Set Lists

[jff]

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.

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd live long enough to see a forum thread veer off topic.

 

Every Wilco show I've seen has had a drastically different setlist, but I only get to see them once a year, or so.

[jff]

I think the setlists and crowd reports indicate that every show so far has had the occassional burst of reckless abandon.

 

I think I defined reckless abandon, for the limited purposes of this increasingly tedious exchange, pretty clearly. Nothing that happened on stage in Atlanta fits that definition...not that it was a bad show, it just wasn't particularly spontaneous (that's your cue to nit-pick my use of the word spontaneous ). I can't speak for other shows as I wasn't at any of them.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Again, I feel like you're erroneously pointing the finger at the guitar changes, when - as we've stated - they're pretty seamless. What you're asking for, in wanting fewer guitar changes, is the aesthetic appearance that Wilco is reckless. The setlists wouldn't likely change if there were fewer guitar changes, as you've noted; rather, Tweedy would hold the same guitar for 7 unreckless, not abandoned songs, as opposed to having 7 different guitars for 7 unreckless, not abandoned songs.

[jff]

Again, I feel like you're erroneously pointing the finger at the guitar changes, when - as we've stated - they're pretty seamless. What you're asking for, in wanting fewer guitar changes, is the aesthetic appearance that Wilco is reckless. The setlists wouldn't likely change if there were fewer guitar changes, as you've noted; rather, Tweedy would hold the same guitar for 7 unreckless, not abandoned songs, as opposed to having 7 different guitars for 7 unreckless, not abandoned songs.

 

Maybe so.

 

While at lunch, it occurred to me that I'm probably thinking this way as a result of the audience chatter in my section. Every time a song would end, if there was any pause at all in the music, the chatting would flare up and would last at least halfway through the song. The guitar switch-outs are pretty seamless and the band and crew do an impressive job of keeping it all straight, but it does (or did) create just enough of a window of opportunity for yet another chapter in the never-ending conversation to begin. At least, that's how it was at that show, in my immediate area.

 

Audience noise wasn't a problem last time I saw Wilco (in Knoxville...or, really, anytime I've seen them outside of Atlanta), and at that show the instrument swaps were not something I even noticed.

[Central Scrutinizer]

At the Savannah show Nels Cline's guitar stopped working. At that point he started not playing the SAME GUITAR with reckless abandon!! You just can't put that it in the setlist.

 

If you only could attend one show a year, that one shoulda been it

[Guest Runaway Jim]

I enjoy a technical difficulty every now and then. In a Phish show Lammycat shared with me, Mike's bass goes out mid song and he jokingly plays the bass part by mouth. It was funny. If that was the one song you wanted to hear that night, you might be annoyed, but probably not.

 

I suppose if the technical difficulties become more and more frequent, then the crew needs to step it up.

[Central Scrutinizer]

I enjoy a technical difficulty every now and then. In a Phish show Lammycat shared with me, Mike's bass goes out mid song and he jokingly plays the bass part by mouth. It was funny. If that was the one song you wanted to hear that night, you might be annoyed, but probably not.

 

I suppose of the technical difficulties become more and more frequent, then the crew needs to step it up.

I saw the who in '83 (?) at the then Rosemont Horizon. In the middle of 5:15, Townsend broke at least two strings. when he gets to the end bit and sings, "why should I care?" he unstraped the guitar and tossed it straight up about 20 feet and it craxhed butt first. Great ad lib.

[anysongworthsinging]

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.

true dat!

[anysongworthsinging]

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.)

 

yes, that is a correct characterization of my position re their lack of improvisation. again though, they are a phenomenal band and I frackin love them!!

[Bart]

Every Wilco show I've seen has had a drastically different setlist, but I only get to see them once a year, or so.

 

Drastically different?!?!!? Come on, drastically different would be 10 constant songs (songs played every night) and 25 or so different songs from night to night. When in reality on on this tour, it's about 25 songs played every night and 10 or so that change. (Not a scientific statement. Just based on a quick review of recent setlists on the current tour. My numbers are probably off)

 

Drastically different is what the Grateful Dead did in Boston in 91 (I think). They played 6 nights and only repeated 2 songs, total. So if you saw all six shows, every song was played only once except for two songs that were played twice (not all 6 nights). But like someone said, the GD play much fewer songs per night (but much longer songs) so they were able to keep their setlists very different.

[choo-choo-charlie]

John blew a bass head in Bethesda. The crew had a new one onstage, plugged in and ready to go in less than two minutes. I think they did a pretty good job. As for setlists, at the same show, while Tweedy was encouraging shouted requests between songs, he also came right out and said "there are some songs that we play every night...well, because we like to play them every night." Fine by me!

 

I have no "complaints," per se (however you wish to interpret the word) about the setlist that night - the show was top-notch, the sound was great, and the band was tighter than I've ever heard them. If I had to identify anything I would have liked to have heard, it would have been another song or two from BT. But at the show I saw in 2007 they played "Red-Eyed and Blue" and "I Got You" and "Outtasite (Outtamind)," as well as several tracks from A.M. So I've been lucky to hear the current lineup play some old material at one point or another.

 

At the same time, I was giddy to hear a lot of songs I hadn't heard them play live yet in Bethesda: "When the Roses Bloom Again," "Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway (again)," "Poor Places," "Reservations," "Spiders (Kidsmoke) - stripped-down version," "Kamera," "Someday, Some Morning, Sometime," "Laminated Cat," "When You Wake Up Feeling Old," and "Passenger Side."

 

Seeing Wilco live is such a great experience and a treat for me and my wife that I'm not really bothered if I hear "Handshake Drugs" or "I'm the Man Who Loves You" every time, because I'm just lost in the experience. When a concert is really firing on all cylinders, my mind rarely goes anywhere beyond "this is awesome" or "this sounds so incredible".

[jff]

Drastically different?!?!!? Come on.

 

 

Jeez, calm down.

 

Is there a Wilco setlist database? I'd like to get the lists from each show I've seen.

[jff]

John blew a bass head in Bethesda. The crew had a new one onstage, plugged in and ready to go in less than two minutes.

 

 

That's amazing. I've never taken a close look at John's rig, but I know a lot of bands have backup heads or combo amps in place onstage, turned on, ready to go. Did the crew carry a replacement one out from behind the scenes?

[Atticus]

Jeez, calm down.

 

Is there a Wilco setlist database? I'd like to get the lists from each show I've seen.

 

have you not visited http://www.wilcobase.com/?

[jff]

have you not visited http://www.wilcobase.com/?

 

I just found it a minute ago. Thanks! Looking at the lists now.

[jff]

Of the six shows Ive seen*, going back to 2003, the only songs they've played EVERY time are:

 

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

I'm the Man who Loves You.

 

Songs I've only seen once:

 

Kicking Television

Monday

Cars Can't Escape

Candyfloss

Reservations

Side with the Seeds

The Lonely 1

(That's not even close to a complete list, but is all I can devote the time to finding right now)

 

I'm not going to do a more in depth analysis than that, but there is a lot of variation among these shows. Far more variation than any other band I can think of that I've seen multiple times with a similar amout of albums, aside from the Dead and Phish.

 

 

*9/17/03 (Des Moines - Val Air)

9/23/04 (Atlanta - Fox)

2/18/05 (Savannah - SCAD/Trustees Theater)

6/19/07 (Atlanta - Chastain Park)

4/18/09 (Knoxville - TN Theater)

3/26/10 (Atlanta - Fox)

[choo-choo-charlie]

That's amazing. I've never taken a close look at John's rig, but I know a lot of bands have backup heads or combo amps in place onstage, turned on, ready to go. Did the crew carry a replacement one out from behind the scenes?

 

Yes - two of the guys lugged the amp head out together, pulled the old one off and put the new one on top of his cabs. Fiddled with a few knobs, got John's cord plugged in, and he was back in action just a minute later. I was actually surprised that they didn't have a backup that was already onstage and ready to launch, if needed - sometimes the players will have an A/B box that they can use to switch over to a new rig if one fails. I didn't expect them to rush in from the wings and have to change out the rig in the middle of the song, but they did it quick!

[okp greg]

So I got bored and this is the list of songs I've seen & the number of times, over 13 shows:

 

A Shot in the Arm, I'm the Man Who Loves You, and Jesus, Etc. were played the most, at 12 of the 13, the Jeff Tweedy Second City show from December of '08 was when those weren't played.

(Don't Fear) The Reaper 1

(Was I) In Your Dreams 1

Auld Lang Syne 1

Be Not So Fearful 1

Black Eye 1

Blasting Fonda 1

Can't Stand It 1

Casino Queen 1

Christ For President 1

Comment (If All Men Are Truly Brothers) 1

Either Way 1

Gun 1

Gut Feeling / Slap Your Mammy 1

Happy Birthday (to Glenn Kotche) 1

Hesitating Beauty 1

Hotel Arizona 1

I Can't Keep From Talking 1

I Shall Be Released 1

In A Future Age 1

John Wesley Harding 1

Kamera 1

Less Than You Think 1

Let's Fight 1

Livin' After Midnight 1

Love Will Keep Us Together 1

My Words 1

Not For The Season 1

Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again) 1

Pick Up The Change 1

Please Tell My Brother 1

Political Science 1

Radio Cure 1

She's A Jar 1

Simple Twist Of Fate 1

Sky Blue Sky 1

Someone Else's Song 1

Something In The Air 1

Summer Teeth 1

The Ruling Class 1

Too Far Apart 1

True Love Will Find You In the End 1

Wait Up 1

What Light 1

You Never Know 1

You Were Wrong 1

Bob Dylan's 49th Beard 2

Bull Black Nova 2

Deeper Down 2

ELT 2

Forget The Flowers 2

Hoodoo Voodoo 2

I Got You (At The End Of The Century) 2

Misunderstood 2

Monday 2

On And On And On 2

One By One 2

One Wing 2

Pot Kettle Black 2

Red-Eyed And Blue 2

Sonny Feeling 2

When The Roses Bloom Again 2

Wishful Thinking 2

Ashes Of American Flags 3

California Stars 3

Far, Far Away 3

Hell Is Chrome 3

I'm Always In Love 3

Outtasite (Outta Mind) 3

Remember The Mountain Bed 3

Sunken Treasure 3

Wilco (The Song) 3

Airline To Heaven 4

Muzzle Of Bees 4

Via Chicago 4

Company In My Back 5

Hate It Here 5

I'm A Wheel 5

Kingpin 5

Side With The Seeds 5

You Are My Face 5

Poor Places 6

Walken 6

At Least That's What You Said 7

Impossible Germany 7

Spiders (Kidsmoke) 8

Theologians 8

Heavy Metal Drummer 9

The Late Greats 9

War On War 9

Handshake Drugs 10

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart 10

Hummingbird 11

A Shot In The Arm 12

I'm The Man Who Loves You 12

Jesus, Etc 12

[JukeJointJeff]

he does use some very different tunings.

over all, i think the guitar transitions go very smooth compared to other bands i've seen.

 

I have never witnessed a better tandem of player and guitar tech then Springsteen and Kevin Buell.......Bruce will turn and throw his 52 Telecaster without looking and a split second later he will be snatching another one from the air tossed by Kevin . With 40+ shows under my belt I’ve never seen them miss.

[BobDylansBeard]

Personally, I feel that they're switching it up a lot more during this tour than they have before. Last summer seeing them at Keyspan Park I was shocked and so excited to hear "I'm Always In Love," and during this tour songs like that are a lot more common. It doesn't seem like they would have played 4-5 songs from "AM" and "Being There" in the recent past. So, I think the setlists are a lot more balanced with material from across all of their albums. Hearing 35 songs, only around 4-5 of which are from the new album is pretty awesome. (Not that the new album is particularly bad, but that it adds much more variety.)

 

As for the guitar switches... first there's the issue of the different sounds from different style guitars. Jeff and Nels both switch to 12-strings for a few songs, and the differences between Tele's and SG's and so on. Besides that, a lot of Wilco's material uses alternate tunings from drop-D to open-G. Sure Jeff could use the same guitar the whole show, but he would have to stop and tune in between songs and move his capo around. This would likely take just as long and him taking one guitar off and getting handed another to slip right on. There's not really an option where they can play seamlessly between songs, so I think the guitar tech option is the best choice to keep things rolling. Plus, that's something that almost, if not, all touring bands do. Plus, you'd miss Jeff's witty banter, and who doesn't love that?

[BeShakey]

I hear you. And honestly, the band shouldn't plan their setlists for the people who attend multiple shows in a row. It seems like they plan them based on past shows in the area, which is really all you can ask for.

 

Saw them in Wellington a few days ago, and when someone yelled out a request (I couldn't hear what it was) Jeff replied that they weren't going to do it, but that they played it last time they were here. Given that was 2 years ago I assume he looked up the setlist before figuring out what they were going to play. Thats pretty good really.