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The Riviera Theater, Chicago, IL 02/20/08


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The article is about Tuesday's show, so I was simply pointing out it could have been placed in the thread about Tuesday's show.

I like watching you and Aman tear down redundant and misplaced threads.

 

re: John's amp jump... that was awesome, and I bet it was driven by a million things including the energy in the place and how we treated him when he sang. You should've felt the love going out to him after "It's Just That Simple." Definitely got some of the loudest and longest applause of the night. Some people on the rail said he was crying.

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I only got tickets for Friday and I thought that show was great. I loved how they came out high-energy, guitars blazing on Friday with ELT. Also, Friday I was down on the floor with a bunch of people from the Old Town School Wilco Ensemble and we were hyper and pumped up--jumping up and down on some of the rockers, singing along when the rest of the crowd joined in, and just getting each other more and more pumped. It was so fun! The show ROCKED! "I'm glad I only got tickets for Friday," I thought, "cause that show was so great, nothing could top it. I don't think I could take any more excitement." Then around Sunday afternoon I started wishing I had gotten tickets to just one more show. I followed the set lists and talked to friends who went on other nights about which songs we were excited to hear live.

 

Then yesterday I got a call at about 4:30 p.m. from a friend who needed to unload 2 tickets due to a family emergency. Well, how could I not help a friend out in this situation?

 

I put out a call to my other diehard Wilco fan friends. A coworker who hadn't been able to get tickets immediately jumped on the chance to join me.

 

This time we were in the balcony, where we met up with another big crew from the Old Town School Wilco Ensemble. The experience was way more chill last night, but the music was INCREDIBLE. The first set was really mellow, and most people in the balcony sat through most of the show. I really wanted to stand up, but I restrained myself since there were people still sitting behind me. I waited until those behind me got up before standing. The crowd energy was way lower up there in the balcony, but the band sounded amazing.

 

Some highlights:

 

Just a Kid!!!! I had hoped to see this one live!! It's a fun giddy tune.

 

The drone kind of hurt my head at first, but had amazing layers of sound.

 

Blood of the Lamb was one I didn't know very well. It managed to be mellow and INTENSE at the same time, with Glen doing some really cool stuff with a driving rhythm and some chime looking things hanging from his drum stick. The layers of instrumentation were beautiful, and it had a strange ominous quality that reminded me of Tom Waits version of "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go."

 

You Are My Face is a favorite of mine, and it sounded awesome.

 

Pat was cracking me up with his rocker stances and windmills and such. Totally hilarious.

 

Seeing John sing while Jeff played bass and smiled. That was a rare experience!

 

I really tried to pay attention to what each member of the band was doing. Each and every member contributes so much to the total sound. They are all excellent musicians, and they together they create a beautifully blended sound. Each member plays just the right thing to enhance the song. For example, it's cool to see Nels put down the guitar and grab a tamborine for a song. Half of knowing what to play is knowing what not to play. The spaces between the notes matter too, and the band understands this.

 

Along those lines I sometimes wonder if Sky Blue Sky was an exercise in stripping songs down to their basic essence--pulling them back to just exactly what they need and letting them breath. Once you get to the bare bones of a thing, you can start fleshing it out again. Maybe the next album will be more lush and orchestral? Maybe with violin and horns?

 

OH, and one more highlight! Jeff said goodbye by saying, "let's do this again next year!" That would be awesome.

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What song was it that caused such behavior? I find it hard to believe that IJTS would build such energy. No knock on the song it's just that I don't recall Neil Young ever jumping off speakers during songs like Sugar Mountain! Was it during I'm a Wheel or something?

 

 

He jumped off his amp during "I Got You". He climbed up from the drum kit riser to the amp. The amount of energy on stage at that point was unbelievable.

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The article is about Tuesday's show, so I was simply pointing out it could have been placed in the thread about Tuesday's show.

 

Between the 28 after the show threads, 19 1/2 torrent threads, 12 1/3 I want a dvd! I want a cd! I want a soundboard!, 10 Wilco is awesome! etc. threads, I lost my way.

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Isn't John usually kind of shy and reserved?

not really. he catches some vertical air when he's moved to do so. :dancing

perfect time to add: he was going for broke all week!

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Between the 28 after the show threads, 19 1/2 torrent threads, 12 1/3 I want a dvd! I want a cd! I want a soundboard!, 10 Wilco is awesome! etc. threads, I lost my way.

I'm here for you.

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i think we need to get someone with a good script of ritalin or adderall ?sp? to clean this whole situation up. i'm appalled at the lack of planning and organization that has been going on here this last week. ya'll act like you've been overly excited about something.

 

cheers,

 

b

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I actually don't really do that anymore. We are just getting overran here as of late - it's the excitement of the shows. I've been there. I am pretty sure I have never seen 500 people snagging/seeding shows before.

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I put the rest of my pictures from the last night up here.

Good shots there, Brianne. Here's something I don't get to say very often: Great drone pics!

 

 

One of the very best weeks of my life, too. Such a lot of good people, good music, and a great excuse to take the time to fall in love with Chicago. It's not often you hear someone say "Hey, I think it's up to 15 degrees now"! :lol

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One of the very best weeks of my life, too. Such a lot of good people, good music, and a great excuse to take the time to fall in love with Chicago. It's not often you hear someone say "Hey, I think it's up to 15 degrees now"! :lol

Double digits! Hooray, let's go outside!

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i'm in overload listening to dreamer in my dreams. such an appropriate ending. "thats it"

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this has been one of the most satisfying musical experiences of my life, and for as much as i love wilco i never expected to enjoy 4 shows in 5 nights to the extent i did. the band is in peak form and it appears tweedy has finally come to terms with the other two "eras" prior to the current setup.

 

"sunken treasure" and "one by one" were the most perfect way to begin the final evening. i'd been waiting for both all week and was not let down. "one by one" is such a beautiful piece which captures woody's lyrics brilliantly.

 

"side with the seeds" is always a pleasure to hear

 

"Pieholden Suite" ... nuff said.

 

"its just that simple" was a surprise and john nailed it once again. i definitely was not expecting to hear this one a second time, and the crowd reaction was just as strong/moving. jeff and john both looked close to tears at the end.

 

"summerteeth" is always a joy to hear. very happy about seeing this two days in a row.

 

similar to saturday, the second set yesterday killed. watching the band work a club as opposed to the usual big outdoor joint is too fucking fun.

 

i could hear "via chicago" every day for the rest of my life.

 

"blood of the lamb" was a wonderful surprise as well. the mermaid ave material is so damn strong. i really hope they stick in rotation.

 

"hate it here" whips the crowd into a frenzy every time. i liked it on the record but it works so much better live.

 

Red Eyed And Blue>

I Got You (At The End Of The Century)

Casino Queen

I'm A Wheel

Less Than You Think

^^^this section was completely flawless.

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Dear Fat Dude From Superbad:

 

Thank you for choosing to sit in front of me last night. Your over-zealous rocking out made me think I was at a Quiet Riot show, circa 1981. The way you used your seat as a rocking chair really showed how much you can jam. As someone who has attended numerous Wilco shows, I can attest to the extent your flailing arms and finger pointing (mimicking a drummer playing the bass line) helped the band power through the performance. And the scratching of your dandruff into my beer helped take my concert experience to a new level.

 

When you screeched like a girl for some of the quiet numbers, it really exposed your sensitive side. And while you (literally) rocked out to the remainder of the song, I didn't mind dodging the stabbing movements of your setlist-taking pen. Your dedication to rock reporting had you not only write down the setlist in a notepad, but to also type it into your PDA. What really made that rock is how you had to lean back to reach into your pants to retrieve the PDA after each song started. If you had a mouth in the back of your neck, you could have given me oral. I would be proud to receive oral from somebody that rocks as hard as you.

 

Thank you, Mr. Fat Dude, for also regaling us with *real* rock fashion. Your tshirt proved to me that you are a big fan of The Hold Steady. The way it rode up your back revealing your sweaty ass crack, though, proved you're not a fan of the Hold Steady treadmills.

 

Despite my shin bruises, stab wounds, and blue balls, I really appreciate how hard you jam.

 

Thanks, again,

 

 

Walrus

 

With a little editing, this could be a great Budweiser, "Real men of genius" commercial. And all I can say to dandruff beer is: yummm. :cheers Nit seriously, this post made me crack up. Thanks.

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