bböp

I rarely post in here but Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (aka the Sesame Street version) just came on in this Whole Foods I’m in, so what the hey. Seasonally appropriate! #sleighbells

Haha, I wish I could say that one was intentional...

At least she spelled Glenn right...

It's been a pretty long three months of touring in advance and support of Ode To Joy, and I'd say Wilco and its always-stellar crew have more than earned a couple weeks of rest before getting back to it next month. Finishing up another successful three-night run in St. Paul, the band sent the faithful off to eat turkey (or what have you) with another solid set that generally reflected the show it has been presenting these past months while also adding a few nuggets to make it unique. On a personal note, it's a bit hard to believe starting this tour off in Trondheim, Norway in early September

While it's undoubtedly a bit pretentious to quote oneself, I looked back at what I wrote following the second night of Wilco's three-night, pre-hiatus run at the Palace Theatre just over two years ago and found this: "I think Wilco has gotten pretty good at presenting a certain show over the years and then varying things just enough to reward people who attend multiple ones without making anyone who might only attend one feel like they missed out." Now I'm not going to say I was prescient, but that's probably just as good a description for this current three-night run at the Palace. Especial

As Jeff said shortly before the end of the first of three shows at St. Paul's relatively intimate Palace Theatre, if there's any place that feels like home that isn't actually Wilco's home, it would have to be the Twin Cities. The band has been playing in the area almost since it has been a band, which would come up during the show, and there is a reason it chose to go into a long hiatus two years ago with another three-night run at the Palace. And in sincerely thanking the nearly sold-out crowd on Night 1 — the show was considered to be almost instantly sold out, though a sign put up at the

Did you ever get it out? Do tell. Anyway, I finally posted my full recap above and I'm sure only you and a couple others will care at this point (but the disco ball mention stayed in!)

Bluewolf? Yeah, breaker one-nine...this here's the Rubber Duck. You got a copy on me Pig Pen, c'mon? Mercy sakes alive, looks like we've got us a...well, never mind.

Normally I'm not that big a subscriber to the notion that expectations should be much higher for the final show of a given stretch of touring than any other on that particular run — the last show of an album cycle or era is a different story — and I suppose that was especially true when I saw where this set of Ode To Joy tour dates initially seemed to be wrapping up. The Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Neb., where Wilco had played once before more than 12 years ago, just seemed like sort of a random place to conclude a run. Of course, this weekend's three-show residency in St. Paul, Minn., later g

Wtf is up with the Seattle restriction on only people from surrounding states being allowed to buy presale tix?!? Why is Seattle so weird with stuff about concerts (we all had to sit down on the floor before a show there once...never seen it before or since)?!?

Well, all I can say is Jeff must have had a decent enough time at Denver’s relatively new Mission Ballroom to cause him to adopt the “hot take” that he actually preferred playing at the clubish space over the much-beloved physical marvel that is the nearby Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Gasp, went the crowd, and the local alt-weekly Westword actually made Jeff’s statement the headline of its review of the show. This all came after Jeff had said virtually nothing for the first half of the show, and I’m sure he probably delighted in stirring the pot a little bit — no pun intended. (Not to mention, he

Wilco should go on the embittered city tour sometime. Philly, San Diego, Florida...

As an old journo cast about by the media revolution myself, I figured it was something like that. Damn shame. (Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the show, btw.)

Yeah, that was a pretty solid recap as usual by Finn. Why is he no longer writing for the Star, if you have any idea?

Also the reviewer apparently neglected (or declined) to mention that Tweedy band member and recent KC transplant Liam Kazar joined the band on electric guitar for California Stars.

175 minutes is five minutes shy of three hours. With virtually the same setlist (swapping out a few songs), the longest they had played since OTJ came out has been 2:20, maybe 2:25. Believe me, I’ve timed about 35 of these shows...

I wasn’t able to get to KC this time, unfortunately, but no chance in hell that was a 175-minute show unless NovaCat and Impossible Germany took up 30 minutes each. Haha. And also, the writer gets docked points for using the A and S words, as in “the ashes of the seminal...Uncle Tupelo.” Nice to see that Too Far Apart got played (not “busted out”), though. [Editing my post to get the complete setlist, as played, somewhere near the top]: Bright Leaves Before Us Company In My Back War On War Handshake Drugs At Least That’s What You Said One and a Half Stars Hummingbird White Wooden Cross

While Ye Olde Sit-Versus-Stand Debate threatened to mar this show, in the end it was rendered a moot point by Wilco's sonic onslaught. More from the land of T-shirt song requests and other oddities when I get a chance, but the band's Cedar Rapids (don't call it CRap) debut was hardly dull... For now, here was the complete setlist as played (didn't glimpse a printed setlist, so can't say if there were any changes): Bright Leaves Before Us I Am Trying To Break Your Heart War On War Handshake Drugs Side With The Seeds One and a Half Stars Hummingbird White Wooden Cross Via Chicago How To Figh

When chronicling the musical history of Wilco and the people who have directly influenced/collaborated with/befriended Jeff over the years, of course the two Jays — Farrar and Bennett — dominate the conversation. But fewer people mention Brian Henneman, who was an early sounding board for Jeff’s songwriting as well as a friend, touring companion and likely drinking buddy (at least until Jeff quit) during the Uncle Tupelo days. And of course, after UT broke up, Henneman wound up playing lead guitar on A.M., even while his own band the Bottle Rockets was beginning to establish itself (and woul

I learned tonight that this was apparently a bit of a boo-boo by whomever typed/printed the setlists (Matrix?) in that it was actually monitor tech Jared's birthday. And I assume that was the intention of the "Impossible" mention (Matrix does have a sense of humor, but perhaps spaced out on the 'J' names among the crew?) Anyway...extreme fan nerdery here.

But it sure does look purty...

Anything I can do to help clarify the status of the Shirtless Wonder...

Well, thanks for filling in the deets in my stead (and oh so promptly!). I guess I need to start getting a Red Bull or something in me and pumping those reports out more expeditiously... Too bad about the relatively sparse attendance. Wonder if they will play that new room in town next time. What’s it called, Paristown something or other? Or is that too small? Glad to hear people stood, though, and there was no blowback. I wonder what it is about some crowds or venues where people just stay glued to the seats and others where people are up right away. Guess it’s the enduring mystery of the t

He’s currently working for Vampire Weekend, I believe.

Sometimes the stars just align, Californian and otherwise, when it comes to a Wilco show. On a personal level, I was happily able to upgrade a mediocre seat in the back half of the room to a third-row center seat when a ticket magically became available just hours before the show. And on a general level, for a Tuesday night show in a reserved-seat auditorium, things went pretty much as you would hope and expect they would. That is to say that if you could script a show on this Ode To Joy tour that you would want your parents to see or if you were introducing a friend to Wilco, you might cons