Bands that have opened for Wilco

[Yaz Rock]

Maybe he really did mean Santanic, as in , "like Santana."

 

I haven't enjoyed any of the openers I've seen, except for Mavis this August, and Ben Kweller (opened for Jeff in 2001). At first I thought, "who is this ugly guy with bad hair and skinny jeans, looks like he's from Long Island, doing Vanilla Ice... this is terrible." By song 2 or 3, I was hooked, and went to every show he played in NYC that year.

 

-Rob

 

Most typos ever in two-line post?

 

I assume you mean in 2001 since the date you posted hasn't happened yet. And Detholz! are definitely entertaining, but hardly Satanic...

[MWB]

Blue Mountain (Laurie Stirratt and Cary Hudson) in November 1997

 

Tift Merritt in September 2002

[MWB]

I saw two of the Somic Youth/Wilco shows in Cleveland and in Central Park in NYC. I remember thinking that it was sort of a passing of the guard kind of moment.

 

There was also the 2003 Soundstage episode which featured Somic Youth and Wilco--don't know if they were both filmed on the same night, though.

[Preferred B]

There was also the 2003 Soundstage episode which featured Somic Youth and Wilco--don't know if they were both filmed on the same night, though.

Yeah, they were. Jim O'Rourke joined Wilco for a few songs; I can't remember if they aired.

 

smog opened one of the Auditorium shows in Chicago - I can't remember which year.

[Edie]

Re: Healthy White Baby, you are correct! That was a fun time.

 

And I'm not sure if the Aussie/NZ act you're referring to was The Mess Hall, but they opened a few shows at some point. I thought they were just a two-man outfit (guitar and drums), but perhaps they also had a bass player with them.

 

That was the show I fell in love with the band

(in the key of C)

 

And bingo on The Mess Hall. I still remember that I needed to plug my ears due to the sound level and the lack of actual music. Those were the guys that took pics of themselves next to the show poster outside the theatre

[chriscolbert]

French Toast

[bucknaked]

Early Day Miners back in '06.

[froggie]

the Drones as in the Australian band?

 

i like them a lot.

 

 

yep, them. some guy in the audience yelled out that quote between their songs. the singer ask "what was that?", and he replied "you heard me". personally i couldnt stand them on stage... although some of their studio stuff is ok

[bböp]

Fruit Bats @ Ottos in 2003, I was not there but that's what I recall.

 

Not saying you're incorrect about the FBs, but I also seem to remember Aluminum Group opening at Otto's one time or another. Right?

 

Another support act that I can't believe I forgot earlier was Elliott Brood, who opened a few Canadian dates back in the summer of '06. Those guys were one of my favorite openers--super nice guys.

 

Here's a few more random openers culled from my archive of notebooks...

 

*Martha Wainwright (two shows in the UK in March '05)

*Phonograph (Tallahassee, FL - 3/14/06)

*Big City (Zaragoza, Spain - 3/18/05)

*Blueberry Hill (Barcelona, Spain - 3/20/05)

 

And hey Preferred B, remember Bridezilla (Sydney, Australia - 3/18/08)?

[Sandoz]

Beulah during Summerteeth tour

[Wild Frank]

Do 'Walnut Surprise' count?.

 

I am reading the new Johnathan Franzen book and one of the characters has a band that support Wilco. There is a couple of mentions of Mr. Tweedy in the book too.

[Sir Stewart]

Beulah during Summerteeth tour

 

Did they have a trumpeter? I saw an opener for Wilco in 1999 in Boston and they had a trumpeter. That's all I remember. Vic Chesnutt opened the other show I saw that year.

[Sandoz]

11.11.99 Boston: Avalon

 

indeed they have a trumpeter. they opened for wilco at the avalon

[shanerator]

John Doe opened for them in Des Moines in March, 2008. Great opening act. Played some stuff by X, grabbed the room with "A Little More Time." Brought Nels out for the finale which was a "Gimme Shelter." My first thought was that it was silly to close with a Stones cover but it totally blew the roof off the joint and got the crowd properly lubed up for the main act (who didn't disappoint either).

[LouisvilleGreg]

I just found a reference to an opening band called "The Boxed Set" in an old journal at the 3 Rivers Arts Festival show in Pittsburgh in June, 2003. I have no recollections of them.

[Preferred B]

I think that was Boxstep.

[i'm only sleeping]

Akron/Family opened for Wilco in Madrid, May 2009. Three days later they also played before Wilco and Jayhawks in Seville's Festival Territorios.

[LouisvilleGreg]

I think that was Boxstep.

 

I guess they were so forgettable that I incorrectly named them in my journal.

[LouieB]

Deerhoof

Low (man were they terrible though)

Low were terrible, which was a shame. Deerhoof was terrible also, also a shame.

 

My vote for the best two opening acts...Andrew Bird and Califone.

Great opening act that sounded horrible due to bad sound...Nora O'Connor at the Rave.

Loudest opener ever...Rosehill Drive in Ashville.

 

LouieB

[Preferred B]

I guess they were so forgettable that I incorrectly named them in my journal.

They had a couple of guest musicians that night, and one of them was using a little red "Going to Grandma's" suitcase to hold her gear. I had that same suitcase as a little kid, and I used to keep doll clothes in it. Couldn't tell you anything about their music!

 

The Autumn Defense opened for Wilco at a show in 2006. The Pines, maybe? I wasn't there, but I heard about it. They were coming back from Canada and the real opening band was delayed at the border or something.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Yeah, that was the Pines show. That was my first Wilco show, strangely enough. The band that was supposed to open started with an M, I think? That's all I remember.

 

I had one of those suitcases, too

[Sir Stewart]

11.11.99 Boston: Avalon

 

indeed they have a trumpeter. they opened for wilco at the avalon

 

Thanks! Huh, so I've seen Beulah.

[MeDave]

ah hahahaha. same thing here. I have lamented Not ever seeing beulah for years. now i find out that i did. awesome.

[Smokestack Joe]

Bbop stole my opener, The Jayhawks, yes in the 90s, the two bands use to play softball games versus one another. Would have loved to seen those games.

[jimtweedy1977]

Smog (Chicago Auditorium; 9/20/03) is another addition. I actually saw them earlier that summer in a tiny defunct club in Charlottesville, VA called Tokyo Rose. They looked swallowed up at the Auditorium.

 

Favorite opening group was Preston School of Industry; least favorite was Neil Micheal Hagerty-that was about fifty minutes of my life that I'll never get back

 

I enjoyed Mission of Burma, but I remember that show being louder than most shows I've seen. I was somewhat sorry I missed Sonic Youth, but I did see them open for Pearl Jam a few years earlier.