LouieB Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Really? It could've been that he didn't "know the rain was coming", I don't think everyone's a weatherman. it could've been they thought the rain was going to start after the show, it could've been that Wilco decided with them to do the show as normal, would that be another reason to dislike Wilco? Have a problem with Conor's attitude, or drinking, or just don't vibe with his songs, but don't be mad that he's not a meteorologist. Well I was just fucking around about Connor. Actually I think he is getting better as he gets older and maybe less full of himself. I wasn't there, but an opener doing an encore is a bit presumptuous. (A couple years ago someone gave me shit here on VC because they had never seen an opening act do an encore, but occasionally they do.) Meanwhile, it really wasn't Oberst's responsibility to cut his set short; nor was it Wilco's place to tell him to cut it short, BUT it should have been the stage manager/house manager or some other person from the venue or local promoter to tell him to shorten his set if the weather was going to get bad. Really this is a show biz issue, and if someone at the ball park couldn't figure out how to schedule this thing, then it is neither band's fault, just bad event management. Meanwhile if it was really pouring during music, kudos to both bands for risking there lives, since getting electocuted is always a possiblility in a situation like this. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Hey lou wish u were here I wished I was there too....I spent an absolutely incredible day in Lowell a few years back visiting the Kerouac sites. I took lots of pictures and spent a few quality minutes at Jack's grave. I must say having been to two other shows in Mass, I missed not going. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
magazine called sunset Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Been to a lot of shows. BEST QUOTE OF THE THREAD!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerrycray Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 My two friends and I are doing all four ballpark shows. Last night the band was on fire and unfortunately snuffed out by the Spiders rain dance. I didn't like that the stage was all the way out in center. In Deleware the stage was right behind 2nd base so all the empty space was behind the stage. It just made it a more intimate setting. I have also changed my opinion on Wilco (the song). It's a great show opener it really gets the party started! Jeff seems to be having a lot of fun in the ballparks too. The Lou Gehrig speech before Jesus etc. was great.A couple of other highlights for me personally were, One Wing, Side With The Seeds,Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway, Via Chicago, and Nels' lead on the Impossible Germany. See you all tomorrow in Brooklyn. I took some pictures but I don't know how to post them here. If someone can help me with that I'd love to share them with everyone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I, personally, LOVED the fact that it rained. (I am sad to know I missed 'Magazine' but this experience was SOOO worth it!!!) I'm actually going to see four shows this week w/ the b/f and I told him before I hope it rains once but if it does I hope it's at the "home" show. So I got my wish... I thought the guys did an A-MA-ZING job! It was great to hear all the new stuff live. I like how Jeff thought when we were stomping our feet (in the bleachers) it was thunder. Turned out to be kind of funny since the lightning and rain followed shortly after. I went down front for 'Spiders' and 'Hummingbird'. It was sooo cool to be with the crowd for those, yes, even for the tired clapping bit which I sensed Jeff wasn't necessarily going to do but realized we had already started Closing it out dancing w/ the b/f to ITMWLY in the pouring rain was freakin' INCREDIBLE!!! I have to say even with missing some great stuff in the encores this was my 2nd best Wilco concert experience ever. (You really can't beat front row w/ no security/photography row and having Jeff banter w/ you off mic most of the night. Schubert - 2/24/08) Next up Brooklyn!!! It was very thoughtful of you to give me a holler on the phone after the show. The enthusiasm in your voice (and Jim's) made my day, and made me wish I would've been there. Have a good week! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jmacomber68w Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I have also changed my opinion on Wilco (the song). It's a great show opener it really gets the party started! Jeff seems to be having a lot of fun in the ballparks too. The Lou Gehrig speech before Jesus etc. was great.A couple of other highlights for me personally were, One Wing, Side With The Seeds,Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway, Via Chicago, and Nels' lead on the Impossible Germany. See you all tomorrow in Brooklyn. I took some pictures but I don't know how to post them here. If someone can help me with that I'd love to share them with everyone. Now, onto Wilco...the first time I heard Wilco (The Song) live was at the North Hampton acoustic show. Even in that setting it had a certain something to it that made it a really great, really fun song to be apart of. It reminds me of I'm the man who loves you live, its just a fun song. I also read about the kids that got to strum Jeff's guitar. I find that easily one of the coolest rock n roll stories of all time, this band is awesome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MeDave Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Really really amazing night. they were as 'on fire' as i've ever seen them. Bull Black Nova, which on record is not my favorite, was devastating live. so many new songs really shone in a new light last night. and the band were having a blast - here's a link to some amazing pics that a local boston blog took at the show...http://ryanssmashinglife.blogspot.com/2009/07/wilco-at-lelacheur-ballpark-in-lowell.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Ok, I'm ready to add some more thoughts. I thought the highlight for me was seeing a 2 year old (? maybe 3 ?) getting his groove on during You Are My Face's tempo shift. It transcended everything. Paraphrasing here: Jeff acknowledges the bleachers and we bang on the floor and seats. Jeff says something like "wow..that sounds like Fred Flinstone starting his car." Or something to that effect. LOL. Paraphrasing here too: I think Jeff said something like "well hello there?.." crowd laughs...Jeff replied with "I'm trying to pick you all up" Getting down to the venue for 2pm was cool and so was heading right back home. I saw Nels on the phone next to the tour bus, so I waved and he waved back. I got to see Paul (Bbop) and talk to him for a bit. A little birdy told me Tweedy had just gone for a jog around Lowell which turned into a respectful "running" joke amongst my friends. As we were leaving my drunk friend Phil (who got converted in 2007 at Bank of America Pavillion than officially signed up for life at 08's Tanglewood) was yelling "Hey Tweedy!!! Stay off the fucking road!!!" at the top of his lungs. It was funny but definitely scary if you had no idea what he was joking about. I wish I ran into Tweedy to tell him to avoid certain streets in Lowell on his run. That's where the humor came from. We were worried that he took the wrong road in Lowell and something happened. In fact, the projects are across the street from UMass Lowell and LeLacheur Park. And the awesomeness of possibly surprisingly seeing him jogging in Lowell would have been fantastic. I respect the fact that he takes care of himself. It's tough enough for me to get to the gym. I also got to run into MeDave at the show. Nice to see him again. I unfortunately had to take a piss break during the beginning of Impossible Germany, but the silver lining to the dark cloud was that when I came out I got to see the whole guitar solo segment from every walking point in the park. There wasn't really a bad place to sit and/or stand there. So who set off the fireworks during Via Chicago? It looked like they were really off in the distance. And a bit tough to see. They were in the foul pole section of left field. Spiders took me off guard. It was strange to hear it not preceded by something. It just kind of started. I'm sure if Misunderstood was on that setlist that was snagged it would have been mentioned here. At the time I felt like something was cut. The most surprising thing that also made me very happy was the huge turnout. There were more people in the bleachers than on the field. That being said I feel that the people of Lowell and people who had never seen Wilco before missed the complete concert experience due to the rain shortened encores. I also think that the next time they hit up the area we'll be taken care of. I hope so. Overall, my memory will be weighted by the fact that Wilco reunited a group of friends and acquaintances from 2007's Bank of America Pavillion show. 2 years later we were back seeing a band we all love in a place we call home and loving every minute of it. Kristofor PS It was my first time hearing Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again). Amazing! I also welcomed back At Least That's What You Said, Side With The Seeds, and Via Chicago which I missed at the Neil Young Worcester show due to traffic. Speaking of which that opening set (Neil) made we want Wilco even more. But now I think having seen them (Lowell) in the way that it all turned out really made me want more. Is the Portland, Maine venue really an abandoned warehouse? That's my only option to see them again until the fall. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 review and photos of the show:http://www.prefixmag.com/photos/wilco-conor-oberst-and-mystic-valley-band-lalacheu/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 review and photos of the show:http://www.prefixmag.com/photos/wilco-conor-oberst-and-mystic-valley-band-lalacheu/ Nice photos. I recognize some of the people in your crowd shots... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 BEST QUOTE OF THE THREAD!!! Haha, very funny. Totally taken out of context! Anyway, this is really, really dumb but I realized way after the fact that I left my ticket stub -- on the, er, somewhat commemorative ticket stock -- inside my free program, which I abandoned when all hell broke loose at the end. It's not a big deal at all, but if someone happens to have an extra stub or unused ticket or something that they don't want, I'd love to take it off your hands. Let me know. Thanks! (And of course I'd be happy to pay for the postage or whatever.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Well I was just fucking around about Connor. Actually I think he is getting better as he gets older and maybe less full of himself. I wasn't there, but an opener doing an encore is a bit presumptuous. (A couple years ago someone gave me shit here on VC because they had never seen an opening act do an encore, but occasionally they do.) Meanwhile, it really wasn't Oberst's responsibility to cut his set short; nor was it Wilco's place to tell him to cut it short, BUT it should have been the stage manager/house manager or some other person from the venue or local promoter to tell him to shorten his set if the weather was going to get bad. Really this is a show biz issue, and if someone at the ball park couldn't figure out how to schedule this thing, then it is neither band's fault, just bad event management. Meanwhile if it was really pouring during music, kudos to both bands for risking there lives, since getting electocuted is always a possiblility in a situation like this. LouieB I agree, it does seem that he's getting mildly less full of himself. I think the original poster may have misled you, they didn't do an encore. The last song was just the keyboardist & conor so the rest of the band just left the stage before it. And in regards to the rain, it didn't really start until Hummingbird, but I was absolutely shocked when they came out for the encore. Like you said, being electrocuted would be on my mind for every note of the song, especially for Nels or Jeff who were right out in front the whole time. They really gave us a great time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pureguava Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I wished I was there too....I spent an absolutely incredible day in Lowell a few years back visiting the Kerouac sites. I took lots of pictures and spent a few quality minutes at Jack's grave. I must say having been to two other shows in Mass, I missed not going. LouieBLouie, it was a great show. Would have been great if you could have made it out. Abby's mom grew up in Lowell so we did a drive-by of her old house. 'I'm the Man Who Loves You' in the driving rain was just insane. (I really was surprised they actually came back out, even for one). Here's a shot of them having at it. Hope to see you in Chicago for the Bloodshot bash but the prospects are dimming. Must. Keep. Hope. Alive. Take care. -Glenn Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Starry Eyed Squirrel Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Being up front during ITMWLY, soaked in the rain, going absolutely nuts along with the rest of the electrified crowd, watching Jeff and Nels terrorize their guitars, Glenn drenched pounding his kit, John grinning ear to ear.... ahhh, it was timeless, epic, unforgettable. What a great ending to a fun show. They sounded better than ever. And yea, it got rained out and we missed some songs, but nothing can take that experience away from my memory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
upnorth Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Haha, very funny. Totally taken out of context! Anyway, this is really, really dumb but I realized way after the fact that I left my ticket stub -- on the, er, somewhat commemorative ticket stock -- inside my free program, which I abandoned when all hell broke loose at the end. It's not a big deal at all, but if someone happens to have an extra stub or unused ticket or something that they don't want, I'd love to take it off your hands. Let me know. Thanks! (And of course I'd be happy to pay for the postage or whatever.) Couldn't PM you, but if you shoot me your address I have a ticket to send. It's a bit rough because it got wet but if you want it, I'll gladly send it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
reaper Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 um, i know we aren't suppose to post video or links here, but there are a few choice vids up on ye ole youtube... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
upnorth Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 um, i know we aren't suppose to post video or links here, but there are a few choice vids up on ye ole youtube... One choice video to look for is "Jeff Tweedy plays guitar with the kids" -- the guy taking the video was right next to the kids who "accompanied" Jeff in Spiders. Very cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerrycray Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Here is a couple of shots of the scoreboard in Lowell Just copy and paste the link, it works. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 A few more thoughts popped into my head. 1. I hope no one came down with the cold or pneumonia from being drenched.2. If you bought merchandise, I hope you can still tell what it is that you bought and it isn't soaked to shreds. Yeah, I also found those youtube videos last night. Awesome. The closeup video of Jeff letting those two little kids play guitar is amazing. Those kids will grow up to be rock stars. Kristofor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So why was the show called off? Was the band getting wet too? I figured they would be under cover. If it was called off just becasue the crowd was getting wet, that's a crime! I remember being at a Dead show in 1990 where it started raining very hard during the first set, but no biggie because the band was playing and we were all rocking out. It was a whole different story when the set ended and they took a break and we had to stand there for 40 minutes in the pouring rain. That wasn't so great, but once you were completely soaked to the bone and embraced the rain, it wasn't so bad. One of the greatest shows I ever seen too! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gweedoe Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So why was the show called off? Was the band getting wet too? I figured they would be under cover. If it was called off just becasue the crowd was getting wet, that's a crime! I remember being at a Dead show in 1990 where it started raining very hard during the first set, but no biggie because the band was playing and we were all rocking out. It was a whole different story when the set ended and they took a break and we had to stand there for 40 minutes in the pouring rain. That wasn't so great, but once you were completely soaked to the bone and embraced the rain, it wasn't so bad. One of the greatest shows I ever seen too! The Stage was getting Soaked.... The canopy was over the stage.. but that was more protection for the lighting gear than anything else... So all of the amps... and gear on stage was getting pretty wet! ON a new.... Non-Conor Oberst part of this tread... did anyone get a good recording of what Wilco did play... I know I saw some people with booms and mics... anything good??? any torrents up yet?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
knotgreen Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 My father and I are in the background of that video! What a night!! Cant wait for Portland, just got tickets Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 ...did anyone get a good recording of what Wilco did play... I know I saw some people with booms and mics... anything good??? any torrents up yet?? I'm wondering the same thing about the Wolftrap show. I know that one was taped but I haven't seen a torrent yet. They seem to be coming out relatively slowly in the age of instant gratification. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
reaper Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So why was the show called off? Was the band getting wet too? I figured they would be under cover. If it was called off just becasue the crowd was getting wet, that's a crime! I remember being at a Dead show in 1990 where it started raining very hard during the first set, but no biggie because the band was playing and we were all rocking out. It was a whole different story when the set ended and they took a break and we had to stand there for 40 minutes in the pouring rain. That wasn't so great, but once you were completely soaked to the bone and embraced the rain, it wasn't so bad. One of the greatest shows I ever seen too! 7/12/90 RFK??? This was a monster, sustained winds, torrential downpour on baseball diamond to, mind you. A whole different enchilada, when you consider the painstaking care taken of a baseball field versus the old football field. The canopy coverage was minimal at best for the band, check some of the photos b/w impossible germany and itmwly. In twenty yrs of concert going this one is up there for me as an epic! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NothingAtAll Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Paraphrasing here too: I think Jeff said something like "well hello there?.." crowd laughs...Jeff replied with "I'm trying to pick you all up" Jeff said "Come here often?" to the crowd. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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