Happy Canada Day! (7/1/06 -- Winnipeg, Manitoba)

[bböp]

First of all, props to the venue for allowing those who wanted to stand to come fill in the pit area. I would prefer that Wilco almost always play general admission venues, but realistically with the level the band is at now, I think a venue like the Burton Cummings (no relation to Dick Cummings ) is the best possible compromise. You can come stand if you want or you can sit if you want. Everyone's happy.

 

Props also to the Winnipeg crowd. Considering the band had played here all of two times previously -- once as a headliner -- most of the people around me were dancing and singing along. And not only just to YHF and AGIB stuff either. So I give the Winnipegians credit, well except for the dope who inexplicably yelled out "Al Capone" during the quiet part of Via Chicago. Guess he just did a little too much Canada Day celebrating before the show (Jeff also pointed out some people to his left that perhaps had a bit too much booze and needed a little nap.)

 

We didn't get any Guess Who covers or Neil for that matter (although opening band Elliott Brood closed their set out with a rockin' Powderfinger--definitely check these guys out if you can because they're pretty damn good), but there was definitely a lot of energy in the building and that came through. A Shot in the Arm ratcheted up the intensity level and then probably the highlight for me was getting Spiders so relatively early in the set and the segue from IATTBYH into it.

 

What else of note? They were going to play New Madrid, but Jeff obliged some crowd requests for Via Chicago instead. And Is That The Thanks I Get? was also on the setlist, but they sort of modified the second encore due to an 11 p.m. curfew.

 

Setlist as follows:

 

Airline to Heaven

Forget the Flowers

Handshake Drugs

A Shot in the Arm

At Least That's What You Said

IATTBYH>

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Hell Is Chrome

War on War

Jesus, etc.

Hummingbird

Walken

Theologians

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Monday

--------------------------------

Passenger Side

Via Chicago

Kingpin

--------------------------------

California Stars

The Late Greats

I'm A Wheel

[froggie]

nice to see Forget the flowers becomming a regular again

 

now its time for When you wake up feeling old

[Triniman]

Here's my blog entry for the Winnipeg show. http://trinimansblog.blogspot.com/ It will also get posted here soon http://blogcritics.org/. I've omitted the set list since it's already been posted.

 

Chicago indie-rockers blasted through the Burton Cummings Theatre last night on their Kicking Television Tour 2006. About 1100 fans showed up.

 

When he was finished singing and playing acoustic guitar, leader/frontman Jeff Tweedy would swap it for an electric guitar and coax out some interesting harmonics from the feedback for a couple of minutes to add an extra dimension of atmosphere to the songs. The ban was rounded out by Nels Cline on lead guitar, bassist John Stiratt, drummer Glen Kotche, programmer/keyboardist Mikael Jorgenson and Pat Sansone who switched between electric guitar and keyboards. If you watch the documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, which follows the band as they record their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, while going through line-up changes that almost killed off the band, you get see that only Tweedy, Kotche and Stiratt remain from those days.

 

Wilco's songs run the gamut from quiet, bitter-sweet songs to all out balls-to-the wall rock with the ferocity of raging punk music. Drummer Glen Kotche lashed away at his cybals while bouncing up and down on the stool, gritting teeth to show the intensity of his playing. Keyboardist / guitarist Pat Sansone was quite energetic, striking some good rock star poses and whipping his hands around for some Pete Townsend trademark windmills. Guitarist Nels Cline didn't move around as much but he twisted and contorted his body as the notes flew off his axe. Beared and scruffy looking Jeff Tweedy made several references to Canada Day and talked about how they wish they were Canadian, etc. I have no idea how he managed to play the entire show in a sports jacket, given how hot it was inside. He also sported some injury with one of his legs, as he was wearing a brace, but despite requests from the audience, he never explained what happened to him.

 

I met a few fans who I totally enjoyed chatting with. Some of these people were way more fanatical about the band that I was, having travelled to different cities to see them. As I leaned on the stage, a couple of fans tapped the backof my shirt to point of the Winnipeg tour date and we ended up with a fun conversation about how it's been a great year for shows in Winnipeg. They also sang outloud to many of the songs, several of which I knew but not well enough to sing along to. Every time the band played the opening notes to a song they liked, they would exclaim, "Here we go!" Other fans in the first and second row talked to me about how they ended up getting their tickets. These two ladies in the second row were oblivious to either the Wilco fanclub pre-sale or the Ticketmaster one and just bought theirs when tickets when on sale to the general public. I originally ended up in the balcony for the Ticketmaster pre-sale, but then I tried the fanclub pre-sale moments later and ended up in the front row. I called Ticketmaster and they actually cancelled my balcony seat, which was nice but odd since they say all sales final, I thought. One guy hiked from Banff to Edmonton to catch the tour and then made his way back to Winnipeg, his hometown, for yesterday's show, although he was supposed to work that day, so it cost him a job. He's supposed to hang around for the Folk Festival, at which Son Volt are playing. Wilco and Son Volt are both offshoots of the band Uncle Tupelo.

 

I was unfamilar with the opening act, Elliot Brood, a three-piece from Toronto, but they quickly had people dancing up a storm in front of the stage. They were really good and I plan to visit their website to buy some music. They describe their music as "Death Country

[nalafej]

Interesting first post.

[loweeda]

Hey, thanks for the great posts on the Winnipeg show. It was fantastic to experience one of my favourite bands with a bunch of true fans, who could even sing along with Monday, Kingpin and the like. Was anyone taping and would share? Would love to get a torrent, and would be eternally grateful.

[binky]

Great show! Despite sitting in the back row of the 1st balcony the sound was unbelievably great! How was the sound on the floor?

 

Speaking of taping, right now I'm having a listen to the show I recorded, (first show with my new mic) and it sounds pretty good, much better than the recording I made when Wilco was here back in 2002 at that hollow-shell called LeRendezvous.

 

I'll transfer it to my HD and If anyone's interested I'll post the torrent at Dimeadozen in the next day or two.

[godposite]

Great show! Despite sitting in the back row of the 1st balcony the sound was unbelievably great! How was the sound on the floor?

 

Speaking of taping, right now I'm having a listen to the show I recorded, (first show with my new mic) and it sounds pretty good, much better than the recording I made when Wilco was here back in 2002 at that hollow-shell called LeRendezvous.

 

I'll transfer it to my HD and If anyone's interested I'll post the torrent at Dimeadozen in the next day or two.

 

 

I was on the floor and the sound was fantastic. I was at the show at Le Rendezvous in 2002 also and this blew that away. Those of you waiting for them to hit your town are in for a real treat.

 

Binky, I sent you a PM but I would absolutely be interested in getting a hold of your recording. Please inform once its been posted. Thansk a million!

[loweeda]

I would absolutely be interested in getting a hold of your recording. Please inform once its been posted. Thansk a million!

 

Ditto for me. woot - thanks for taping! The sound on the floor was great, wasn't it? Also, some of the best cued lights I've seen in awhile. Spotlights were always right on the solos, which sadly doesn't always happen.