Letters to Santa

[what i once was]

Just curious... how do they select the families? They read only one letter while i was there but it could have been written by my nephew. How do they know these people are in true need? Do they contact a social service, church, school?

[Wendy]

I asked Heather when we were backstage after the auction to share with us winning bidders about what kind of families they have helped in the past. I like hearing about that.

 

She said this story was from last year. It was a family consisting of a mother with many little children, NOT PROPERLY CLOTHED considering the fact that they lived in a terrible run-down old and cheaply-built (i.e. probably very poorly insulated) home that had ... NO HEAT. In Chicago. In December. They had NO CURTAINS in their home but instead had newspaper in the windows to attempt to keep out the cold.

 

I don't know what she does to find their degree of need, but that qualifies for needy in my book. If you still have questions, you might get some answers by contacting the post office. Since ANYONE can pick a Letter from Santa from the post office and help someone in need, perhaps they have some helpful information about how to choose a family to help. And really you could have asked her on the spot last night, I'm sure she would have answered that question for you. She has done this for many years.

[ZenLunatic]

BTW -- I understand that there were three winners last night @ $20,000 for each show. Big kudos to all who raised that kind of dough for a great charity

 

I'm sure there will be more news as more of the participants finish the long day today (this is a 24 hour event!) or wake up after a long, well-deserved nap

 

Wow, thats like $670 a person divided evenly. I assume that the VC group didnt win cause there wouldve been alot more posts here. Thats alot of money to pay.

[Clouds of Fluff]

Wendy, that is so heart-breaking...I know there must be many, many more stories like that...even more heart-breaking.

 

 

What a wonderful thing they are doing.

 

 

Just saw this on the Second City site...pics from the festivities: http://www.secondcity.com/24hour/index.htm

[Hodie]

Wow, thats like $670 a person divided evenly. I assume that the VC group didnt win cause there wouldve been alot more posts here. Thats alot of money to pay.

 

I'm pretty sure all three groups have significant VC presence. In our group (and I imagine the same is true for the others) it's not divided evenly -- everyone gives as much as they can, which means some pay more and some pay less.

[Wendy]

Wow, thats like $670 a person divided evenly. I assume that the VC group didnt win cause there wouldve been alot more posts here. Thats alot of money to pay.

Not sure who you mean by "VC Group" ... there's VC members in all 3 groups.

 

I guarantee all the winners are geeking out with each other behind the scenes, don't worry!

 

Plus Edie's right - the show is still going on.

 

Great pictures Clouds of Fluff! Thanks for the link!

[ZenLunatic]

I'm pretty sure all three groups have significant VC presence. In our group (and I imagine the same is true for the others) it's not divided evenly -- everyone gives as much as they can, which means some pay more and some pay less.

 

Cool. Hopefully the members could share with us the excitement and experience of the coming shows.

[pnêyu]

Just saw this on the Second City site...pics from the festivities: http://www.secondcity.com/24hour/index.htm

Ahhh, I saw some familiar faces making the snowy trek across the city. Hang in there! You've made it this far.

[Chris_H_2]

Cool. Hopefully the members could share with us the excitement and experience of the coming shows.

 

I'm sure, as with past shows, we won't disappoint.

[Edie]

Cool. Hopefully the members could share with us the excitement and experience of the coming shows.

 

 

Don't worry -- we will. We are thrilled to have been able to raise this kind of money to help such a great cause. Also, I know I don't want to been seen as gloating

[ms. yvon]

[quote name='pn

[H.Stone]

Congrats, winners! It's a beautiful thing.

[Atticus]

I hope Jeff is able to safely remove me from his person without damaging either one of us

[ZenLunatic]

Don't worry -- we will. We are thrilled to have been able to raise this kind of money to help such a great cause. Also, I know I don't want to been seen as gloating

 

So you are one of the people that won? I just like to hear details if you know of any for your group. Like where will it be and is there anything special you plan to do. Like some of the previous ones had people play with Tweedy. Were you apart of any last year?

 

I dont think of it as gloating, I am curious on what goes on. I have cds of all 3 last year and think its so cool. Always wondered how much interaction with Tweedy went on besides the recordings.

 

I'm sure, as with past shows, we won't disappoint.

 

You were at last years and again this year? Which one?

[gogo]

I have cds of all 3 last year.

If you've got a copy of the show I was at last year, can I get a B&P?

 

I've been in a group for the past three years, although at the last minute, I wasn't able to attend the second year. Our shows have been at "Hotel S'n'S", which is the home of two VCers who very graciously host us every year. The deal in previous years has pretty much been that people get there early with a ton of delicious food (it's by far the best pot luck I get to attend in any given year), and we hang around and eat and drink and listen to some of the members of our group sing and play (we get amazing opening acts!). Then when Jeff and Susan arrive, they sample some of the food and chat for a while, then come downstairs and start the show. The show goes on for a few hours, Jeff talks a lot, and at the end the folks who played for us earlier get a chance to perform along with him. Then they hang around for a bit after, sign posters, take pictures, etc., and then after they leave we get more performances from our group members, we eat and drink a lot more, and we all go to sleep that night with big smiles on our faces.

 

If you look at the threads from last year's shows, believe me, no one's holding anything back! What you'll read in those threads is a pretty complete description of what goes on. It's possible someone's planning something different for this year, but I think the formula we've used in the past is pretty much perfect (for us, anyway).

[ZenLunatic]

If you've got a copy of the show I was at last year, can I get a B&P?

 

I've been in a group for the past three years, although at the last minute, I wasn't able to attend the second year. Our shows have been at "Hotel S'n'S", which is the home of two VCers who very graciously host us every year. The deal in previous years has pretty much been that people get there early with a ton of delicious food (it's by far the best pot luck I get to attend in any given year), and we hang around and eat and drink and listen to some of the members of our group sing and play (we get amazing opening acts!). Then when Jeff and Susan arrive, they sample some of the food and chat for a while, then come downstairs and start the show. The show goes on for a few hours, Jeff talks a lot, and at the end the folks who played for us earlier get a chance to perform along with him. Then they hang around for a bit after, sign posters, take pictures, etc., and then after they leave we get more performances from our group members, we eat and drink a lot more, and we all go to sleep that night with big smiles on our faces.

 

If you look at the threads from last year's shows, believe me, no one's holding anything back! What you'll read in those threads is a pretty complete description of what goes on. It's possible someone's planning something different for this year, but I think the formula we've used in the past is pretty much perfect (for us, anyway).

 

 

Well I got my copy from here. Tweedy's 4/8/06 Living Room Show (SBD/Aud Matrix) Its from owl and bear where I got also got the other 3. Is that good enough?

 

I thought last year was the first year, so this is the 4th year? Sounds like a incredible time, how did you get to be a part of that?

[aricandover]

Well I got my copy from here. Tweedy's 4/8/06 Living Room Show (SBD/Aud Matrix) Its from owl and bear where I got also got the other 3. Is that good enough?

 

I thought last year was the first year, so this is the 4th year? Sounds like a incredible time, how did you get to be a part of that?

 

the first year (2005) wasn't recorded. The 2nd (2006) was, which is the show you have. This year's show(2007), was recorded, but the only person who has a copy, is the guy who recorded it.

[ZenLunatic]

the first year (2005) wasn't recorded. The 2nd (2006) was, which is the show you have. This year's show(2007), was recorded, but the only person who has a copy, is the guy who recorded it.

 

Why he no share?

[Chris_H_2]

the first year (2005) wasn't recorded. The 2nd (2006) was, which is the show you have. This year's show(2007), was recorded, but the only person who has a copy, is the guy who recorded it.

 

I'm pretty sure that the matrixes of the March 2007 show have circulated here and on etree (unless, or course, you're just referring to the Hotel S&S show).

[aricandover]

I'm pretty sure that the matrixes of the March 2007 show have circulated here and on etree (unless, or course, you're just referring to the Hotel S&S show).

 

yes, that's the one I'm referring to.

 

Why he no share?

 

he hasn't had time to get it to anyone.

[gogo]

Well I got my copy from here. Tweedy's 4/8/06 Living Room Show (SBD/Aud Matrix) Its from owl and bear where I got also got the other 3. Is that good enough?

 

I thought last year was the first year, so this is the 4th year? Sounds like a incredible time, how did you get to be a part of that?

Yes, sorry, the 2007 Hotel S'n'S show is the show that I don't have. As Mr. Koch noted, it's just taking a while to get that distributed.

 

I got in on this show because some friends who live in Chicago were going to the Second City thing, and knew the auction was happening, and very generously asked if I wanted to get in on it. And I said YES!!!

 

Stuff that Jeff has auctioned in past years included a listening party for AGIB, and a day in the studio with him (and as it turned out, Mike, with results here: Shine, by Brian, Jeff & Mike).

[Edie]

The deal in previous years has pretty much been that people get there early with a ton of delicious food (it's by far the best pot luck I get to attend in any given year), and we hang around and eat and drink and listen to some of the members of our group sing and play (we get amazing opening acts!). Then when Jeff and Susan arrive, they sample some of the food and chat for a while, then come downstairs and start the show. The show goes on for a few hours, Jeff talks a lot, and at the end the folks who played for us earlier get a chance to perform along with him. Then they hang around for a bit after, sign posters, take pictures, etc., and then after they leave we get more performances from our group members, we eat and drink a lot more, and we all go to sleep that night with big smiles on our faces.

 

Pretty much the same deal at the shows I have been to. The "OTS Wilco Ensemble with the real Jeff Tweedy" show I went to last year as a bonus was a ton of fun.

[MattZ]

with results here: Shine, by Brian, Jeff & Mike).

 

This is awesome. I never heard of this. Can you explain what it is? Who is Brian?

[gogo]

This is awesome. I never heard of this. Can you explain what it is? Who is Brian?

That's why I posted it! I think it's great, so I post it every chance I get.

 

Brian is not a VCer, but he's a Wilco fan (obviously), and a friend of Hodie from here, and he won the Letters to Santa auction to record a song with Jeff.

 

I'm trying to find the thread where it was discussed before, hang on a sec...

 

 

Got 'em! Links to other threads!

http://forums.viachicago.org/index.php?sho...c=24186&hl=

http://archive.viachicago.org/index.php?sh...c=11095&hl=

[Hodie]

[EDIT: watch hodie and gogo type at the same time! whee!] Brian is a friend of mine -- he's not on VC. I told him about the auction, and he won it. I'm pretty sure when I get a moment to do a search I could find a link to the thread about it.

 

Thanks for the excellent description of the Basement Shows, gogo, that's just as I remember them I will say that the very first one was quite a bit more free-wheeling, due in part none of us having done it before and having no idea what to expect. It ended up with a ridiculous number of covers and huge singalongs.

 

"What's the best concert you've ever been to?" is pretty much an impossible question to answer, but the first Basement Show comes to mind more often than any other.