Set Lists

[Central Scrutinizer]

Agreed. I love Wilco but they hardly improvise a single note or drum beat all night long.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Agreed. I love Wilco but they hardly improvise a single note or drum beat all night long.

 

Right. "Impossible Germany," "At Least That's What You Said," "Handshake Drugs," etc don't involve any guitar improv.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Agreed. I love Wilco but they hardly improvise a single note or drum beat all night long.

Yea. So, basically, you're wrong. Because I've heard Handshake Drugs and Impossible Germany, among others, countless times, and Nels' solos last night were new.

[BDanahy14]

Set lists look great in my opinion; anyone know if they have played Dreamer in my Dreams thus far on this tour?

[dave41]

Other than Spiders opening the acoustic set each night, here's the songs that make up the first six shows acoustic sets:

 

Spiders

What's The World Got In Store

Kamera

Hesitating Beauty

Sky Blue Sky

Casino Queen

Outta Mind (Outta Sight)

Forget the Flowers

Laminated Cat

Bob Dylan's Beard

Someday Soon

War On War

Passenger Side

Airline To Heaven

Forget the Flowers

At My Window Sad and Lonely

Wishful Thinking

War On War

She's a Jar

Far, Far Away

You & I

Hesitating Beauty

When the roses bloom again

When you wake up feeling old

Someday, Some Morning, Sometime

How To Fight Loneliness

California Stars

 

You just can't complain.

[Muzzle of Dan]

Agreed. I love Wilco but they hardly improvise a single note or drum beat all night long.

 

 

Are we listening to the same band? I don't think Wilco ever plays an entire song, note for note, the same from night to night. There's always a basic form and structure, they are always playing the same chord changes and what-not, but there is different mood, fills, etc - even the way Jeff sings things each time is different... As it should be. This is one of the many reasons I love Wilco. I like music as an art-form that is constantly changing and evolving. Think about how songs like Spiders and Sunken Treasure have evolved and appeared in different incarnations over time... The art changes as the feeling of the artist expelling it changes. You just think it all sounds the same because these guys are such good damn musicians that it all just sounds right, every time.

[u2roolz]

Other than Spiders opening the acoustic set each night, here's the songs that make up the first six shows acoustic sets:

 

You just can't complain.

 

I'm waiting to make a compilation of all of these songs. I have two shows so far. This will be a rather fun task.

[Central Scrutinizer]

Miami Beach, Clearwater, Atlanta, Durham and Richmond are all available. Only Savannah missing thus far.

[SarahC]

Miami Beach, Clearwater, Atlanta, Durham and Richmond are all available. Only Savannah missing thus far.

Atlanta???? Are we talking about recordings? Where?

hello??

[jff]

Are we listening to the same band? I don't think Wilco ever plays an entire song, note for note, the same from night to night. There's always a basic form and structure, they are always playing the same chord changes and what-not, but there is different mood, fills, etc - even the way Jeff sings things each time is different... As it should be. This is one of the many reasons I love Wilco. I like music as an art-form that is constantly changing and evolving. Think about how songs like Spiders and Sunken Treasure have evolved and appeared in different incarnations over time... The art changes as the feeling of the artist expelling it changes. You just think it all sounds the same because these guys are such good damn musicians that it all just sounds right, every time.

 

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the improv comment was meant more along the lines of Phish or Dead style extended jamming.

 

Wilco does not do extended jams. If they did, there would be more variation in their setlists from night to night because they would not be playing as many songs each night.

 

Then there'd be complaining about that, too.

 

Phish can go weeks without playing a given song because they play far fewer songs each night compared to Wilco (at least, that's how it was when I used to go see them circa Nectar/Rift/Hoist.)

[Atticus]

I have read some complaints about the lack of variety so for this tour and I am just shocked that some would really think that.

 

Without getting into details I have counted over 55 different songs played so far after 5 dates and an average of 33 songs or so per night.

 

I saw both Miami and Clearwater and I think at some point at the Clearwater show they did 7 songs in a row that they did not play the night before.

 

There is not really another group that would do that (except maybe the Dead and Pearl Jam).

 

We should all just appreciate what we are seeing and stop trying to find things that are not there.

 

this is a great sentiment, but if you've been around this board for even a very short time, you surely knew that this post would only serve as a bat signal for the ridiculous (see below).

 

Considering the fact that Tweedy changes guitars after every single song (for what real purpose, I have no idea), changing setlists drastically each night would probably create technical and logistical problems.

Yeah, I understand all that. There are only a few things in this world that I like to be shown more than a great guitar collection, but after the 15th guitar swap I found myself hoping they'd just rip into a three or four song run with no swaps...tuning be damned.

Agreed. I love Wilco but they hardly improvise a single note or drum beat all night long.

[jff]

this is a great sentiment, but if you've been around this board for even a very short time, you surely knew that this post would only serve as a bat signal for the ridiculous (see below).

 

Great post. It really adds a lot to the topic.

 

Being lectured on ridiculousness by someone who calls himself "AtticusPoongoogler."

[Atticus]

you're welcome

[Guest Speed Racer]

Great post. It really adds a lot to the topic.

 

Being lectured on ridiculousness by someone who calls himself "AtticusPoongoogler."

 

Who is "getting schooled" by someone who can't afford to buy a vowel.

 

What did your post add to the topic, exactly? If you were concerned about staying on topic, you probably should have sent him a PM to iron it out.

[jff]

Who is "getting schooled" by someone who can't afford to buy a vowel.

 

What did your post add to the topic, exactly? If you were concerned about staying on topic, you probably should have sent him a PM to iron it out.

 

jff is short for Jeff. My name is Jeff. When I registered on this forum, Jeff was taken. I don't believe I was offered the option of buying a vowel.

 

My previous post didn't add much, I'll admit, but I don't believe I denigrated anyone else's contributions prior to having my contibutions (which were on topic) called ridiculous.

 

I'll call out uncalled for garbage if I see it, especially when it is directed at me. In response, you can act like a cop if you like. Deal?

[Guest Speed Racer]

jff is short for Jeff. My name is Jeff. When I registered on this forum, Jeff was taken. I don't believe I was offered the option of buying a vowel.

 

Joke, meet space over Jeff's head.

 

Poon did add to the discussion, by clearly disagreeing with what you said - which, after all, is one of the points of having a discussion. In fact, YOU derailed the thread by berating him for that.

 

People on this board are sometimes irreverent - you know that, I know that, and I'm sure you know that making fun of someone's user name is not only petty, counter-productive and - as someone who didn't get their first choice - completely pointless.

 

 

A handy segue back to the topic: I really don't see a problem with Jeff's guitar changes, and I'm 100% certain that rotating the setlist wouldn't change logistics one bit. Wilco has one of the most seamless song-to-song transitions of any other band I've seen, primarily because they communicate so well with their techs - before the show and during the show. As a result, they can play a varied setlist with multiple tunings and sounds better than any other band I'm aware of.

[Atticus]

I have read some complaints about the lack of variety so for this tour and I am just shocked that some would really think that.

 

Without getting into details I have counted over 55 different songs played so far after 5 dates and an average of 33 songs or so per night.

 

I saw both Miami and Clearwater and I think at some point at the Clearwater show they did 7 songs in a row that they did not play the night before.

 

There is not really another group that would do that (except maybe the Dead and Pearl Jam).

 

We should all just appreciate what we are seeing and stop trying to find things that are not there.

My previous post didn't add much, I'll admit, but I don't believe I denigrated anyone else's contributions prior to having my contibutions (which were on topic) called ridiculous.

 

I'll take a stab at this.

 

The original post (topic) was about refuting claims that the current set lists lack variety.

 

your first post in the thread made the on-topic point that perhaps Jeff's equipment changes affect how drastically the set lists may be changed from night to night, but also made the statement "(for what real purpose, I have no idea)"

 

it is this second point that I found ridiculous. If you really don't understand why Jeff changes guitars so often then I apologize for calling your statement ridiculous. I should have used the term "ignorant." Your first point was on-topic, although I don't think Jeff's equipment changes have anything whatsoever to do with the set list choices.

 

your second post in the thread--since you're apparently concerned with staying on topic--had nothing to do with the topic:

 

after the 15th guitar swap I found myself hoping they'd just rip into a three or four song run with no swaps...tuning be damned.

 

this has nothing to do with the variety of the set lists, but with your annoyance that the band isn't making 3 or 4-song runs using the same equipment. I also find this claim a bit ridiculous, since Jeff's guitar techs make his guitar changes virtually seamless, and are often done whilst the rest of the band is winding down a song, but that's an issue for a different thread.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I'll chime in to agree that Wilco has one of the best road crews I've ever seen. Jeff's guitars are always ready, and the segue in and out of the acoustic set was perfect. Cliche phrase, but they are a well oiled machine.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

Other than Spiders opening the acoustic set each night, here's the songs that make up the first six shows acoustic sets:

 

Excuse me? They're playing acoustic sets now?

 

That's just fucking awesome.

[jff]

I'll chime in to agree that Wilco has one of the best road crews I've ever seen. Jeff's guitars are always ready, and the segue in and out of the acoustic set was perfect. Cliche phrase, but they are a well oiled machine.

 

Not always. At the Atlanta show, Tweedy's tech brought out the wrong guitar at one point and Tweedy sent him back to get the right one.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

From all that I've personally seen, it's a flawless crew. Given the amount of gear Wilco has, it amazes me.

[Atticus]

Not always. At the Atlanta show, Tweedy's tech brought out the wrong guitar at one point and Tweedy sent him back to get the right one.

 

and they still finished the show?!

 

amazing.

[jff]

Joke, meet space over Jeff's head.

 

Poon did add to the discussion, by clearly disagreeing with what you said - which, after all, is one of the points of having a discussion. In fact, YOU derailed the thread by berating him for that.

 

 

 

 

Oh, well in that case... tee hee. Good one!

 

Simply saying "look at this ridiculous comment" is kind of an empty and hostile way of "clearly disagreeing"...wouldn't you agree? Especially when the "ridiculous" comment was an opinion.

 

By saying I didn't see the "real purpose" behind changing guitars for every song, I'm going to stand behind that comment. Real being the key. As a guitarist, I know that ALTWYS and Theologians (just to name two) would sound and feel very different on a Tele or Strat rather than an SG, but I see no reason why you couldn't play, say, I'm a Wheel convincingly with an SG rather than a Tele if the SG is what Tweedy happened to be using for the previous song. Granted, I'm not taking alternate tunings into consideration, but I find it hard to believe that NO two or three songs in a row are ever in standard tuning.

 

My greater point was, I think it'd be worth it to lose a tiny bit of sonic precision once in a while in favor of the occaisional burst of reckless abandon. And that DOES have to do with the topic of setlists, song selection, show pacing, etc.

[Atticus]

My greater point was, I think it'd be worth it to lose a tiny bit of sonic precision once in a while in favor of the occaisional burst of reckless abandon. And that DOES have to do with the topic of setlists, song selection, show pacing, etc.

 

you should start a thread called "setlists, song selection, show pacing and the value of occasional reckless abandon" and make that point fervently.

 

this thread [used to be] is about the variety or lack of variety in the current set lists.

[Guest Speed Racer]

My greater point was, I think it'd be worth it to lose a tiny bit of sonic precision once in a while in favor of the occaisional burst of reckless abandon. And that DOES have to do with the topic of setlists, song selection, show pacing, etc.

 

I think the setlists and crowd reports indicate that every show so far has had the occassional burst of reckless abandon. If it happened more than once or twice a show, would it still be occassional?