You'd consider Wilco sell-outs when....

[Central Scrutinizer]

We managed to spin the animated Ringo laugh into a catch phrase as a junior college of about 4,000 people, about 3,995 of which had never heard or seen the cartoon before. Huh-huh-HEH-huh-huh-HEH .... yeah!

[jmacomber68w]

My definition of "selling out" is when someone's art is made WITH THE SOLE PURPOSE of pushing a product. If Wilco signed a deal with VW to make songs for VW commercials, then I'd have a problem.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

My definition of "selling out" is when someone's art is made WITH THE SOLE PURPOSE of pushing a product. If Wilco signed a deal with VW to make songs for VW commercials, then I'd have a problem.

 

Like selling a CD?

I should know better than to read threads of this nature. We all want our favorite musicians to be akin to Caesar's wife in an economic sense. I don't begrudge anybody making a buck so they can make a house payment, eat, send their kids to school, drive a relatively new car or buy beer occassionally.

 

We are all so judgemental with how artists' survive financially.

[jmacomber68w]

Like selling a CD?

I should know better than to read threads of this nature. We all want our favorite musicians to be akin to Caesar's wife in an economic sense. I don't begrudge anybody making a buck so they can make a house payment, eat, send their kids to school, drive a relatively new car or buy beer occassionally.

 

We are all so judgemental with how artists' survive financially.

 

Obviously not "like selling a cd"

 

If wilco were to make a song called, "I love Discovery Channel" & the only purpose of the song was to be in a Disc Channel commercial, and the band had didnt care about treating it as a piece of their art, then I'd have a problem.

[Chinese Apple]

I meant to add this link, but it did not work. Speaking of Wilco cartoons -- one of my proudest moments was the creation of this thread. Is that sad or what??

 

http://forums.viachicago.org/topic/36933-wilco-cartoon/page__p__1196656__hl__cartoon__fromsearch__1entry1196656

 

Does this count as synchronicity?!

[barbkm]

Does this count as synchronicity?!

 

Great minds, I tells ya! Great minds.

[barbkm]

Having recently defended the use of Wilco's music in VW ads (by comparing them to Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Mozart who all had wealthy patrons) -- I was musing to myself at which point I would consider Wilco/Jeff Tweedy to be sell-outs.

 

Three points of no return might be:

 

3) Any of them starring in an MTV reality show. ("Meet the Miller-Tweedys," a la the Osbournes.)

 

 

 

So, here's my synopsis for the "Meet the Miller-Tweedys"

 

 

Jeff and Spencer are a bungling team of schemers, often up to shenanigans, like trying to build a tree fort, but since neither is handy, it ends up looking like the BBQ on I Love Lucy after Lucy got to it.

 

Sue is the one with the common sense, ala Amy on Little Big World. She tries talking Jeff and Spencer out of building the tree fort. The just rolls her eyes and laughs with the final product. Then makes everyone hamburgers for a family picnic in the backyard.

 

Sam does say much, but his witty, insightful commentary on the family's shenanigans make him the break out star.

[tongue-tied]

Obviously not "like selling a cd"

 

If wilco were to make a song called, "I love Discovery Channel" & the only purpose of the song was to be in a Disc Channel commercial, and the band had didnt care about treating it as a piece of their art, then I'd have a problem.

 

I actually would prefer this over licensing already made songs. Writing jingles on the side wouldn't make me think less of an artist's songs or albums, just like I wouldn't think less of a novel if the author was a paid copywriter, just like I would take a film seriously regardless of whether the director shot some commercials.

 

But to answer the question in this thread: I'd say Summerteeth. Though maybe it was AM.

[GasCabbie]

I don't know about selling out, but I think it'd be pretty cool for Wilco to be involved in something similar to this:

 

 

[tongue-tied]

I don't know about selling out, but I think it'd be pretty cool for Wilco to be involved in something similar to this:

 

 

 

Man, Puff really hated wearing jackets back in the day.

[Chinese Apple]

Maybe the line is where artists cross over and become celebrities. That's when they start promoting THEMSELVES as a brand/product, and the art/music becomes secondary.

 

I am not sure if it is a line, or a slippery slope. But if Wilco starts to sell themselves that way, I suppose I would enjoy their music in an entirely different way.

[caliber66]

I don't give a crap how Wilco present themselves. If they make music I like, then I like their music. If they make music I don't like, then I don't like their music.

[fatheadfred]

I'd only consider Wilco to be sell-outs when they become regular contributors to Via Chicago.

Nice work, I can dig it.

[Chinese Apple]

I don't give a crap how Wilco present themselves. If they make music I like, then I like their music. If they make music I don't like, then I don't like their music.

 

Yes. But there may come a point when I will have to take their framed photo down from where it hangs, next to the Pope's portrait, in the living room.

[caliber66]

I don't give a crap how the Pope presents himself. If he makes music I like, then I like his music. If he makes music I don't like, then I don't like his music.

[Chinese Apple]

I don't give a crap how the Pope presents himself. If he makes music I like, then I like his music. If he makes music I don't like, then I don't like his music.

 

[jc4prez]

post removed by me.

[Mr. Kinsley]

Obviously not "like selling a cd"

 

If wilco were to make a song called, "I love Discovery Channel" & the only purpose of the song was to be in a Disc Channel commercial, and the band had didnt care about treating it as a piece of their art, then I'd have a problem.

One of my favorite bands is the Old 97's. Did you know that they (or at least Rhett Miller) were responsible for the Chili's jingle "I want my baby back baby back baby back barbequuuuued ribs?"

 

And I still love 'em.

[The High Heat]

I don't give a crap how the Pope presents himself. If he makes music I like, then I like his music. If he makes music I don't like, then I don't like his music.

Apparently the Pope is a Prince-wanna-be with his own commercial figurine.

 

[Shakin Sugar]

When they get name dropped in a Judd Apatow film.

 

hahhahaha, this one's gold.

 

Honestly, I live near LA and am stuck struggling even more now to get tickets because a few hundred dim-witted people heard about Wilco in a mainstream movie. It's good for them to make their money's worth, but I guess I'm just possessive like that... or would rather go to a concert where the rest of the crowd is as excited as I am to be there. grumble grumble.

[uncool2pillow]

One of my favorite bands is the Old 97's. Did you know that they (or at least Rhett Miller) were responsible for the Chili's jingle "I want my baby back baby back baby back barbequuuuued ribs?"

 

And I still love 'em.

They recorded a version of it for a commercial, but I'm pretty sure they didn't write it.

[Chinese Apple]

 

I don't begrudge anybody making a buck so they can make a house payment, eat, send their kids to school, drive a relatively new car or buy beer occassionally.

 

We are all so judgemental with how artists' survive financially.

 

I started this thread sort of tongue in cheek, but seriously, the last time Wilco played here in Dublin, we were trying to do the math, and they really DON'T take home as much money as one would think.

 

It was a sold out show at Vicar Street, which has a maximum capacity of 1500. And tickets were about 23 euro each, which works out to 34500 euro for one night.

 

If you assume that each band member gets an equal share, that's about 5700 euro per Wilco, for that one night. But this is BEFORE taking out the costs for the venue, the tour promoter, the management company, their airfare, hotel, food, crew, transporting all of the equipment, etc. Plus there's A LOT of wear and tear moving all that around, which they do almost every night on their tour.

 

They put in a good, solid, physically demanding three-hour show. With sound checks and everything else, the guys in Wilco definitely earn their money the hard way.

 

As a point of reference, with one of the highest grossing tours this past summer, U2 barely broke even financially on tour, despite filling stadiums (Croke Park in Dublin, capacity: 82,000) of people paying huge money for tickets. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6850952.ece

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I started this thread sort of tongue in cheek, but seriously, the last time Wilco played here in Dublin, we were trying to do the math, and they really DON'T take home as much money as one would think.

 

 

Excellent point. It is a natural assumption for some that simply because they are in a high profile industry and rather accomplished at their craft that they are among the industry leaders in compensation. The band doesn't have a record company 401k or insurance plan. They are responsible for the maintenance of the supporting staff.

 

Wilco isn't just a BAND. It is also an entity that employs people above and beyond six guys onstage.

[Dude]

It was a sold out show at Vicar Street, which has a maximum capacity of 1500. And tickets were about 23 euro each, which works out to 34500 euro for one night.

 

Didn't they play Vicar Street two nights in a row? That would mean that some of the costs (i.e. flights) would at least be shared between the two gigs.

[Chinese Apple]

Didn't they play Vicar Street two nights in a row? That would mean that some of the costs (i.e. flights) would at least be shared between the two gigs.

 

That, they did. And it's not like they flew from Chicago just to play Dublin. They played London before that, I think. They still make WAY more money than I do, for sure.