Tweedy's crankiness

[Chinese Apple]

Also, someone mentioned an American mindset- it's not just America. We've had some real characters at Canadian shows as well. How are the crowds in other countries, like places in Europe?

 

In Dublin, the crowd is consistently perfect: considerate AND enthusiastic. Ever since Handel chose Dublin to premiere "The Messiah" in 1742, musicians have flocked here to perform for the exceptionally well-behaved audience. (I have my theories about the Catholic church run education system.)

 

Seriously, I have been to nearly a dozen Wilco/Tweedy solo shows in several European cities in the last couple of years, and have yet to see Cranky Tweedy. I have not ruled out that it is a seasonal rather than geographical occurrence.

 

Or maybe, since there are more shows in North America, though the percentage of jerks might be the same, the raw figures will be higher because the sample size is larger.

 

I've only been to one American show, and that was in Tanglewood 2008. I liked it a lot. No jerks there.

[jff]

 

I have to say, the Iowa City show in October was pretty good, crowd wise.

 

I wasn't at that show, but I saw them at the Val Air in Iowa during the post-Jay/pre-Nels era. It was the only time I've ever seen an audience member ask some talkers to shut up and the talkers politely obliged. It was absolutely amazing to see.

[gogo]

In Dublin, the crowd is consistently perfect: considerate AND enthusiastic. Ever since Handel chose Dublin to premiere "The Messiah" in 1742, musicians have flocked here to perform for the exceptionally well-behaved audience. (I have my theories about the Catholic church run education system.)

I'm not doubting your assessment of Dublin crowds, but I got at least three solid laughs out of this paragraph. Having spent a small bit of time in Dublin, the words "considerate" and "exceptionally well-behaved" would not be the words I would use to describe the people of that city (and I'm speaking mostly about my own relatives, in case anyone's going to take offense to that ).

[ditty]

It's been well documented that Tweedy doesn't appreciate talking during shows, which is very understandable. No real news there. They've been doing quite a few acoustic numbers or versions in recent shows. When folks chat during an acoustic set, it really takes away from the performance. Which makes thing worse and may explain more "crankiness" that some have suggested. I haven't seen a live Wilco show in... about a year, so all I can comment on is from what gets reported here.

 

Judging from the rise in acoustic numbers in recent sets, I would guess that the next record will be more of an acoustic affair. Time will tell.

 

* I sincerely hope these damn "chatty Cathy's" out there don't ruin this experiment with the stripped down mid set before the rest of us get a chance to see a show.

 

* In Columbus, OH this past fall you could have heard a pin drop during One By One. Jeff mentioned a couple of times how patient and polite the crowd was.

[UrbanSurfer]

 

Also, someone mentioned an American mindset- How are the crowds in other countries, like places in Europe?

 

 

I'm envious of the European crowds of 60's - 70's jazz & rock concerts (especially Miles, Coltrane & Pink Floyd). They were attentive during the music and appropriately enthusiastic when the tune ended. Hey, you never know, it could happen here. It's all a dream we dreamed, one afternoon.....

[sonnyfeeling]

Strangely enough, we were at both Dublin shows in August (Vicar Street) and then at the Iowa City show in October. Audience was perfectly behaved, exceptional even, at all three shows.

[badu2fan]

I smelled some weed around the time I started hearing him, so there's probably a connection.

 

 

I doubt that was the problem. Maybe too many beers.

 

Saturday in Durham Jeff was in great mood interactive etc. Richmond he was not happy with all the chatter. Why shoul he be. Wilco spends time trying to recreate their music live and would appreciate the audience listening to the perfection not talking about NCAA or who you laid last week.

 

Not sure why american venues dont make it strict like broadway or movies and kick people out if they talk or disrupt someones elses enjoyment. WILCO should add it to their introduction with a little more emphasis on Shut up

or leave.

 

It has been a pleasure not having everyone documenting with camera phone or shoot and point holding them up all night etc. Again think of your neighbors.

 

As an artist it must be hard to get up and perform to a bunch of talking heads. I am sure bands prefer the discipline of European fans when asked to listen.

 

Roger Waters Spit on a dude during a Pink FLoyd tour and they quit touring after that due to people being inconsiderate. Neil Young walked off stage in Baltimore after asking people to stop taking pictures and that was in the 70's. I was worried in RIchmond they might not play as many songs etc to make a point but Wilco is above that.

 

Hats off to Jeff for trying to make everyones evening of music even better.....

[SarahC]

I will agree that the no phones/cameras thing was nice. I was worried about it going in, but it really let me focus on the show after the initial picture taking in the 1st 3 songs. it was like being in a zone, this little musical sphere, instead of texting telling people what they were playing right then, or trying to get just the right picture of jeff. really cool.

[vulture19]

Jeff seemed cranky for the first part of the Lewiston show last summer, but he warmed up later. Based on some of the banter, my guess was that the venue or some other logistics weren't up to par (the sound sucked in some parts of the auditorium).

 

Thanks for confirming what I saw at that show. It was definitely uncomfortable for a while last July....

 

Now, I won't be the one to start the Scranton ATS thread, but I will jump right in when it's mentioned that JT was cranky about all of the chatter. Frankly, I was pissed. I mean, people were actually carrying on yelling conversations across three or four people.

 

But wait, this is about JT's crankiness, not mine.

 

He was cranky tonight, though. At least through the acoustic set.

[froggie]

there was a festival show they did here in 2003, where the audience were clearly there for other bands and jeff said "ok, ok, we have a couple more songs and we'll leave". i thought they'd never return after that. glad i was wrong!

[SquashedFrog]

This thread reminds me... how does the best band world have the absolute worst concert crowds of any touring act. Seeing the comments here, and the behavior (which happens at all shows) and the idiots trying to "out obscure" each other by yelling out the song requests (pose 1: "Tupelloooo soonnngggg", pose 2: "ummm, ummm, Loose Furrr sonnggg", pose 3: "Oh yeah, ummmm, obscure coverrrrr"). It makes the shows unbearable. And yes, I know the same sucky crowd was doing this in the mid 90s.

[LouisvilleGreg]

Jeff: When was the last time we were in Richmond

Me: '97, 13 years ago

Jeff: 13 Years. 1997, You must be from here sir

Me: Shaking hand at Jeff as although I lived in Richmond for a long time, I'm not from there

 

At that point his attention shifts from me down to the aforementioned guy and the "You weren't even born in '97" comment. Jeff had been sitting that guy and one or two others on fire with his eyes for most of the night. At one point he looked directly in the the direction where some of us were standing and told someone to shut up. I though he was fucking with Charles (the photographer) but it could of been someone just over his head. He also told the token guy cutting up to the front to settle down. Off mike we heard him tell John that the crowd was great during the "Jesus Etc" singalong. Just for the record he smiled quite often during the night asnd seemed to be having a good time in general.

[Chinese Apple]

I'm not doubting your assessment of Dublin crowds, but I got at least three solid laughs out of this paragraph.

 

Gogo- Obviously, you have an Irish sense of humour.

(I'll admit it was part of a cunning campaign to entice Wilco to return to Dublin.)

 

But, look ---

 

 

Strangely enough, we were at both Dublin shows in August (Vicar Street)[...] Audience was perfectly behaved, exceptional even,

 

Someone else agrees, almost word for word!

 

Sláinte!

[anysongworthsinging]

In Dublin, the crowd is consistently perfect: considerate AND enthusiastic. Ever since Handel chose Dublin to premiere "The Messiah" in 1742, musicians have flocked here to perform for the exceptionally well-behaved audience. (I have my theories about the Catholic church run education system.)

 

Seriously, I have been to nearly a dozen Wilco/Tweedy solo shows in several European cities in the last couple of years, and have yet to see Cranky Tweedy. I have not ruled out that it is a seasonal rather than geographical occurrence.

 

Or maybe, since there are more shows in North America, though the percentage of jerks might be the same, the raw figures will be higher because the sample size is larger.

 

I've only been to one American show, and that was in Tanglewood 2008. I liked it a lot. No jerks there.

 

wow, as the person who started this thread (and LOVED both the Richmond and Bethesda shows), thanks for the edificiation, will have to go to Dublin sometime to check it out meself (and Springsteen's Live in Dublin DVD/CD is phenomenal, with the Sessions Band not the E Streeters)

[anysongworthsinging]

Strangely enough, we were at both Dublin shows in August (Vicar Street) and then at the Iowa City show in October. Audience was perfectly behaved, exceptional even, at all three shows.

can't speak to dublin, but as someone who's lived most of my life in the east but spent 12 years in the midwest, folks there are generally way more polite than easterners, and it carries over to concerts

[The High Heat]

I remember when Jeff Tweedy used always be haunted. Now he's cranky. What's next, contagious?

[larryt]

great thread...because it's a major annoyance to me when I'm at a show and people around me chat through the whole fucking show......I always want to say, why did you come here/ or why don't you go to the bar and talk, since you're not listening?

and what really blows my mind is that in this day and age there are still assholes who think its clever to yell 'Freebird' at a show, especially during quiet numbers. I'm not a violent person, but this is reason enough to want to ring someones' neck.......I've seen JT ask for quiet at several shows (especially his solo shows) and I can fell his pain. I don't blame him one bit..........

 

[Bart]

Jeff: When was the last time we were in Richmond

Me: '97, 13 years ago

Jeff: 13 Years. 1997, You must be from here sir

Me: Shaking hand at Jeff as although I lived in Richmond for a long time, I'm not from there

 

At that point his attention shifts from me down to the aforementioned guy and the "You weren't even born in '97" comment. Jeff had been sitting that guy and one or two others on fire with his eyes for most of the night. At one point he looked directly in the the direction where some of us were standing and told someone to shut up. I though he was fucking with Charles (the photographer) but it could of been someone just over his head. He also told the token guy cutting up to the front to settle down. Off mike we heard him tell John that the crowd was great during the "Jesus Etc" singalong. Just for the record he smiled quite often during the night asnd seemed to be having a good time in general.

 

I agree he seemed to be having fun and was in a good mood. I sometimes think that people are oversenstive on the whole "cranky" thing. Like they're sitting there just waiting for the first little thing so they can go, "Yep, the crowd sucks and Jeff is cranky again. I told you he'd be in a bad mood". Yes, he made the comment about not understanding how people would pay to go to a show just to talk through it, but I took it as more of a funny comment than a bitchy one. I have to listen to the recording to make sure it went down like I thought it did, but I was really surprised by a lot of the comments in this thread and a couple others about Jeff's cranky mood in Richmond.

[Chinese Apple]

I sometimes think that people are over-senstive on the whole "cranky" thing. Like they're sitting there just waiting for the first little thing so they can go, "Yep, the crowd sucks and Jeff is cranky again. I told you he'd be in a bad mood".

 

You may have something here. (And not because my therapist said anything to me that makes me think this, but...) Maybe the mood someone perceive Jeff Tweedy to be in says more about them, than about The Jeff's actual mood.

 

I do love reading all about his "lectures" here on VC though. It's all part of his rockstar mystique.

[Chinese Apple]

I remember when Jeff Tweedy used always be haunted. Now he's cranky. What's next, contagious?

 

And wasn't it only recently that all those Wilco (The Album) record reviews portrayed him as happy and upbeat?

[jff]

And wasn't it only recently that all those Wilco (The Album) record reviews portrayed him as happy and upbeat?

 

That just means hes only happy in the studio. And weren't Nels and Pat on another continent when Tweedy recoded the basic tracks?

 

The only logical conclusion is that Jeff Tweedy doesn't like being around Nels and Pat. You can plainly see that he keeps those guys on the far ends of the stage, as far away from him as possible.

 

[aricandover]

That just means hes only happy in the studio. And weren't Nels and Pat on another continent when Tweedy recoded the basic tracks?

 

Nels and Mike. Pat was with Jeff, John and Glenn in New Zealand.

[jff]

Nels and Mike. Pat was with Jeff, John and Glenn in New Zealand.

 

Oh, my mistake.

 

Notice that Mike is hidden behind a piano during the concerts. Tweedy has is set up in such a way that he never even has to see him unless he turns around and cranes his neck. I swear when I saw their bus pull up to the Fox in Atlanta, the roadies opened the trailer and Mike stumbled out looking groggy.

[fatheadfred]

You may have something here. (And not because my therapist said anything to me that makes me think this, but...) Maybe the mood someone perceive Jeff Tweedy to be in says more about them, than about The Jeff's actual mood.

 

I do love reading all about his "lectures" here on VC though. It's all part of his rockstar mystique.

 

I believe they call that projection. With the range of emotions his writing evokes it is easy for a fan to get mixed up.

[badu2fan]

I wonder if he does it all as an act vs mood etc. heard he mentioned it in NJ last night that folks say he is moody. Might just be a fun stage persona etc.... Like the way he always says something good or not bad and then clarifies it that only 60 70% of you are bad comments etc....

 

You figure he wants folks to listen so that is enough to get you uptight when he has chatterboxes..... Also if he obstains from drinking watching obnoxious drunks try to ruin a show for fans or the band is probably hard not to comment. I sure would...... In Richmond he mentioned about someone paying a shit load for the show just to talk.

 

Also looks like he has lost some weight. Friend mentioned that Adrien Grenier (Vincent Chase Entourage) would be perfect to portray Jeff in his life story movie.....Jeff is looking younger these days....IMO