Interesting Tweedy Article from the Riverfront Times

[Doug C]

An Open Letter To Jeff Tweedy

 

Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 06:22:03 AM

Riverfront Times- St. Louis

 

Dear Jeff,

 

Hi! What's up? This is the city of St. Louis. You might not remember me, but we used to be really tight back in the day. In fact, I think you used to have a band -- Uncle Tupelo? Is that its name? Well, okay, before that you started in Belleville, playing as the Primitives. Remember this? Halloween 1985? You were wearing a dress:

 

 

Anyway, you gained quite a reputation after the band changed its name to Uncle Tupelo. Y'all played old Cicero's basement, Mississippi Nights, Off Broadway, etc. constantly. Most credit you guys with sort of spawning the whole No Depression/alt-country/twang-punk scene/style/genre, yadda yadda yadda. Somewhere along the way, UT broke up -- but not before having two final homecoming gigs at Mississippi Nights. Raucous, sweaty, great gigs, which the Bottle Rockets opened up for you. (Look! The RFT even took a photo, and the same YouTube user as above, PantsElderly, has video footage.)

 

Somewhere along the way, Wilco formed, and you moved to Chicago. And you seemed to forget that you were from the area. I mean, you started writing about the Windy City, used buildings from there for your album covers (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), etc. And all of the pride the city had for Uncle Tupelo, all of the pride and respect you guys had for St. Louis -- seemed to dissipate.

 

Now with the news of Wilco's five-night stand at Chicago's Riviera Theatre, I have to say something. According to that linked article, during this residency, you're going to "attempt the 'complete Wilco' and try to clear out the dusty corners of the catalog that we haven't attended to in a while."

 

I understand, yeah, Chicago's a big city, and perhaps a more appropriate place for such a residency. And booking shows in St. Louis is difficult. You guys are sort of in between the capacities of the Pageant and the Fox -- and those venues might not always have open dates perhaps when you'd want to play here.

 

But really, did this ad really have to run in the RFT this week?

 

With that cheery "Road Trip!" logo in the corner? What a slap in the face. Like, all of the loyal St. Louisians who used to see UT shows -- and have supported Wilco when it's played here -- should hop in a car and drive to Chicago? This just reinforces the whole St. Louis prevailing attitude that "we can't have nice things" or special concerts, because we just can't compete with other markets. That we have to drive to other cities to see big shows, since the tour routing/venues/band desires just never seem to align for the Lou.

 

It's even more galling, because Wilco hasn't been to town since March 2006 -- but has pretty much circled St. Louis over the past few years, playing Springfield, Kansas City, Columbia, Nashville, etc. Even this current tour behind May's Sky Blue Sky will hit such metropolitan hotspots as Mobile, Alabama; Des Moines, Iowa; and, sheesh, the same high school auditorium in Cleveland on whose stage I on whose stage the RFT's music editor graduated.

 

Again, perhaps you will book a show here soon; and perhaps something is in the works; and perhaps logistics just haven't worked out for months. (And months. And months.) And those Chicago shows are sold out already anyway (big surprise). But come on. St. Louis supported you early on -- heavily -- and always remembers you and the bands you were in fondly. Heck, our music scene today is still heavily indebted to the sounds of your bands. Does that mean nothing to you? Booking a Wilco show in the place where you grew up -- even a regular one; at this point, it's too much to ask for something special, even, to give back to the city -- shouldn't be this difficult.

 

Love,

The City of St. Louis

 

P.S. Come to town -- seriously, we'll go see some heavy metal bands on the Landing. Even if it isn't the summer.

[aricandover]

[Doug C]

My sentiments exactly.

[lost highway]

I'm reminded of Bender in "The Breakfast Club"........"B-O-O.....H-O-O!"

[aricandover]

I'm reminded of Bender in "Futurama"........"Bite my shiny metal ass!"

 

[fkinbs]

Though I have read them for years (yet new to VC) I've never posted on a forum for any band in my life.

 

But that picture of the baby after the article may have been my favorite posting ever.

 

I give kudos.

[Golden Smoghead]

I think whoever wrote that has a point. I definitely was encouraged to get into Wilco because of the St. Louis ties, and all the strong support they got in town. Initially it was back in the 90s, when St. Louis radio "alternative rock" station "The Point" would play Wilco songs between Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam -- I suspect that wasn't happening in NY, LA, etc.

 

I wasn't hooked back then, though. It was that fact that Heavy Metal Drummer had nonstop St. Louis radioplay after YHF... That's how I got into Wilco, on a trip back to Missouri where I heard them on St. Louis radio. I assumed they were some fantastic local band, until I looked into them and later on realized that "outtasight outtamind" was also from Wilco.

 

And I think a lot of people have a story like this: one of my best friends in high school was literally a heavy metal drummer in a band that played (only, ever) down at the Landing. So the song really captured the imagination of all of us who loved going to the Landing and digging on the crappy local metal bands. There was a whole scene built around cheering on your high school buds who really weren't that great at music.

 

All this is to say that, while I don't live there anymore, I can understand why some longterm fans could be disappointed.

[Wendy]

... Even this current tour behind May's Sky Blue Sky will hit such metropolitan hotspots as Mobile, Alabama; Des Moines, Iowa; and, sheesh, the same high school auditorium in Cleveland on whose stage I on whose stage the RFT's music editor graduated.

Notice this slip up?

 

Would the music editor of this print newpaper really be that tacky to run this embarassing "open letter to ..." him/herself?

[oceanman]

I can understand why some longterm fans could be disappointed.

Thank you, I don't speak of this much except to those I have had this discussion with, but it is a discussion worth having. There is a lot of bad blood in the STL, I can understand that. I for one can understand reasons for not playing here, and wish one day Jeff would come home. I for one do shell out upwards of a couple grand a year to see Wilco and I've come to accept his thoughts and feelings for choosing to do so. WILCO IS NOT A CHICAGO BAND, and for those with the boo hoo mentality, well I guess you just flat out won't get it. Hell, Wilco can't even play the Bluenote anymore, now what, skip MO. completely? I for one am not mad or hold any grudge, but would love to see someone who helped form the St. Louis scene come home. We need you, as a musican, I need you.

 

More on topic later.

[Gobias Industries]

It took over two years for them to revisit Columbus (mar.2005, oct.2007), seriously. It's not worth complaining about.

[poppydawn]

What O-man said.

 

(And Oceanman, I've been wondering - did you talk to some chick from Belleville during Andrew Bird's sound check at the KC show?)

 

I've been to lots of Wilco shows in lots of locations. What gets me is, there's nothing like their St. Louis shows. There's an energy in the crowds here that just isn't quite there at other shows, probably because the audience is loaded with Jeff's family, local friends, and people who've been fans from the very beginning.

 

I'd wondered if the passing of Jeff's mom might have something to do with the lack of St. Louis shows. She was always at the shows here, and was such a vocal supporter of all of his bands. It's gotta be hard to come back here and know someone integral is missing.

 

My guess is that the lack of local shows isn't necessarily a Wilco problem, but a venue problem. Like the letter said, there really isn't an appropriately-sized venue for them. Nevermind that the local venues have been in such flux over the past few years. I just looked at the current calender for The Pageant, the last venue Wilco played in St. Louis, and frankly, it sucks. Out of the the 30 scheduled shows, there are only two I'd bother to see. The place is becoming more of a comedy club than music venue. Wilco's not the only band that's skipped St. Louis a lot over the past two years. I've been disappointed that Springsteen and White Stripes come to mind.

 

It sucks, but hey. I got to see Wilco in Columbia, where I first fell in love with them and UT in college. I got to have a really fun weekend in KC that included hanging out with one of my oldest friends at the show. I'm getting to see them at the Ryman, which blows my mind. Yeah, it would be a lot easier if I could ride 15 minutes on the local train, catch the show, and be home and cozy in bed before 1 AM. But when they're not coming to St. Louis I get an excuse to travel and have experiences that go beyond the concert. Perhaps some of the local fans should give that a shot.

[Doug C]

I have a copy of the Pageant show from March 2006. It rocks. I'd have loved to have been there.

[poppydawn]

That was one of my favorite shows. Such a good night.

 

There was a pack of guys in front of me at that show who couldn't have been older than 25. When the band did "California Stars", those guys were hugging and, I swear, crying. It was cute. Hilarious, but cute.

[oceanman]

(And Oceanman, I've been wondering - did you talk to some chick from Belleville during Andrew Bird's sound check at the KC show?)

I talked to someone from Belleville that night in line, but M Chris, her daughter and I were glued to the fence for Bird's sound check.

[Guest Jules]

All this is to say that, while I don't live there anymore, I can understand why some longterm fans could be disappointed.

 

The discussion is warranted, and Oman puts it well, but the writer sounds like a whiny little kid instead of opening a somewhat eloquent discussion on the issue.

 

Notice this slip up?

 

Would the music editor of this print newpaper really be that tacky to run this embarassing "open letter to ..." him/herself?

Nice catch, and yes.

[oceanman]

It took over two years for them to revisit Columbus (mar.2005, oct.2007), seriously. It's not worth complaining about.

Like I said, you wouldn't get it. Not at all what this discussion debates.

[Guest Jules]

Oman, what is the "bad blood" you speak of?

[kathyp]

What O-man said.

 

(And Oceanman, I've been wondering - did you talk to some chick from Belleville during Andrew Bird's sound check at the KC show?)

 

I've been to lots of Wilco shows in lots of locations. What gets me is, there's nothing like their St. Louis shows. There's an energy in the crowds here that just isn't quite there at other shows, probably because the audience is loaded with Jeff's family, local friends, and people who've been fans from the very beginning.

 

I'd wondered if the passing of Jeff's mom might have something to do with the lack of St. Louis shows. She was always at the shows here, and was such a vocal supporter of all of his bands. It's gotta be hard to come back here and know someone integral is missing.

 

My guess is that the lack of local shows isn't necessarily a Wilco problem, but a venue problem. Like the letter said, there really isn't an appropriately-sized venue for them. Nevermind that the local venues have been in such flux over the past few years. I just looked at the current calender for The Pageant, the last venue Wilco played in St. Louis, and frankly, it sucks. Out of the the 30 scheduled shows, there are only two I'd bother to see. The place is becoming more of a comedy club than music venue. Wilco's not the only band that's skipped St. Louis a lot over the past two years. I've been disappointed that Springsteen and White Stripes come to mind.

 

It sucks, but hey. I got to see Wilco in Columbia, where I first fell in love with them and UT in college. I got to have a really fun weekend in KC that included hanging out with one of my oldest friends at the show. I'm getting to see them at the Ryman, which blows my mind. Yeah, it would be a lot easier if I could ride 15 minutes on the local train, catch the show, and be home and cozy in bed before 1 AM. But when they're not coming to St. Louis I get an excuse to travel and have experiences that go beyond the concert. Perhaps some of the local fans should give that a shot.

 

Word. We have one mid-sized rock club, a handful of smaller clubs, and then The Fox? There aren't many options around here.

[aricandover]

WILCO IS NOT A CHICAGO BAND

 

 

there are a lot of cities that wilco doesn't hit that often. just because Tweedy's from the area, doesn't make Wilco a "St. Louis Band".

[oceanman]

just because Tweedy's from the area, doesn't make Wilco a "St. Louis Band".

As of now, or who is actually in the band, your right. But if you look it like Jeff and John are Wilco, were UT, then St. Louis is where it started. If Chuck Berry moved to Nebraska, would St. Louis not be his home?

 

If I were Jeff, I wouldn't play here either!....Why?, I understand. The older fanbase around here that haven't stayed current with the band are for one annoying, and down right rude.

 

I love to to travel, so it's not killing me, just my pocket book. No need for me to act selfishly about this. I just think there is more to it than scheduling conflcts.

[poppydawn]

I talked to someone from Belleville that night in line, but M Chris, her daughter and I were glued to the fence for Bird's sound check.

 

Twas me!

 

The discussion is warranted, and Oman puts it well, but the writer sounds like a whiny little kid instead of opening a somewhat eloquent discussion on the issue.

 

Yeah, but that's everyone who writes for the RFT. It's one whiny-ass publication.

[oceanman]

Twas me!

I really hoped and wished this topic would never have come up!.....................It's here,sink or swim.

[poppydawn]

You were my first VC meeting. Tawdry, I know.

[aricandover]

If Chuck Berry moved to Nebraska, would St. Louis not be his home?

 

 

that all depends on the individual. Warhol considered New York "home", even though he was from Pittsburgh.

[Tweedling]

Warhol considered New York "home", even though he was from Pittsburgh.

Well then, that explains it.