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I’m not mad or anything, but Jeff stole my line when he shared with the large audience at the close-to-capacity Royal Albert Hall the fact that the last place Wilco had played before tonight was called JunkYard and how the band really had come full circle. It was a more oblique way of saying that to go from a literal junkyard to the grand environs of the RAH was like going from the outhouse to the penthouse in terms of possible places that a group of musicians could perform. But here’s the rub: If you ask me, I think I would actually prefer the proverbial outhouse. At least when it

But did Steptoe & Son have a bitchin’ theme song? (I have no idea.)

Not to reply to my own post, but I had to add a photo of the pyrotechnics, even if it’s not the greatest pic. I would love to see a photo of it from further back in the crowd or, even better, a video of it if anyone managed to capture the flames going off. Edit: There’s a clip on Wilco’s Instagram/Facebook stories right now. Four flamethrowers!

After seeing Wilco play the second of two “Evening With…” shows in Germany, this one in a junkyard outside the city center of Dortmund, I have so many questions. Like, did the Sanford and Son theme song run through the minds of Jeff or his bandmates at any point before or during the gig? Like, did all of the band members — but especially Glenn — put on an adequate amount of sunscreen? Like, which Central Europeans are more reserved when it comes to concert behavior: Germans, Belgians or the Dutch? Like, did we just witness the first-ever pyrotechnics at a Wilco show? Let’s start at

Glad I can be of service... From my perspective, it’s nice to receive the notification of your ta at a normal hour rather than at, say, 4 a.m., seconds after I’ve hit the post button. What can I say? It’s the Era Of Good Feelings. We need some hooliganish behavior out of you British Isle — am I allowed to use that as a descriptor? — lot to maybe get Curmudgeonly Jeff back for a brief moment. That, or the the peanut gallery will have to be a lot more chirpy…

Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for the info on capacity!

For any student of history, at least of the 20th century variety, the name Dachau evokes its tragic past as the site of the first and longest-operating Nazi concentration camp. Located approximately 12 miles northwest of Munich, in southern Germany, the town of Dachau today could be described as a bedroom community and a relatively sleepy but picturesque small burg that features several different waterways. None of the past — or present — of Dachau, however, came up during Wilco’s tour stop here as part of the Dachauer Musiksommer series of outdoor concerts held in the plaza right outside

My turn to ta. So, ta. I caught this show in Indianapolis of all places last year. In a *much* smaller venue, though. Really enjoyed it, I must say. Brought a Graham Gouldman Thing record for scribbles to see if they might be hanging around afterward, but no such luck. As I recall they didn't even have merch for sale at the gig, but they directed people to their Web store or something like that. Anyway, the things we do for love eh?

Spotted duck? Spotted fever? What ever could you have spotted?

Thanks for clarifying what happened there. I jotted down Jeff’s comment, but I had no idea what he saw.

As he made one final bid at the climax of Spiders (Kidsmoke) to get the sold-out crowd of about 1,200 at the cozy OLT Rivierenhof amphitheater to let go of its inhibitions a little bit, Jeff told the members of said crowd that he knew there were probably a fair number of introverts among them and he understood their generally reserved natures. Despite that, Jeff continued, they should nevertheless try to sing the “ba-ba bada ba-ba-bada-dada…” part at least one time through because it was good for them and they would feel better for doing it. I don’t know how many people joined in r

You couldn’t have asked for much more in terms of setting and weather than what we got for the first night of Wilco’s two-night run at the OLT Rivierenhof, a charming and relatively intimate outdoor amphitheater in the middle of the leafy Provincial Domain Rivierenhof park about two and a half miles outside the city center of Antwerp. Moreover, this might have been — if I’m not mistaken — the first-ever “Evening With…” show by the band in Europe. Not that Jeff and Co. haven’t performed without support on this side of the Atlantic before, but in terms of the two-sets-with-interval f

Ooh, I love hot takes! Thanks a lot for the recap, Herr Marinus...very well done, if I do say so myself. I hope I'll see you at the RAH, and I know there will be plenty of VC representation in that giant room. It's iconic, to be sure, but I have a feeling we'll be longing for the friendly confines of venues such as the 013 soon enough. Anyway, I would have liked to make it down to the Best Kept Secret but if I'm not mistaken, it was not possible to buy just a ticket for the day Wilco was playing? Did you go to all days of the fest, or did I somehow miss out on the single-day ticket

Usually in Europe, in my experience, an hour before doors should be enough. But these things can always vary...

Saw quite a few of her records down there. As well as Inti-Illimani. Also ate quite a nice (cen)t(oll)a at the Mercado Central…

From the "no rest for the weary" department, Jeff barely had time to unpack from Wilco's South American run before he jetted off again for a one-off solo show at the long-running Spoleto Festival in Charleston. The 17-day event, which features a wide variety of performances across theater, dance, music and other disciplines, has apparently been a cultural institution in the South Carolina coastal city since 1977. As Jeff wrote in his most recent Substack post, he was looking forward to the show: "It’s always fun to just play an acoustic guitar and sing some songs without the rigamarole of amps

I don’t know when — or even, if — Wilco will make it back to South America. I know these things often have to do with scheduling and economics, but it sort of pains me to think about how things could be different if it takes another near decade for the band to return to the continent the way it did since its previous visit in 2016. It’s tough to do in the moment, but that’s why it’s important to try and savor these unique sorts of experiences whenever we are fortunate enough to experience them. So that was one thing going through my mind as I watched Jeff and Co. take the stage for

Well, now I feel like I’ve been to a genuine, proper South American show. With apologies to Uruguay, tonight’s show in Argentina was more of what I expected when I finally got the chance to experience a Wilco concert in this part of the world. Soccer-style chants (“Olé, olé, olé, Wheel-co, Wheel-co…”)? Check. Singing along with not only lyrics, but entire guitar riffs? Sure. Unbridled enthusiasm for just about anything that took place on stage? Yes, indeed. Jeff and Co. had played in the land of tango, empanadas and Messi once before — an appearance at the Festival BUE to close out

It’s not often that Wilco plays in South America, and it’s perhaps even rarer still when the band cancels a gig, so when those two occurrences converged back in 2016 on the sextet’s brief October jaunt around the continent, it was a memorable moment. Specifically, the date was a scheduled Oct. 10 stop in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo that never happened because — if memory serves — there were some issues with transport of the band’s gear that was going to prevent it from arriving in time for the show. Well, it took nearly nine years but Wilco finally made its long-awaited Uru

Unfortunately I wasn't there either...thanks a lot, Brazilian government (and your recently revised visa policy). I can confirm from multiple sources that the band was indeed quite happy with the show, marveling that the crowd was singing along to entire songs. Seems like it would have been a lot of fun, though someday I hope to not only make it to Brazil but also to see a non-festival Wilco set in which the band can play a bit longer than just 90 minutes. Now that would be something special.

Funny, I haven't gotten any message from Ticketmaster about a time change. 8:30 would seem to be maybe the time Wilco would go on, but I don't know for sure. Seems like maybe Deep Sea Diver from 7:30-8, set change from 8-8:30 and Wilco from 8:30-10:30 would be about right?

Alas! Hope you'll be somewhere appealing (and I don 't mean just Cardiff for the ruggers)...

That would be yours truly, just saying. And I don't need a medal, but a tasty biscuit of some sort might be nice. Shall we meet up for a cuppa next month, so I can collect?

Wilco wrapped up the first leg of its 2025 touring calendar in tornado-ravaged Kentucky the same way it began three weeks earlier in steamy southern Alabama: With an extended “Evening With…” performance featuring two sets of music that offered a little something to just about every level of the fanbase, from casual to diehard. As someone who was lucky enough to attend both the first and last shows of the run, you could debate about the different setlist choices between the two and you might have detected a hint of tour weariness after a relatively grueling jaunt through the Southea

Got my ticket! Obrigado. Will I see you at the RAH next month (provided I survive the southern hemisphere)?