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Wilco at Folk & Roots Festival?


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CLTV had a segment on the Folk & Roots festival next weekend in Lincoln Square & said that a "Metromix insider" reports that "some or all members of Wilco" are rumored to be appearing. Anybody know anything about this? I searched on this board & didn't see anything, so if this has already been discussed please forgive me....

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Hmm, I have no idea about actual members of Wilco ...

 

But the Old Town School of Folk's Wilco Ensemble is playing that festival according to Metromix and another couple sites -- if you do a search I believe the ensemble has been involved with the living room shows and some other stuff (maybe they can weigh in). My husband and I are planning to go check it out.

 

Not sure if this is a genuine rumor (is that a paradox?) or just confusion re: the name.

 

-- Katie

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Yeah, how about it.........yeesh.
Main Stage Saturday.

12:55 p.m.: Special Music By Special People

1:30 p.m.: The Astronomer

2 p.m.: Unibrow

2:45 p.m.: Grupo Miel

3:45 p.m.: Jon Langford and the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus

5 p.m.: David Davis and the Warrior River Boys

6 p.m.: Charro with Jorge Duran (in the park)

6:30 p.m.: Slavic Soul Party!

8:15 p.m.: The Mother Truckers

 

Main Stage Sunday

12:55 p.m.: Midwest Invitational Fiddle Contest

2:15 p.m.: Martin Olivares y Los Vencedores

3:30 p.m.: The Iguanas

5 p.m.: Les Primitifs du Futur

6:30 p.m.: Dobet Gnahore

7:45 p.m.: Yaneida Rivera and Michael Reyes

8:15 p.m.: Kinky

 

There have been great shows in the past, but by comparision this is very weak. Sunday is usually reserved for world music but it looks like that sort of stuff has bled over into Saturday as well. I just remember great shows by Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Alejandro Escovedo and some great supporting acts like Richard Thompson. Even early on they had acts like Dave Alvin, Robbie Fulks, Buddy Miller, Chris Smithers, The Mekons, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett and many other acts that were extremely good and very fun. There is little to draw me to this fest anymore sadly, since it is practically walking distance from my house, put on by an institution I respect and cheap as the dickens. I sure hope Wilco shows up. I suppose people are still showing up for this because like other events (Pitchfork, The Hideout Block Party, etc.) it is the place for groovy people to go.

 

Maybe some can enlighten us about some of these folks and get us to go. Maybe I am terribly wrong and these folks are worth the time. I guess at the price and location it is difficult to complain much.

 

LouieB

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Is that Charro as in "cucci cucci?!" cuz I would take my break from the store to coincide with that.

I don't know for sure, but that sure sounds pretty entertaining if it is. (Gawd I hope not...... :lol )

 

LouieB

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I saw Del McCoury there, I think it was the first year of the festival.....they played an afternoon show in front of about 150 people.

I saw him there too, great stuff. That's what I mean, this is just too lame. (Was that the first year? Heck I can't remember, but I recollect that it was a couple years later, but then again he might have been there a couple times too.)

 

LouieB

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I saw him there too, great stuff. That's what I mean, this is just too lame. (Was that the first year? Heck I can't remember, but I recollect that it was a couple years later, but then again he might have been there a couple times too.)

 

LouieB

 

I believe he played that Fest just the once. I went the first 3-4 years until the frat crowd caught on to it and the quality of the performers went down. The Steve Earle show was the last one I went to...way too crowded and Earle put on a poor performance IMO (I could care less about his objections to the death penalty, which he was vocal about). Remember when Patty Smith headlined? I like her but what does she have to do with folk music and the OTSFM? I rather see obscure cajun, bluegrass, folk, country and blues acts.

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I believe he played that Fest just the once. I went the first 3-4 years until the frat crowd caught on to it and the quality of the performers went down. The Steve Earle show was the last one I went to...way too crowded and Earle put on a poor performance IMO (I could care less about his objections to the death penalty, which he was vocal about). Remember when Patty Smith headlined? I like her but what does she have to do with folk music and the OTSFM? I rather see obscure cajun, bluegrass, folk, country and blues acts.
I was at the Patti Smith show as well and it was a great night after the Mekons and Richard Thompson played. I am fine with obscure acts (actually that is what the University of Chicago Folk Fest has always excelled at, but that is a different story and different crowd.) I am sort of with you about the frat crowd, but the frat crowd has infiltrated nearly every fest here in Chicago and you have to sort of ignore them. I don't mind obscurity one bit and like I said, it is quite possible that some of the acts will be great, but it doesn't hurt them to host a relatively big name headliner one night just for the hell of it. Certainly Patti Smith is neither folk nor roots, but her show was actually wonderful.

 

As far as Earle's performance was concerned, I think it was his heavy political period and it was certainly less than stellar, but it was good enough. And to reiterate, if you want obscurity check out the long running O of C Folk Fest which goes back to the actual folk revival. The obscurity of the acts can be both good and bad. Sometimes the acts are great and other times just so so.

 

LouieB

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I suppose someone should say that the Wilco Ensemble is at this event I think. Frankly don't be surprised to see some of Wilco in the crowd perhaps.

 

Also TG and I went to the Hideout last night and caught the Jon Langford and the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus doing a rehersal type show. It was a very fun time and will be pretty entertaining for the hour they perform. It will be Langford on guitar with bass and drums as the chorus singing back up and probably the chorus, singing a bunch of their own material as well. The Chorus is about 35 guys, many older, from Canada and they are really into it. The Langford material may well be a few things from his Skull Orchard period; songs about life at sea, etc. and maybe a Mekon song or two. Pretty fun stuff actually.

 

LouieB

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We actually played Sunday at 5:00. They kept telling us to turn down to not overwhelm the main stage. Heh.

Sorry I read the schedule wrong, which is why it makes sense for people to google this themselves. Hope it went well.

 

LouieB

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