Thanks for the extra notes, Ragtime Willie and jw harding. We were wondering if anyone/anything had been helicoptered in! I expected a requisite festival set but was delighted to get a real show instead. It was great to hear Nels rock out, Greg Leisz is one of my favorite musical sidemen, and I will NEVER say no to Wilco covering the Beatles. Sound Summit turned out to be a nice companion piece to the Fillmore shows, as well as an awesome show on its own.

Well done, Sandy!

More Random Name Generator I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Art of Almost Pickled Ginger Hummingbird Handshake Drug Cold Slope King of You Via Chicago Spiders Heavy Metal Drummer I'm the Man Who Loves You Impossible Germany Late Greats * "Jesus etc" was on the setlist but not played. Wilco came on at 6:30, preceded by only one other band, A Knockout Punch, out of Sweden. Imagine a slightly heavier-sounding Blink 182 - that's how they sounded. By the time Wilco started, the audience had filled out dramatically, and from our vantage, the enthusiasm was there, as heard in spontaneous audien

Dammit!

Snarting would also suffice.

Corrected it for you: You're not in the picture, though, Good lord.

My non-white parents would be shocked to learn that I (the photographer of the included shot) am now considered white.

I was wondering if any prigs would complain about all the covers at a show heavily billed as an all-request evening, again stated by Jeff at the top of the gig. They had me at Thin Lizzy, sealed the deal with Pavement, then encased it all in a candy shell with Daft Punk - and that's not including every highlight in between. This was one for the books.

An odd venue in a tertiary market turned out to be a really good time, thanks to the energy of the crowd and the band. I'm pretty sure the young fanboys next to me had hearts in their eyes at certain parts of the performance. But the low, waist-level stage gave us two runners: a tweaking lady who tried to get the setlist while the crew was readying for the encore and a second younger guy who thought he could do the same at the end of the gig. Let's just say the rolling lady contributed to my gambling losses for the weekend, as I incorrectly wagered she'd be able to keep it together during the

Oh, how I wish that had been a (taller, thinner, more sober) Doug Benson in the audience. I would've had a shit head for him!

Inspired by Renesmee,, I thought of the best shit head the other day: the Iowa caucuses (feel free to steal).

Ahem, the correct spelling is "spexxxy" ™.

Not sure if this has been posted, but Mavis and Jeff will be on Letterman next Tuesday (Oct. 5).

One musical highlight that stands out in my mind is "Dirty Old Town," unfailingly requested every year, but finally granted. It sounded great too! Every year we get to do this is a gift, but if this is indeed the last year of these shows, I can't imagine a better capper than the appropriately named Big Star song and our traditional "Candyfloss" jig. Oh wait, I can think of a couple of tiny details: maybe a stand-alone power generator for the soft serve machine?

For anyone in the Los Angeles area, Nels Cline and Jon Brion will convene for their latest night of completely improvised music at Largo at the Coronet this Saturday, August 28. It's hard to describe what they manage to accomplish at these gigs, except to warn you to check all expectations at the door. There'll be some rock, some esoteric stuff, and some random noises. However, they're also capable of exceedingly delicate and exquisite acoustic pieces. Really, your guess is as good as anyone's. This is actually their first show together in a year, and it's hard to say when they'll come back

Sorry for the lack of originality, but that setlist is truly jaw-dropping. Sounds like a great night!

The San Francisco gig turned out to be a mini Beulah reunion--I mean, even more so, what with two guys from the last touring incarnation of Beulah already in the band. Bill Swan chipped in on trumpet and backing vocals, and he generally goofed around with Miles. For the encore, they took and attempted requests from the audience (I got my "Silver Lining"!), and at the very end, they turned the mic over to a longtime fan who actually had a pretty good handle on "Maroon Bible." Miles joked that when the evening turns into Beulah karaoke, it's probably time to call it a night. Miles vowed that he'

I was hoping he'd crowd-surf across the floor. The audience's goodwill and appreciation would've carried him at least that far.

Er, does Steve Carell handle the vocals? Also, I need the Quatchi report for this show.

Though it could've been a major, major clusterfuck, the show at David Lam Park went surprisingly well. The crowd was enthusiastic, respectful, and supportive -- even Califone was shown plenty of love -- if also on the newbie side, with the older songs eliciting less of a reaction. In the end, it all worked out; there was no pushing, shoving, or the typical shenanigans you see at such events (Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, I'm looking at you), and we didn't even have to get there at a ridiculous time for a decent spot. The rain wasn't much of a factor -- this is, after all, winter in the P

Major (and very sweet) family vibe to this show, with Jeff dedicating two songs each to his sister and to Susan, as well as sharing some of Sammy's comments on the epic zucchinis vs. cucumbers debate. Seeing this gig made me realize how rare these solo shows are nowadays, so this one-off date was a welcome opportunity. "So Much Wine" was epic and timely, I hadn't heard any performance of "Country Disappeared" since Bridge School, and "Spiders" brought to mind those early performances of the song back in 2001 (!!). What a holiday treat!

Screw the one-week moratorium. I'll ask: WAS THERE A TAPER?

From MySpace: Nov 28 2009 8:00P The Melting Point Athens, Georgia Nov 29 2009 8:00P The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina Nov 30 2009 8:00P Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina Dec 1 2009 8:00P Bijou Theatre Knoxville, Tennessee Dec 3 2009 8:15P Exit / In Nashville, Tennessee Dec 4 2009 9:00P Headliners Music Hall Louisville, Kentucky Dec 5 2009 8:00P Bluebird Nightclub Bloomington, Indiana Dec 6 2009 7:30P Abbey Pub Chicago, Illinois Dec 7 2009 8:00P High Noon Saloon Madison, Wisconsin Dec 9 2009 8:00P Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, Minnesota Dec 10 2009 8:00P

I should know better, but this made me guffaw.

Pre-show means the Little Room is open for drinks (Guinness on tap, a limited selection of beers, champagne). The post-show varies depending on the performers. Nels and Jon didn't play after the main gig, but the bar was open for drinks. For Jon's regular Friday night shows, he'll play for another hour, give or take, in the Little Room. If you miss the Fairfax facilities, this is an extremely close approximation, only w/o the food requirements. The Little Room is startlingly intimate, and it pretty much allows for only acoustic performances. Also, the post-show is free and open to anyone who a