Not a complaint (see other threads for that) but a request

[LouieB]

Okay, I am getting psyched about the Chicago residency and I am particularly happy that these shows will be without the obligatory opening act. While some openers are great (Califone being my fave) some others are less than exciting or don't translate well into larger venues (Deerhoof comes to mind.)

 

However I have one additional issue, which is not unique to Wilco, but which Wilco could roll back in this situation. Stop the fake encores. Feel free to take a break at the hour point and let the audience talk among ourselves for 15 minutes (we like doing that anyway), but don't act like the show is over and have us call you back and then play another hour. I prefer the old fashioned encore, one where the audience and band are nearly drained but are just so excited that we HAVE to hear another song or two to end the evening. When Camper Van Beethoven came out of retirement they played a show I saw just this way. Two sets, no encore, just left it all on stage during the regular sets and said goodbye for good.

 

I know the band reads this site and I am quite serious about this. Let's all take a well deserved break, so we can shmooz our neighbors, buy beer, or go to the can. The band certainly deserves a chance to get off stage and re-group too. Then lets hear the rest of the show and THEN if anyone has any energy left, lets give the band a chance to play one or two more (or not if they so choose.)

 

Some people here may not even know that encores are NOT a given, they used to just be something tacked on the end of a performance that was particularly noteworthy and the audience was appreciative and the musican decided to play a few extra minutes to acknowledge that response. The fake encore is bullshit.

 

LouieB

[aricandover]

I'm not a fan of encores, especially the pre-planned ones.

[Guest David Puddy]

i concur.

[Griddles]

I agree. I have been to a number of shows where the crowd was not all that into an encore, either the crowd was to small or the band just sucked, but the band had their lighting set up for an encore so they came and did it any way. For multiple sets to work it would have to be explained to the crowd before hand.

[IRememberDBoon]

damn hippies want a setbreak to get high!

[Beltmann]

My wife hates--no, loathes--the fake encore, for pretty much all the reasons Lou outlined. I'm much less bothered about it, but I guess I agree.

[ZenLunatic]

Totally agree with the encore thing. It shouldnt be a planned thing.

 

The thing that comes into effect is the time limits on certain events. There are hard time limits that a performer needs to stop by. Does the performer play till the very end leaving no possible time for encores?

[Edie]

I have pretty much stopped applauding etc. after the end of the first set, and hold my energy until the break before the second encore.

 

I agree (though never thought about it much), the fake encore is dopey.

[froggie]

on the other hand, casual fans might not know that they'll come back out to play california stars, i'm a wheel, late greats or poor places/spiders

[mpolak21]

Yeah when I saw them in Pittsburgh in October with my girlfriend-- this was not just her first Wilco show, but likely her first rock show-- I had to explain to her that the show wasn't over after the main set, and wasn't over again after the first encore. She said "How do you know they're coming back?" "Because the lights aren't on and they always do two encores." I only really cheered after the end of the second in hopes we could pull them out for the rare third encore. That said, I kind of like the way the band breaks up the set and the encores are usually something really special (particularly the second encore of the 9-20-2003 show which was almost another set). So even though it might be a little annoying, it also manages to work for them.

 

--Mike

[dannygutters]

are you against the pitcher's confrence too? It's all about tension man. Like a guy who brings a beer and a bottle opener on stage and sets it on the floor to his side.

[Chris_H_2]

That's why I used to love Morphine so much. Mark Sandman would announce after the supposed last song of the first set that it was their last song, that he hates encores, that he's not about to walk off the stage and walk back on to pretend that the only reason he was back was because the crowd called for the band, and would just continue with the set. Basically, the band did no encores because it thought the fake ones were stupid. God, I miss Morphine.

[jakobnicholas]

I like the encores.

[Hixter]

I like the encores.

 

I like Deerhoof.

[Drazil]

So, what would happen if, after the show but before the encore, everyone claps politely and leaves. Would there still be a fake encore?

[LouieB]

I like the encores.

Sorry..you missed the point..

 

I LOVE real encores....when a band is maybe even a little confused or maybe just punts because they have no more material prepared or even plays a song they already played because the audience loves it so much. THAT's a real encore. Wilco is hardly alone on the fake encore thing. I have seen bands in clubs come back for encores where the audience really didn't give a shit if they did or not. Now we ALL care if Wilco comes back, but sometimes it would be nice to cheer so much after a great concert that the band is truly coming back because the vibe is so right, not because it is expected.

 

(On a couple occasions in recent years I have turned to Rosie and said..now this is a real encore; there may have already been a fake one, but in this case the audience isn't leaving without something else special happening and sometimes it is a song that has special guests or an on the spot cover or something out of the ordinary.)

 

(At classical concerts a real encore is often the high point of a particular symphony or opera that is replayed to the delight of the audience...from the French for "again. again". That's an encore...)

 

LouieB

[Szabo]

2 Sets, 1 Encore of 2-3 songs.

[Elixir Sue]

I'm not sure I've ever experienced a "real" encore.

[Analogman]

Sorry..you missed the point..

 

I LOVE real encores....when a band is maybe even a little confused or maybe just punts because they have no more material prepared or even plays a song they already played because the audience loves it so much. THAT's a real encore. Wilco is hardly alone on the fake encore thing. I have seen bands in clubs come back for encores where the audience really didn't give a shit if they did or not. Now we ALL care if Wilco comes back, but sometimes it would be nice to cheer so much after a great concert that the band is truly coming back because the vibe is so right, not because it is expected.

 

(On a couple occasions in recent years I have turned to Rosie and said..now this is a real encore; there may have already been a fake one, but in this case the audience isn't leaving without something else special happening and sometimes it is a song that has special guests or an on the spot cover or something out of the ordinary.)

 

(At classical concerts a real encore is often the high point of a particular symphony or opera that is replayed to the delight of the audience...from the French for "again. again". That's an encore...)

 

LouieB

 

 

I think it's a lost deal now - I figure you can tell if the deal is real - as in Bruce coming out and jumping on your table while he plays a song - or the roadie dude has to plug the guitar back in - or something to that effect.

[radiokills]

I'll take as much as i can get, thank you very much

[poppydawn]

I'm not a fan of the fake encore, either. Even in my early concert-going days, I could tell when it was real and when it was fake. It's an issue of authenticity.

 

I think it would be great if an informal deal was made that all bands will cut out that shit after a specific date. I'm all about logic.

 

That's why I used to love Morphine so much. Mark Sandman would announce after the supposed last song of the first set that it was their last song, that he hates encores, that he's not about to walk off the stage and walk back on to pretend that the only reason he was back was because the crowd called for the band, and would just continue with the set. Basically, the band did no encores because it thought the fake ones were stupid. God, I miss Morphine.

 

*sigh* Me too.

[foolnrain97]

(At classical concerts a real encore is often the high point of a particular symphony or opera that is replayed to the delight of the audience...from the French for "again. again". That's an encore...)

 

LouieB

Man, I've missed you. Hopefully we'll get a chance to hang this time around(I'll be there for the residency shows!)

[mountain bed]

I have to agree with Lou, Kris, and the rest of you that don't dig the way the encore thing is now. We argued a little about the whole one set/two set thing here awhile back.

 

Here it is if anyone wants to check it out:

 

http://forums.viachicago.org/index.php?sho...23999&st=20

[MadMonkey]

I can't help but think I just loving to hear the band play. If someone in the audience is more concerned about having to clap or not it doesn't matter. I've been lucky enough to see 3 three encore shows with this band, I can't imagine they were all pre-planned. Also, I've seen Jeff, D.C. 2003, get so pissed with an audience member that he walked out during the first encore and I can't help but think that I missed some great music.

 

So, as long as the band is on form, they can play all night with as many "fake" encores as they like.

Really, if they want a little drummed up adulation from the audience so be it, they deserve it, with this band at least, they certainly give back to their fans. IMHO.

 

I will admit to feeling "forced" by bands I wasn't as moved by but I just left so what's the difference.

[Hodie]

Feel free to take a break at the hour point and let the audience talk among ourselves for 15 minutes

 

It's great in theory, but at shows where folks have done this, it dissipates the energy that's built up through the show. Even knowing that the encores are "fake", there's kind of an arc of excitement that builds with the applause when the band is off the stage.

 

So, what would happen if, after the show but before the encore, everyone claps politely and leaves. Would there still be a fake encore?

 

Many years ago, Autumn Defense played Iota here near DC. Iota is a tiny place with an often unnaturally polite crowd. The setup of the place makes leaving and returning to the stage pretty awkward, so a lot of performers just say they'll keep playing rather than doing an encore. Apparently no one mentioned this to Pat and John, because after their set, they left the stage to enthusiastic but short-lived applause. I tried to keep it going because I knew they did their Big Star cover for the encore, but it was no use, the applause died to nothing. And Pat and John ran back and John said, "You want to hear another song, don't you?" and everyone clapped and they did the Big Star cover.

 

So, I'd say the answer your question can be yes.