M. (hristine

Just wanted to add my 2 cents for the archives.

I have been seeing Wilco live for nigh on 10 years now. To stand in the front row, dancing, singing and grinning like a fool at the singer who is singing and grinning back at me is the ultimate synergy, and the best reason for experiencing live music. Nels' new guitars, Glenn's mustache, the setlist, and Jeff's choice of footgear, all fall away for this innocent and simple transcendence. I love my friends and my daughter for sharing this night of sweaty fun, and for a band that is the best medicine I know. xo all y'all. You know who you are.

Ha.  I really miss this joint sometimes.

I am having a surprisingly hard time with this. I am bereft and weepy. I can only express this here, where I feel safe. I posted this elsewhere yesterday. I thought you all should know:
 "He was the one you were attracted to if you suspected that you weren’t exactly from around here."

That's kind of it in a nutshell. Watching The Man Who Fell To Earth when we were teenagers steeped the Bowie myth ever stronger. I am still not sure he wasn't an alien come to earth in search of water, creating

his own reality as he went along. And then to peel off yet another layer to exit this planet. 

Something in all of us fans resonated strongly with that magik. 

 

 

 

In the minus column, people sometimes suck. Especially people with a few drinks in 'em with no boundaries.  Jeff genuinely was startled by the crazy lady who somehow got up on stage and it reminded me of that situation a few years ago where he had to physically neutralize a drunk guy who jumped on stage with him and tried to touch him while he was playing "Airline to Heaven" (in Indianapolis? Do I recall that right?) Jeff actually seemed a little frightened and clearly wasn't sure what to do. He was totally right to turn down her request. The handshake guy, I just don't know what made him think that was a good idea after the nut who invaded the stage. The yelling lady, I just wish her friends would have told her to put a sock in it. And remember that these people paid a premium price to act like fools in a public forum.

 

These days, I frequently have the feeling that I am the last sane person on the planet.  Nights like tonight reinforce that there is a lot of crazy going around and it seems to be catching like wildfire.

I have actually been thinking about witnessing that incident in Springfield, Missouri, in light of world events. It's frightening how quickly things can go awry. I'm sure there is now a bit of trepidation in the back of all performers' minds. Jesus, people are fucking assholes.

At the Kansas City show, the night before Star Wars dropped, Tweedy was smiley the entire show. Smiley in a goofy, about to bust at the seams smiley. 

What a confident, gorgeous work.

SUPER Loose Fur vibes folks.

omg yes!

MChris is a Wilco fluffer?

 It was far too humid for any fluffing. The sweat was dripping in huge sparkling drips from Jeff's fret hand.

 

Just the facts, ma'am 

I just thank God you were there as Jeff's lyrics coach.

I'm so happy to see this amazing bunch is still here,and better yet they care as much as I do for them.

I apologize for any worry I caused

I'm so lucky to have people in my life as amazing as the VC crew...

Thank you for always being there

And of course putting up with my shananagins!

That takes a rare bunch of folks to achieve that task!

Thank you, Paul.

Oh Lotti I have such a girl crush on you. 

One funny bit from Banter Corner: When Jeff was introducing the band before Slow Love, as he usually does, he said Spencer was his son and then looked back at Liam and said "he's also my son, but from a different mother." (Jeff had joked at some previous shows that he and his wife had unofficially adopted Liam as their third son.)

 

Obviously Jeff was kind of going for a "brother from a different mother" sort of thing, but he quickly realized how his comment sounded and corrected himself. He joked that he'd have to call his wife (to clarify) before the show could continue. Lol.

Jeff seems to be trying to piece that whole bit together. At the Columbia show he introduced Liam the same way, adding that Liam had just shown up one day with a suitcase and stand up bass, and that was pretty much how one got to be a part of the Tweedy family. Spencer quipped something I couldn't hear, and Jeff said yeah Spencer came out of his mother's vagina with a suitcase and stand up bass also, but then retracted and said it was in fact a Caesarean, so we shouldn't be concerned.

Poor Spencer. 

Here's my review + photos. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.speakersincode.com/2014/06/concert-review-photos-set-list-jeff.html

Complete setlist for posterity:

01 - Down From Above

02 - Diamond Light

03 - High As Hello

04 - Desert Bell

05 - Flowering

06 - Honey Combed

07 - World Away

08 - New Moon

09 - Summer Noon

10 - Where My Love

11 - Fake Fur Coat

12 - Slow Love

13 - Nobody Dies Anymore

14 - Via Chicago

15 - New Madrid [uncle Tupelo]

16 - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

17 - Radio King (Golden Smog)

18 - Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)

19 - Passenger Side

20 - The Ruling Class (Loose Fur)

21 - Should've Been in Love

22 - Gun (Uncle Tupelo)

23 - Born Alone

24 - Jesus, Etc.

Encore:

25 - Wait For Love

26 - California Stars

27 - Misunderstood

Until this morning, I hadn't been reviewing VC commentary about these shows, but reading Paul's impressions of the Pabst show, I must whole-heartedly agree. The themes of mature love and mortality seem to be the thread that runs through the new songs. Interesting though how these themes have given deep poignancy to the old songs. Jeff sang Via Chicago alone on stage with such a vocal vulnerability and longing that tears ran down my face. I have heard many iterations of this song, and never have I been so moved. And if the snatches of lyric are any indication, Sukierae is a gorgeous love song to the resilient muse of much of Tweedy's writing.

My daughter is a percussionist, inspired as a 9 year old by a Glenn Kotche performance at her first Wilco show. Drumming has let her travel and perform on the Great Wall of China and Carnegie Hall. She is Spencer's age, and has followed his career as well as Wilco's. She was seriously impressed with his skill as a percussionist, and his early teacher is certainly evident in his style. It was delightful to watch the easy interaction between Jeff and Spencer. Last night was the epitome of Dad Rock.

Darin's setlist that Sarah snagged, and man what a treat to see him play:

Solo tunes from memory and in no order:

Radio King

Passenger Side

IATTBYH

Gun ("I have played this song more here than anywhere else")

Via Chicago

New Madrid

Should Have Been In Love

Born Alone

Laminated Cat

Misunderstood sans mic.

The Handsome Family setlist was the same as Milwaukee.

This place...

Love,

Anonymous User

Wow, this is wonderful! He writes a good hook.

I just watched this interview, done a little over a year ago. Eerie in it's prescience.

I have watched a bunch of interviews this week. He always makes contact with his audience. There is something delightfully professorial about his interview style,

So apparently someone was flaunting the rules

 

Now I see why there was supposed to be no photography. Jeff got a haircut and wanted to keep it on the down low.

If you've never seen Califone live:

Tunes from Stitches.

When dudes yell inappropriately at Jeff's solo shows, I immediately think, "Right. Old Tupelo fan that never grew out of drinking hard." lol There are a lot of those dudes in Missouri.

Kind of surprised no new material has been taken for a test drive.

I assume he played the harmonica on Via? That might be the first time he's played it this tour (even though he a couple of them out there every night)!

He played harmonica in KC on Sunken Treasure.

The Diamond Dave thread running through these sets is kinda funny. A quick google and Jeff talked about him in a 2009 interview. In KC he talked about hating David Lee as a youngster, but finally realizing that he actually wanted to BE David Lee Roth. Which morphed into hating the "fun havers", and encouraging the audience to say "fuck the fun havers". Ha. I appreciate Tweedy's craft especially, because it seems he overcomes quite a bit of self-consciousness to get up on the stage alone for these gigs, night after night.

 

again, family board.  

I thank skygod every day for your vigilance.