pnêyu

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 audience singalongs and aggressive clapping to the beat. We were treated to an "extended version" of "Art of Almost," per Jeff - granted, it had more to do with Nels' technical issues than with a new approach to the record. It all worked out in the end. Jeff also claimed it was the first time on the tour that he had asked the audience how they were doing, but he felt we were on his side.

 

One funny scene occurred during "Via Chicago," specifically the huge rhythmic din around the middle of the song. Two of the young security guards at the front shot each other quizzical looks, maybe a smirk, and craned their necks to see what the heck these American musicians could possibly be up to. It appeared that Wilco had grabbed their attention, at least momentarily.

Lost Love^

I Got You (At The End of the Century)^ ("This Is 40" arrangement)

 

Dammit! 

Thanks for the details, both Paul and Muzzle of Dan. Sounds like a blast! I bet that TTIG call-and-response bit could even make Don Draper laugh.  The details about him simply making fart noises reminds me of Dr. Spacemen and his Chatterton cigarette commercials: "Use the rectum you have instead of a mouth..."

 

Snarting would also suffice.

You're not in the picture, though. Good lord.

Corrected it for you:

 

You're not in the picture, though, Good lord.

That group and scene  looks whiter than a...well, whiter than a Wilco concert.

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 otherwise awesome show.

 

Also, unbeknownst to many of us, an entire jet lurked behind the stage, obscured by Wilco's stage decorations! It didn't quite make up for missing the Space Shuttle flying around the Bay Area this weekend, but I'll take what I can get.

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!

Was listening to Doug Benson's podcast this week, and Jeff Garlin was one of his guests. Jeff Garlin announced that he'll be starting his own podcast soon, and already has guests lined up, including Henry Rollins and Jeff Tweedy in January. Will be interesting to see if Tweedy manages to get a single word in a conversation with those two.

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

Are females going to start talking about how "spexxy" Tweedy is?

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 together for another show. Alas, my streak of hitting all their shows will be broken, as I can't make it to this gig. But if I didn't have previous plans, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I hope someone else hits this date!

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's never going to tour again. While I hope this isn't true, I'm glad I got to see him and his band all the times I did.

That kid was in another world as he was leaving the stage, and is not likely to forget that experience in a good many years.

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

my favorite was "At Least That's What She Said"

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 Pacific Northwest -- though it looked like Nels had to wipe down his guitar a couple of times during the set.

 

The band sounded great, and I think they impressed many of the first-timers. For example, the young boy (maybe all of 17 or 18 years old) in front of me remarked to his friend after "Impossible Germany" that he thought it was "the most beautiful song ever." I can't say I disagree with him.

 

A couple of the Olympic mascots played prominent roles throughout the show. Quatchi watched over Glenn and his drum kit, and his doppelganger sat in with Nels. Mukmuk presided over Mike's setup -- until Mike grabbed him as a pillow substitute for "Shot in the Arm" and dragged him (and Quatchi!) across the keys. Is that allowed in the Olympic bylaws?

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!

--happy birthday sung to Brianne--

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 The Waiting Room Omaha, Nebraska

Dec 11 2009 8:00P Granada Theatre Lawrence, Kansas

Dec 13 2009 7:30P The Parish Austin, Texas

Dec 14 2009 7:30P The Parish Austin, Texas

Kingpin ("livin' in Dublin," of course)

I should know better, but this made me guffaw.

review? Also whats the new skinny at Largo. How does the pre/post thing work in the little room?

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 attends the main show. It holds 60-odd people, but I have yet to see anyone turned away. Apparently, even on sold-out nights, most people opt to go home after the main gig.

 

The show last night was more collaborative than some of their more recent gigs together. There were no guests, and I felt they truly shared the spotlight. In all, they pulled off four "songs," including a 30-minute opener. For fans of more straightforward music (myself included), one of the songs was an acoustic guitar duet that may have leaned in the direction of Billie Holiday. I'm not sure about that, though--I'm an idiot when it comes to standards. Oh, and Nels played the drums!