maybe a static set list is easier to prep for?  I too hope they get more varied the next time out.

     

    That's definitely possible.   It could be that fewer songs means less gear required, which means less cargo space needed on the trucks, faster setup and tear down/set changes, etc. All of that makes for a little less labor for the crew, and a cost savings.

     

    I've seen Wilco tours where the amps, drums and keyboard setups are much larger.  I'd be curious to know if they went out with fewer guitars on this tour.  

  2. It'll be interesting to see if Wilco goes back to playing differing setlists each night on future tours.

     

    The  cynic in me might say they've been playing similar shows every night as a way to push people who want to hear the deep cuts to Solid Sound/SBS types of events.  

     

    Realistically though, the rigid setlists are probably due to lack of full group rehearsal opportunities thanks to Covid, and their full repertoire is not as stage ready as it normally would be.    

     

    I don't buy the argument some have made that they are being rigid just due to the time constraints of a co-headline tour.  There are tons of three and four minute songs that can be swapped in and out, leaving the set the same duration each night, and they can always cut a song or two if they're running up against a curfew. 

  3. 3 hours ago, bböp said:

     

    Anyway, thanks for filling in some of the details! I had always heard that Chastain Park venue was kind of suspect as far as audiences go (I don't remember exactly what shenanigan I was thinking of, jff, but maybe it was just someone's report on the annoying crowd from last time). Great to hear that the S-K fanbase represented and injected some energy at least.

     

     

    I think much of Chastain's reputation comes from their "season ticket" concerts, in which tables are set up in the pit area, and people are allowed to bring in food, beverages, tablecloths, candles, and whatever else they want.  This attracts people who are there more for a very high end picnic than a concert.   But even when they have no tables or picnic basket shows, like Wilco and other rock shows, the problem persists.  I've seen Neil Young get pissed at the audience and abandon quiet songs half-way through.  A friend told me about seeing people throwing cheese at Jethro Tull.  And even Garrison Keilor had a negative experience.  https://www.ajc.com/blog/buzz/from-the-ajc-archives-when-garrison-keillor-stormed-off-the-stage-chastain-park/oYYcN9ob4rZFbKtqsdvEBO/

     

    I'm glad to hear that there weren't those kinds of issues at the Wilco/SK show.

     

    I don't mean to suggest it's always like that, though.  I've seen some wonderful shows there with great audiences.

    • Like 1
  4. 18 hours ago, bböp said:

     Is this venue the same as the Chastain Park venue the band has played in the past? I've actually never made it there myself, but I remember there being a lot of audience shenanigans one time when they played at Chastain Park. Spill the tea, attendees!

     

     

     

    Yes, same venue.  They played here in support of Ode to Joy and Sky Blue Sky, and probably other times before that.

     

    I'm not sure what the audience shenanigans are that you're referring to, but Chastain has a long, well documented history of poor audience behavior.  Mostly people going there for a night out and paying no attention to the band, loudly conversing, and giving no respect to those who actually want to hear the music.  I've witnessed this myself almost every time I've been there, and it's so bad that the artists sometimes comment on it from the stage.  The venue is known as a nice place for a night out, so people go there just to be there, often with no interest whatsoever in whatever band might be playing.

    • Like 1
  5. My wife and I are booked.  We got cancel for any reason insurance, because our dog was diagnosed with lymphoma right after we booked this trip.  Depending on how she's doing at the beginning of January we may decide not to go.  Or depending on what the Covid situation is we may decide not to go.

     

    Surely it's possible to buy cancel for any reason insurance through a third party insurer.  And probably for cheaper than SBS offered.  We paid something like $200+ each for the insurance.  For the sake of comparison, my wife has been looking into a solo trip to Spain through Gate 1 Travel, and they offered an insurance add-on to the trip package for $109.

     

    Hoping everything goes according to plan.  At this point, the idea that we would get to go to Mexico and see Wilco and a bunch of other great music and have a healthy dog waiting at home for us is a pure fantasy.

    • Sad 1
  6. 1 hour ago, Analogman said:

     

    One of my very favorite Hendrix live songs is the version of Hey Baby he plays on the Flying V. 

     

    No doubt.  That remains the most memorable part of the film from when I originally watched it.

     

    As imperfect or downright terrible some of the Hendrix films may be, I have learned Dolly Dagger on guitar as a direct result of watching them over the last couple of weeks, so that's a huge win.  I have found that learning any Hendrix song, even the kindergarten versions I can manage, gives me tons of source material to make up my own stuff.

  7. 10 minutes ago, Analogman said:

    If you think that is corny - you should track down the actual Rainbow Bridge film and watch it. 

     

    Oh I have, though that was 30 years ago.

     

    I was hoping the Maui film was going to have the complete concert, but that isn't the case, at least not on the Coda version.  As a drummer, it's interesting to listen to the re-recorded drums and watch how closely Mitch Mitchell was able to duplicate his live performance (the drum recordings from the original concert were not usable).  Sometimes he's really locked in, and other times it's nowhere close.  I'm glad I watched it just for that.  

  8. I signed up for the Coda Collection so I could watch Jimi Hendrix Electric Church.  Problematic film for a number of reasons, mostly because nobody took filming the event seriously.  It holds local interest to me as an Atlanta guy, and had some of the best close-up footage of Hendrix's hands I've ever seen, which is fun if you're a guitarist.

     

    It's mind boggling how many Foo Fighters films there are on Coda.  You scroll through and it feels like every third selection is Foo Fighters.  

     

    There are also tons of other Hendrix films on there.  The recent Maui one is really corny.  Don't bother with that.  The Electric Ladyland documentary ("At Last...The Beginning") is really well done, though.    

     

    I decided to cancel my subscription after just one month, but I'll probably watch the Band of Gypsies film before the month ends.   

  9. On 6/4/2021 at 8:27 PM, illegalfireworksdisplay said:

    There were daily meetings for “Friends of Bill W.” Personally, I felt a little strange doing an all-inclusive resort thing 9 years into recovery so it was a relief to see this when we checked in. I went to the meeting the first day; it was a cool group and a great way to check in with my sobriety. It was a supportive environment overall—if you’re seeking support. I would also say that it just wasn’t the debaucherous event some might imagine. We’re all old now.

     

    Thank you for the response.  This is good to hear.  I'm glad you found it to be supportive.  Maybe we'll run into you in January.    

  10. 18 hours ago, kidsmoke said:

    Jeff, I hope your doggo's reports come back as benign or at least treatable! It's so emotionally hard when a pet is suffering.

    Does your wife feel ready to re-engage in person at her jobsite? I think we've all gone a bit feral in the past year and a half! Good luck to her.

    Last night's show was flat-out charming! I don't use that word for much but it totally fits here. Pat and Glenn were relaxed and enjoying themselves. Agreed on Pat's musical skills! His mouth trumpet rawks! 😄

     

    Thank you.  I feel like I've been grieving over the last year, noticing her getting older and slower and having a bad day every now and then.  I wish I could set that aside and just enjoy the time we have with her with no distractions or conflicted feelings.     

     

    Neither me nor my wife are ready to reengage.  I'll have to go back in a couple weeks, and I'm not looking forward to it at all.  There's no part of my job that I can't do 100% satisfactorily from home.   Our workplace is very old fashioned, almost military-like, and does not value flexibility for its employees, so it's going to be a tough and somewhat demoralizing transition.

  11. What luck to have tuned in last night! I've only watched a few of these shows, and never an entre episode.  I tuned in just in time for How to Fight Lonliness.  

     

    I really needed something like that to wrap up the weekend.  Today is "telework is over" day for my wife, and I had to take my dog in for cancer testing this morning, so I was feeling pretty sad about a number of things last night.  These performances and all the silly banter did a god job parting the clouds.  

  12. On 5/28/2021 at 3:02 PM, suites said:

    Anyone know how to get on a list for upgrades, in case anyone cancels?

     

     

    Cloud 9 customer service can provide you the upgrade request link via the portal you used to order your package.  

  13. 1 hour ago, dagwave said:

    Can’t Wait!
    There were off site daily morning excursions/ tours subject to “reservations” and additional fees plus an event for Positive Legacy doing environmental clean up with Jeff. Should be announced later I’m thinking. 

     

    Many non- alcoholic offerings from very skilled bartending crews across the resort.  Also saw a sign for recovery meetings on resort- Hard Rock should have info.

     

    Pumped (more pumped) to see Ms. Mavis added to the fun!!!

     

    Thanks, that is good to hear.   I know my wife wants to take me to one of the cenotes. She did one a few years ago with her mom and it has become one of the all-time travel highlights of her life.  I'm looking forward to hearing the details of the Positive Legacy project.  

  14. 1 hour ago, calvino said:

     

    Maybe Wilco can sub out the Wharf Rats ------ still going strong at GD affiliated shows.  I always thought that was one of the greatest things at a Dead show - always having them available. Oddly enough, the other thing was searching for and finding great looking mushrooms (though those days of me searching for those are long gone). 

     

    I was actually just thinking about that aspect of their shows the other day.  I was reading a discussion on a different forum about various things the Dead pioneered in the touring business, and it brought that to mind.  I remember hearing about the sober groups at their shows when I was in that scene in the '90s, though I didn't recall they were called the Wharf Rats.  That's a good, welcoming name.      

  15. I'm hoping to finally get to meet some VCers at this thing!   

     

    I'm curious to know from those who were there last year if there were any type of social meetups or support activities/resources for people with addiction issues.   Events like this tend to aggressively promote alcohol use, and a member of my party had to give up alcohol a couple years ago.  Do any of you who were at SBS or similar events at this resort recall if they offered any non-alcohol beverages that are a little more exciting than bottled water/soda/tea/coffee?  Like non-alcohol beer or alcohol free cocktails?

  16. We're booked.  The onsale for us was really hairy, and we got a worse room than we wanted at a higher price than expected.  Not exactly sure how that math works.  My brain is too fried from other life stuff right now to figure that out.  Nevertheless, we're very happy to finally be attending a Wilco festival, with an extra day on the front and back ends!

  17. We didn't go last year, and we have never been to Solid Sound (though we have traveled several times to see Wilco), but we are making plans to go to SBS this time.  Hopefully we'll be able to book one of our preferred room types during the general on-sale.  

  18. 41 minutes ago, SarahC said:

    Noooo… you’re thinking riverbend! That festival finally kicked the bucket after over 30 years or something. I have great memories from going as a kid, but the last 10 years or so they were booking awful acts. We used to sneak in through the aquarium loading docks after work. 
    the festival Wilco is playing is moon river. It was originally in Memphis, but I think it outgrew where they were having it, so it moved to Chattanooga for some reason. 
    i actually got to perform on the kids stage there in 2019. I had written a bunch of songs about animals for my job at the aquarium. 

     Riverbend, yeah, that was the one.

     

    This new festival sounds really good.  I would definitely go see Maddison Cunningham, Molly Tuttle, Seratones.  Maybe Dawes.  Maybe Lake Street Dive.  For me to even have heard of that many of the acts, much less be actively interested in seeing them, is a far better ratio than most festivals.  

  19. 6 hours ago, uncool2pillow said:

    Turner and King just getting in now is a travesty.

     

    King has been in the HOF as a songwriter since 1990.  This will be her second induction.

     

    I think they intentionally hold back worthy inductees so there will always be one or two non-controversial "cred" inductees each year.

     

    I'm convinced they also make sure to induct someone every year that will get people talking about how much the HOF sucks.  There's no bad publicity.

     

    Don't get played.

  20. 3 hours ago, SarahC said:

    Holy shit. They're headlining a small fest here in Chattanooga in September. Holy shit. 
    I have to figure out how to afford tickets. 

    It's at a little park downtown-- where my husband and I had our first date. The 2nd time ever Wilco will have played Chattanooga. The first was 1999 at The Bay (a heavy metal club that I never actually got to go to, because I was 11 in 1999). 

     

    Is that the River Fest, or something like that?  My wife and I drove up to Chattanooga in the '90s while that festival was going on, just as a coincidence.  When we pulled into the Aquarium parking around lunchtime the sound crew was blasting King Crimson to test the PA system.  Later that night we got to see James Brown from outside the fence. 

  21. 5 hours ago, nalafej said:

     

    That latest release front of house series is a show in Eugene about two weeks prior, September, 2003. Late enough in the YHF tour (if it really was that) that you got 3 AGiB tunes. Love that mix and some of those arrangements are a real pleasure to listen to.

     

    I remember there being some songs in the set that I didn't recognize, which I assumed at the time were from the upcoming album.  I can't remember what the songs were.  It was definitely a good while after YHF had come out.  I even remember talking to a friend well after YHF had been out, but before AGIB, and telling him that I had never seen Wilco, but was really hoping to, and being envious when he said he saw them in Atlanta in support of YHF.  So it felt like a long time had passed between YHF and when I saw them in Des Moines.  The show I saw didn't really feel like they were promoting any particular record.   

     

    EDIT:  Here's the setlist.  I do remember them starting with ALTWYS and knowing for sure it was a not yet released song.  

    https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/wilco/2003/val-air-ballroom-west-des-moines-ia-2bd65462.html

  22. I'm pretty sure YHF was when I saw them for the first time, too.  It was Jeff, John, Glenn, and Leroy, with Michael as an auxiliary member offstage.   We traveled to Des  Moines to see them at the Val Air Ballroom.  The opening band was Carla Bozulich's Red Headed Stranger, with Nels on guitar. 

     

    That trip was the beginning of a goal my wife and I made to visit all 50 states.  We had each been to probably half of the states prior to that, not all the same ones, and not together.  But we figured we could knock out the rest of the states together.  We've been working really hard on that since then (except for the last year thanks to Covid) and in one month we will complete our goal and visit our 50th state, on my wife's 50h birthday:  Hawaii  

  23. On 3/13/2021 at 10:45 PM, kidsmoke said:

     

    Nah, I'm sure she'd be "into" the "process" if you just explained. :banana

     

    I'll have to make sure she understands her motivation...which is to record garbage can percussion sounds on a recording that'll almost definitely never get any farther than my little Tascam recorder before Glenn Kotche does the same thing on a Wilco record that gets released world wide.  Just so I'll have bragging rights.

     

    With that understanding, she's sure to see the importance of this effort and deliver a performance filled with heart and soul.

     

    As a bonus, there's going to be a big electrical storm later this week, so we can go out there and do a storm version of it, too.  She won't mind getting soaked and possibly struck by lightning. 

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