New Zealand Reviews-Setlists?

[pablo727]

Anybody got any news?

[Plumplechook]

Don't expect any reviews from Aucklanders - notoriously useless/lazy. Wellingtonians are a different breed though - and I fully expect our man Mahinty to be on the case tonight with a full set-list/review.

[Plumplechook]

Here's the review of last night's Auckland gig by Russell Baillie from the New Zealand Herald"

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10641395

Third time's a charm. Wilco returned to Auckland after two previous incursions in past years - their memorable Bruce Mason Centre show in 2008 and their part in Neil Finn's 7 Worlds Collide supergroup last year, that visit also laying some of the ground for their most recent set Wilco (the album).

Its self-referential title track Wilco (the song) - with pauses for robot-voiced introductions to each of the Chicago sextet - provided a nifty opening to proceedings.

 

But if that start suggested the band were here to just here to plug (the album), what followed was an epic wonder of a show, one which reached back through the band's 15 years, breathed new fire into older songs and demonstrated the band's particular live magic. It's one that mixes music complexity with approachability, avant-garde meanderings with tuneful harmony, and the melancholy melody of frontman Jeff Tweedy with powerpop joy.

 

As good as 2008? Well maybe not quite as artful, that last performance coming off the back of the Blue Sky Blue album having the feeling of a chamber piece.

 

But the Civic was a grander frame for this wider canvas - and the celestial ceiling set off songs like their Woody Guthrie cover California Stars, played in the encore, just so.

Tweedy let the songs do the talking for a momentum-building first half hour - the twitchy intensity of Bull Black Nova providing an early sign that something special was unfolding - before getting affable with the front rows. From there, it was one plumbing of the vast depths of the Wilco songbook after another.

 

True, some like Impossible Germany did risk turning into a jazz-rock odyssey in its solo sections. But guitarist Nels Cline's playing was, as ever, extraordinary, whether he was adding filigree details or sonic scorchings - or both within the same bar.

 

Tweedy himself impressed with his own welding torch-styled solos if not his microphone twirling technique.

 

While songs like Via Chicago, with its sweet balladry undercut by a thrilling cacophony reminds that drummer Glenn Kotche is very much a part of what makes Wilco such a remarkable live act.

 

And they were remarkable once again, even if the sold-out Civic crowd wasn't quite up to singing all of the sweetly-tuned Jesus Etc as Tweedy had hoped.

 

But elsewhere, the band's country-soul inflections were in evidence, especially on the dulcet harmonies of You Are My Face early on.

While the latter part of the show settled into home-straight rave-up with the likes of the Stonesy Monday, the written-in-NZ You Never Know, and the punky I'm A Wheel gave this long but brilliant night a roaring finish.

 

In support, lanky American country young-fogey Justin Townes Earle charmed with his prom suit, his homespun introductions and his songs which sounded either like they had been unearthed from ancient Nashville jukebox or came delivered poignant and personal.

[pablo727]

Sweeet!

[monster]

Don't expect any reviews from Aucklanders - notoriously useless/lazy. Wellingtonians are a different breed though - and I fully expect our man Mahinty to be on the case tonight with a full set-list/review.

 

Harsh, but possibly true. As there isn't much else to do in Wellington (the city where one busker with a guitar is known as a "Festival") I'm sure the setlist will be posted promptly by someone with nothing else to do (just joking my Welly friends)

 

I'm sure a proper setlist will turn up, but this is my best recollection of what was played, though the order will be wrong;

 

Opened with WTS

 

Then in VERY approximate order; BBN, IATTBYH, You are my face, One wing, Deeper Down, Handshake Drugs, A Shot in the Arm, I'll Fight, Poor Places, Reservations, Nothingsevergonna, Jesus etc, ALTWYS, Hate it here, Walken, Via Chicago, HMD, Hummingbird, Spiders, Monday, Outtasite, ITMWLY

 

Encore

Cali Stars

You Never Know

Hoodoo

I'm a Wheel

 

And yes, as mentioned in Russel Baillies review, the Jesus etc singalong was woeful so I'm sure Auckland will be dissed in the intro if they play it tonight in Wellington

[monster]

More love for Wilco from the NZ reviewers

 

Real Groove Mag Review

 

And of course, I left one of the the most obvious songs in a typical Wilco setlist (Impossible Germany) off the list above...

[Plumplechook]

Thanks for the excellent review/comments Monster. Didn't really mean that about Aucklanders - was just goading you guys -and it worked!

[monster]

Thanks for the excellent review/comments Monster. Didn't really mean that about Aucklanders - was just goading you guys -and it worked!

 

Hey, no need for an apology - recognised it as someone aware of the Auckland/Wellington rivalry just wanting to gently stir things up a bit. Hope my reply didn't come across as being a bit chippy.

 

Seems you were right anyway

[BeShakey]

Harsh, but possibly true. As there isn't much else to do in Wellington (the city where one busker with a guitar is known as a "Festival") I'm sure the setlist will be posted promptly by someone with nothing else to do (just joking my Welly friends)

 

I'm sure a proper setlist will turn up, but this is my best recollection of what was played, though the order will be wrong;

 

Opened with WTS

 

Then in VERY approximate order; BBN, IATTBYH, You are my face, One wing, Deeper Down, Handshake Drugs, A Shot in the Arm, I'll Fight, Poor Places, Reservations, Nothingsevergonna, Jesus etc, ALTWYS, Hate it here, Walken, Via Chicago, HMD, Hummingbird, Spiders, Monday, Outtasite, ITMWLY

 

Encore

Cali Stars

You Never Know

Hoodoo

I'm a Wheel

 

And yes, as mentioned in Russel Baillies review, the Jesus etc singalong was woeful so I'm sure Auckland will be dissed in the intro if they play it tonight in Wellington

 

Just added the setlist to the Auckland thread. I'm from Wellington, so fully agree that Aucklanders are useless about this stuff (getting a setlist at Auckland was easy, but there was a bring crowd waiting for one in Wellington).