Letters To Santa Living Room Show April 5, 2008

[Wendy]

I don't have the setlist (Edie does) but this was a loooong and MOST EXCELLENT show and I have a very VERY excitable AtticusPoongoogler here with me ... he will have an amazing story to tell at some point when he can gather his composure.

 

I will say this much ... I requested Jeff play "Pieholden Suite" and he did but was not alone onstage.

[M. (hristine]

Holy shit.

 

YouTube?

[Guest Jules]

Along with a few other tunes. Just what the doctor ordered for Poon.

 

Great experience, great people. I'll post more later after I actually get some sleep.

 

 

Jules

[Chris_H_2]

Too bad about that b string though . . .

[Guest Jules]

Too bad about that b string though . . .

[miss jayne]

Wow what an night. It seems like a dream. Such gracious hosts, wonderful set list, amazing stories and dance tips . It was an honor to meet you all. Off to San Francisco to await our "little living room show" in August. Thanks to the Tweedy's for doing such great work. See y'all soon.....Molly/Miss Jayne

[passenger]

and dance tips .

 

[embiggen]

pics?

[mountain bed]

I can't wait to see a setlist. So I can bang my head against a wall.

 

I keed. We had good times here last night, but..

[Guest Jules]

There was Panthers.

[allgodsmoney]

What's the story with the b string?

 

Too bad about that b string though . . .

[Edie]

Sorry for the delay. I slept late then had a bunch to do (and still do). Please let me know if I misspelled any names, though I know I am missing a couple.

 

Also, it's possible that Radio Cure, Handshake Drugs and Via Chicago haven't been played solo. Can someone check and let me know.

 

Letters for Santa Living Room Show

2008-4-5

Erin's Living Room

 

1. Summer Teeth - Erin

2. You Are My Face - Jamie

3. Gun - Elizabeth

4. Panthers - Kevin

5. Sunken Treasure (with harmonica ) - Edie

6. Is That The Thanks I Get - Ken

7. Spiders - Johnny

8. New Madrid - Jenny

9. Pot Kettle Black - Leo

10. Hummingbird - Bryan

11. What's The World Got In Store - Warner

12. Someday, Some Morning, Sometime - Chris C

13. Radio Cure - Melissa

14. Love N Mercy - Tamala (used hubby Rob's guitar)

15. Muzzle of Bees - Jenna

16. Mountain Bed - Rene

17. Someone Else's Song -- Matt (accompanied by Matt on guitar)

18. Pieholden Suite - Wendy (accompanied by Neil on guitar)

19. One by One - Molly

20. Family Gardener - David

 

~now famous 20 minute pee break~

 

21. Bob Dylan's Beard & part of Woodgrain - Anna

22. Impossible Germany - Debi

23. Sky Blue Sky - Jay

24. Wishful Thinking - Rich

25. Either Way - Kathy

26. Passenger Side - Tim

27. Just A Kid - Adam

28. Say You Miss Me - Morgan

29. She's A Jar - Kristen (with harmonica )

30. Radio King - Kristen's friend

31. All The Same To Me - Kevin

32. Candyfloss - Amy

33. One True Vine - Chris H (first time played)

34. Jesus Etc - Sue (accompanied by Erin on violin)

35. Misunderstood - Eric

36. Via Chicago - Chris N

37. Always in Love - Ken (accompanied by Neil on guitar)

38. Shot In The Arm - Donna (accompanied by Neil on guitar)

39. Handshake Drugs - Donna's husband (accompanied by Neil on guitar)

40. ELT - Neil (accompanied by Neil on guitar)

[Dude]

There was Panthers.

 

If anyone's seen my jaw, I think it's still on the floor in that basement somewhere.

 

What's the story with the b string?

 

There was a tuning issue on Jeff's guitar (he played the same one he recorded the 'Sky Blue Sky' song on, incidentally) where the b-string would get a little out of tune when he would put a capo on the 5th fret. He also christened it Clint. And later in the evening / morning, Clinnt, with two ns.

 

What an amazing weekend. Wilco fans truly are the greatest bunch of crazed obsessive fanatics on the planet. Including ElixirSue, who I ran into at this show and I think I'm smitten over.

 

There was some money involved with attending this, but you couldn't put a price tag on the experience.

[bobbob1313]

Le sigh, I am so regretting not doing this again. Guess I'll just have to see you kids next year, huh?

[Elixir Sue]

[quote name='Đ

[H.Stone]

Just got home and have say thanks to Erin et al for hosting the party, Edie and Wendy for so much planning and hard work behind the scenes, Morgan for hosting the party on Friday (and for the extra assistance on Sat).... It was an awesome experience, and it's impossible to process everything right now.

[explodo]

Looks like the group could have used another Chris or two.

[M. (hristine]

Yeah.

[bobbob1313]

I can think of one or two...

[j4lackey]

A little scatterbrained right now, slept till one after getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep every night for a week previously and being up almost 24 hours yesterday. Been stumbling around Chicago eating noodles, drinking coffee and buying some art/research books.

 

A few reflections on the last night or two:

 

Jeff playing Love And Mercy on Rob's guitar (after gamely tuning it ) was just beautiful, and backed by two harmonious couches of women (and Skyflynn, you dog)!

 

Neil Poongoogler having a few religious experiences handily playing a handful of songs with Jeff (who called him out on his screen name, for which Neil had no excuse).

 

The family dog sitting up front and smiling mightily, actually panting in tune to a tune or two.

 

Jeff's complimentary examples of the Peanuts' Christmas-like native dancing styles of New Zealand, and his tributes to Glenn, Pat and Nels.

 

He wore a hat, and bowed and tipped it often.

 

His pointing out the fact that he had brought a case containing more harmonicas than John Popper has in his belt (these days, anyway).

 

Family Gardener was achingly beautiful.

 

Jeff was funny and goofy in a warmly sarcastic style not unlike that of Bill Murray.

 

Lots of smiling, even when it was past the bedtime of all the folk, young and old alike.

 

Jeff playing 40 songs for thirty people.

 

Jeff clowning and being a regular guy, then playing an intense, haunting version of Sunken Treasure and Radio Cure, belting out the parts that are belted out, and you sit there and thinking "Holy shit, that's Jeff Tweedy up there, and these are some of the best songs I know"!

 

Many good and funny people, deep dish pizza, and very generous kind hosts and organizers.

 

One True Vine was just perfect.

 

blah blah blah that's enough for now......

[Preferred B]

Ah, Johnny, now that's a review!

 

Nice song choice, skykev. (I'm assuming.)

[MattZ]

17. Someone Else's Song -- Matt (accompanied by Matt on guitar)

 

You spend your life growing up and listening to music. Standing in front of mirrors using a hairbrush as a mic. Using Dad's tennis racket as a guitar. Imagining what it would be like to be on stage with the musicians that affirm life for you. And then, in a suburb somewhere north of O'Hare in Chicago, 25 years after you first put a tonearm down on a record, a childhood dream comes true.

 

I've sat with my guitar and played and sang Someone Else's Song about 1500 times on my couch at home over the past few years. Last night I accompanied Jeff as he played it. I let him take the vocals.

 

A quick fist bump from Jeff before we got started, and a little bit of a mixup on capo placement, but then we were off. No words can describe what it felt like to stand next to him with a guitar in my hands. When he sang the opening words, I heard those words like I've never heard them before. Not through the mic/amp as I've heard it so many times before. But as a musician standing next to him on a stage. His voice startled me with its power. I can't describe it any other way. I kept focused though (somehow) because I knew this was being recorded. I tried to soak in as much of the moment as possible. One slight glitch at the end of the song that I dont know if anyone else noticed, and then the song ended, followed by (and maybe it was in my mind) an eruption of cheers that startled me back into reality. A quick gratuitous bow, another fist bump and quick hug with Jeff, and then me and my trusty guitar headed back to my seat. I don't remember if my feet touched the ground on the way back.

 

I can't thank everyone enough -- Erin and the Colemans for hosting, Wendy/Edie for pulling this off, John and Jenny, Skyflynn/Kevin and Amy, Jules and Jenna, Neil, Tweedling, Warner, and everyone else -- too many to mention -- whose kind words and encouragement gave me the guts to ask Jeff if he wouldn't mind a partner for Someone Else's Song. Thanks to John and Melissa and Brian for the beautiful souvenirs. I hope I am getting everyone's names right. Last night was a whirlwind. Of course, thanks to my wonderful wife, who promised me that I could pull it off. And who was probably as nervous as I was while she snapped pics and tried to get some video on our camera.

 

I will post something soon about the rest of the night (sorry to be so narcissistic ). We had a long trip back and I need to go take a nap. But while I am still on a high, I wanted to get as much down about that moment last night as possible. I am desperately trying to hang on to every second, every moment. I don't want any of it to fade.

 

Thanks Sue. Thanks Jeff.

 

--Matt

[Dude]

The family dog sitting up front and smiling mightily, actually panting in tune to a tune or two.

 

Jeff upstaged by a shaggy-haired rocker:

 

[solace]

awww!

 

makes me recall last year's just reading through the thread. super jealous!

[Rock Pools]

You spend your life growing up and listening to music. Standing in front of mirrors using a hairbrush as a mic. Using Dad's tennis racket as a guitar. Imagining what it would be like to be on stage with the musicians that affirm life for you. And then, in a suburb somewhere north of O'Hare in Chicago, 25 years after you first put a tonearm down on a record, a childhood dream comes true.

 

I've sat with my guitar and played and sang Someone Else's Song about 1500 times on my couch at home over the past few years. Last night I accompanied Jeff as he played it. I let him take the vocals.

 

A quick fist bump from Jeff before we got started, and a little bit of a mixup on capo placement, but then we were off. No words can describe what it felt like to stand next to him with a guitar in my hands. When he sang the opening words, I heard those words like I've never heard them before. Not through the mic/amp as I've heard it so many times before. But as a musician standing next to him on a stage. His voice startled me with its power. I can't describe it any other way. I kept focused though (somehow) because I knew this was being recorded. I tried to soak in as much of the moment as possible. One slight glitch at the end of the song that I dont know if anyone else noticed, and then the song ended, followed by (and maybe it was in my mind) an eruption of cheers that startled me back into reality. A quick gratuitous bow, another fist bump and quick hug with Jeff, and then me and my trusty guitar headed back to my seat. I don't remember if my feet touched the ground on the way back.

 

I can't thank everyone enough -- Erin and the Colemans for hosting, Wendy/Edie for pulling this off, John and Jenny, Skyflynn/Kevin and Amy, Jules and Jenna, Neil, Tweedling, Warner, and everyone else -- too many to mention -- whose kind words and encouragement gave me the guts to ask Jeff if he wouldn't mind a partner for Someone Else's Song. Thanks to John and Melissa and Brian for the beautiful souvenirs. I hope I am getting everyone's names right. Last night was a whirlwind. Of course, thanks to my wonderful wife, who promised me that I could pull it off. And who was probably as nervous as I was while she snapped pics and tried to get some video on our camera.

 

I will post something soon about the rest of the night (sorry to be so narcissistic ). We had a long trip back and I need to go take a nap. But while I am still on a high, I wanted to get as much down about that moment last night as possible. I am desperately trying to hang on to every second, every moment. I don't want any of it to fade.

 

Thanks Sue. Thanks Jeff.

 

--Matt

 

 

That's wonderful Matt. It brings tears to my eyes. Hang on to those feelings you felt.