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Yeah, I get your point. I guess what I was trying to suggest with what I wrote about Someone Else's Song and just sort of that Being There-era in general is not so much that the band wasn't playing well, but there seemed to be — at least listening to some of the recordings from that time — more of a sense of irreverence or something. And I guess that's sort of what I took from the version of SES from tonight's show in Austin.

When you undertake a series of shows in which you promise not to repeat a song over the course of three nights and play some that you haven't in quite some time, I think it's safe to assume that a certain amount of planning has gone into the endeavor. There's picking the songs you want to play, then rehearsing the ones you don't know as well and of course dividing them up as evenly as possible over the course of the run, so that each show has its fair share of so-called "hits" as well as deep cuts that will satisfy both die-hard fans and more casual attendees alike — whether they are going to

Oh I was at that Miami show, too, and you're right about the set break. But I'm not sure it was intended that way, just that they hadn't figured out yet what they were doing. Haha. Anyway, I figured this setlist (and the prospect of more) might get you out of frigid Chicago. See ya in, uh, St. Paul? Lol. Yeah, exactly.

Well, in terms of audacity and endurance, tonight might not quite have been the legendary "An Evening With..." Wilco run of March and April 2010 — when the band played a series of epic, extended shows that included a mid-set segue into and out of an acoustic run of songs — but it came pretty darned close. Kicking off a run of seven shows in which the stated goal was to take the "Winterlude" concerts that Jeff and his bandmates have performed in Chicago over the years on the road to some different places, the first of three nights in Austin featured two separate sets (and a short encore) that a

Finally finished this one! OK, carry on.

Once again your dedication to my blather has haunted me since I finally managed to finish this one. But I had to pull the scroll out of its cylinder to do so, thus accounting for any amendment from your previous quotation(s).

For those of you following along at home, and I realize that number is probably in the low teens at this point, I offer at last this account of the final performance on Jeff's October solo jaunt across these United States. If you'll recall in my previous recap of the penultimate show on the tour, I suggested that for as ideal a venue as the Guild Theatre might have seemed, its intimacy and acoustics could sometimes lead to a too-sterile atmosphere that isn't the sort I prefer for this kind of show. Well...a corollary to that theory is that the venue can also fall victim to a particular kind of

Let me just say up top that I think I finally put my finger on why I've felt slightly uneasy, or at least not quite at home, since first setting foot in the Guild Theatre a couple of nights ago. And it's not the reserved seat/general admission standing situation I mentioned in my recap of Night 1. Those of us who bought GA tickets and wound up standing behind the five rows of seats on the main floor had a great view and even if we wanted to be closer to the stage or thought we would be, there really wasn't too much to complain about on that front. So what's the issue with a room I'

Not that tonight was the last show on this meandering Jeff solo jaunt across America, but we have reached the last stop. After opening with a three-night stand in pastoral upstate New York nearly three weeks ago, Jeff kicked off another three-night mini-residency in this Northern California bedroom community that will bring the tour to a close. It's tempting to compare these bookend series of shows — and we'll have to see if he plays three nearly unique sets here the way he did in Woodstock at the start — but if Night 1 of this stint at the intimate Guild Theatre is any indication, then it wil

Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect before we were allowed into the intimate confines of the Sweetwater Music Hall for tonight's "benefit gala" that was also another stop on Jeff's current solo jaunt across the country. I'm reasonably certain that none of the other shows on this run have featured tickets starting at $265 per person for general admission standing room and increasing to over $1000 for special seats and tables for four (as per the event's own press release) or had a live auction for several VIP concert experiences and a no-longer-produced Tweedy Martin 00-DB acoustic guitar tha

Not that I'm speaking from any kind of personal experience, but I can imagine that for some performers, building a rapport with a live audience isn't necessarily first and foremost in their minds. I mean, of course you want people to respond favorably to you, but once you develop a set of material you're confident in and the lights go down and everything fades to black, you try to present that set to the people in front of you to the best of your ability and let the proverbial chips fall where they may. But I guess it always helps when an audience seems to "get" you, perhaps even surprising yo

Well thanks, though I’d say “plenty” is a generous assessment. Hell, I don’t even think some actual friends of mine read these anymore.

My sincere apologies to the dwindling number of people who actually tune in for these musings of mine for the delay in posting something about this show. Hey, what are off days for if not getting to the next gig and actually trying to maintain some semblance of health? Anyway, that's a poor excuse for not getting something up sooner but that's all I've got. I suppose it's sort of in keeping with the rhythm of a tour which, incidentally, is what Jeff seems to have settled into as this cross-country jaunt starts to wind down over the next week upon reaching California. In the last pr

I've occasionally joked in recent years about it being "The Era of Good Feelings" when it comes to being a Wilco/Jeff Tweedy fan, and I can certainly vouch for the fact that Jeff has mellowed over the years when it comes to audience behaviors that might once have set him off. Whether it is people taking video on their phones during shows, chatty crowds or just random hecklers, I would say that the Jeff of 2006 (when he infamously ranted at an impolite audience at Portland's Crystal Ballroom, as captured on the Sunken Treasure: Solo In The Pacific Northwest DVD) is not the same as the Jeff of 2

At least let’s get some new ‘old faces,’ amirite? #BotoxEndorsements #BrassInFace

How dare you? I shall never surrender my participation ribbon! I bought that thing fair and square!

Aboot Jeff’s presumable use of a 12-string for the Country Song Upside-Down and Meant To Be two-fer? And maybe even on the subsequent Kamera?

I thought you were a ‘legacy’ act! #Rimshot

Naughty Tatlock!

Not that it’s about me or anything, but this was the last of five shows on this run that I had to sit out, so God willing, I should be back with some in-person reportage soon. But on the off chance anyone on here happened to be at The Admiral (née Sokol Auditorium), please chime in and give us some details… For now, I’ll just do what I have been doing and crossposting that Wilcoworld setlist on here as an attempt to get things started: Story To Tell I Am Trying To Break Your Heart new song-KC Rain Impossible Germany Gwendolyn Having Been Is No W

Ah, the good old reliable Wisconsinites. Sorry I missed y’all! And thanks for the report. Thanks for the comic relief, lady with the small bladder. Sounds like a fun time was had by all. Feels like I haven’t been to Madison for quite a while, so it was definitely a double bummer to have to miss the Sconnie reunion. And regarding the guy who recently “commanded” Jeff to play one of his 12-string guitars, this was at Night 3 in Woodstock and Jeff actually did eventually give in and use one of his 12 strings for A Bowl And A Pudding and Meant To Be. If only the audienc

Well, perhaps if I start this thread, some folks I know were in attendance for this one will chime in with a few more details... This was definitely one show I was sad to have to miss, especially because of the several pals I know who went. It would have been nice to see some familiar faces, especially since it seems like more than a few of the regulars aren't making it to any shows on this solo run. As usual, judging by the setlist, it seems like Madison got a good mix of Tweedy solo staples as well as a couple of new tunes and a relative rarity or two. Crossposting fr

Just thought I'd call attention to a nice review of this show from Uncut magazine written by noted music scribe Will Hermes (whose Substack is definitely worth a follow), especially since he so kindly linked to this very Web site/message board in his piece. Cheers to you, sir!

Thanks for the report. I'll be back on the tour starting Tuesday in Jackson, WY, God willing, and on board for the rest of the shows after that. Ah, the old #BeardHair defense...

Well, I hope that they were able to view the very local mug of our own @50footqueenie in Edinburgh...