Two Questions

[Suki]

1. I read a review of Summerteeth and it was compared to the Beatles Sergeant Pepper album. I had not heard of Wilco prior to this. I love music but was so busy with work that I didn't have much opportunity for discovering new music. Friends and co-workers were stuck in the classic rock or Top 30 modes. I bought the CD and loved it from the first note to the last.

 

2. Soon after buying Summerteeth I saw the band was opening for REM at the DTE Energy Music Theater (suburbs of Detroit). I believe this was August 2009. My husband was amused that I wanted to go, not to see REM, but to see the opener. We went and it cemented my love for Wilco. I remember hearing California Stars for the first time -- a nice night in an outdoor venue -- and thinking it was one of the best moments of my music life! Wilco has been my favorite group ever since.

[shockadow]

1. Bought A.M. because I loved the title "I Must Be High" & because of my affection for Uncle Tupelo.

 

2. My 1st Wilco Show was.....

uh...

I can't remember.

But it was a lotta moons ago. Prolly on the Summerteefs tour...

[calvino]

1. Around the A.M release. I just got into Uncle Tupelo about few months before they broke up.

 

2. I saw Tweedy solo a few times at Lounge Ax in 90's before I saw the whole band perform. First Wilco show was August 19, 1999 at Riverport in St. Louis - they were opening for REM. It was one of my more memorable birthdays.

[Sweet Melinda]

1. I first heard Wilco's music when my DylanChatGold friend hazel (aka Via Chicago's hazel) sent me a Jeff cassette. The show was 2-28-99. I wore out the tape in about 6 months and sheepishly asked her to copy it again which thankfully she did. That was quickly followed by the arrival of a Pizza Pocket box full of cds of both solo Jeff and Wilco.

 

2. My first Wilco show was April 2002 in Montreal.

 

I've now seen 21 shows, including 3 solo Jeffs and 2 Solid Sounds. Adding 3 more in September.

 

So, if not for hazel, I might still be in the dark.

[hazel]

1. I first heard Wilco's music when my DylanChatGold friend hazel (aka Via Chicago's hazel) sent me a Jeff cassette. The show was 2-28-99. I wore out the tape in about 6 months and sheepishly asked her to copy it again which thankfully she did. That was quickly followed by the arrival of a Pizza Pocket box full of cds of both solo Jeff and Wilco.

 

2. My first Wilco show was April 2002 in Montreal.

 

I've now seen 21 shows, including 3 solo Jeffs and 2 Solid Sounds. Adding 3 more in September.

 

So, if not for hazel, I might still be in the dark.

 

hey, i need to catch up! you got me beat on the shows

[Bill Cormier]

My first time seeing them was also my first time hearing them (although I knew who they were and their history and had certainly heard a few Tupelo tunes) was in 1999 at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Ma. They opened for another of my faves, The Richard Thompson Band(Unfortunately they did not perform anything together) . Both outfits have worked with Neil Finn coincidentily (or not !). The guy I went with, a reviewer for the Albany, NY Times Union newspaper remarked after their show "They are so cool, they are different every time i see them !" (he had seen a couple of earlier gigs/lineups by the band)

[stooka]

1. After many attempts by my buddy, Wilco finally took hold of me in 2006.

 

2. Sept 17, 2007 ACL taping for PBS.

[u2roolz]

I first heard Wilco in late 2002. Right around the time that they were about to play the Boston Orpheum. I almost went but had to work that night. I wasn't too bummed out because I only knew a bit of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. {I should mention that I play that bootleg a lot. Great sound} Around that time I went to a lot of shows of newer bands like Doves (who had My Morning Jacket open for them), Coldplay & Ash (remember them?), Gomez, Pete Yorn (WORST STAGE PRESENCE EVER!!), The Music, The Vines, The Strokes, The White Stripes etc.

 

In the summer of 2003, a lot of live music was coming my way. I had Pearl Jam on tap for a whopping 6 shows (the now infamous "we won't repeat a song" 3 night run in Boston), Radiohead (my first time seeing them) and Wilco (my first time for them too). Oh, and I think that I saw R.E.M. that fall and saw Pete Yorn again (who opened). I think I missed Wilco by a few shows as opener. Anyways, Wilco really blew away Pearl Jam's 6 nights and Radiohead (who I really didn't enjoy live at all. Traffic coming & going from the venue may have played a part in that mentality. I remember sitting in the highway listening to the 1st 4 songs on BCN live and being upset. They were touring behind Hail To The Thief which I didn't like at the time.)

 

The 2nd time I saw Wilco was up in Portland, Maine 2004 and I met the band for the first time too. I was shocked at that and that really solidified everything for me. I've seen them every time they come through the Boston area. I've skipped a few shows like that amazing 2008 CT show (bit of a drive in the snow) and RI Lupo's. Oh, and I didn't make Solid Sound last year. After 2 AMAZING An Evening With shows, I decided to wait. I'm probably at 20 shows over 8 years.

[choo-choo-charlie]

1. After many attempts by my buddy, Wilco finally took hold of me in 2006.

 

2. Sept 17, 2007 ACL taping for PBS.

 

I LOVE that ACL/PBS recording. That recording + AM/BT/MA era Wilco is how I got my brother interested in the band.

[Fred Garvin]

1. I bought AM shortly after it went on sale. I liked it better than Son Volt's debut and I still do.

 

2. I saw Wilco waaaayyyy back in November of 1997 at Illinois State University's Braden Auditorium. As I recall there were a few hundred folks in attendance; the venue seats a couple of thousand. They were rockin', performing three versions of Passenger Side (regular, punk and polka). I also think some of Mr. Tweedy's relatives came up for the show.

[barbkm]

I bought AM when it was released -- mainly because REM was a big supporter, so I figured I would too. But never really listened to it. One night in 2005, started watching IATBYH cos I could not sleep and fell in love. Had everything up to tht point within 2 weeks -- including Loose Fur and Golden Smog.

First show was Starland Ballroon in 2006. With this SSF (which I count as 2 shows) I have 15 Wilco, 6 Jeff Tweedy, 4 Autunm Defense, 2 Pronto and 1 Nels & 2 Glen

[callmebrian]

1. June 2001. I was 16 and had started my first job at a pizzeria in Boise, ID. My boss leant me Being There. Within the first 30 seconds of "Misunderstood" I was hooked.

 

2. 3 July 2003, Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI. Despite the large crowd and hardly being able to see them on-stage, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I have every show since.

[Beltmann]

2. 3 July 2003, Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI. Despite the large crowd and hardly being able to see them on-stage, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I have every show since.

That was my first, too! If I remember right, they were preceded by Fountains of Wayne, which made for a strange yet totally enjoyable pairing.

[H.Stone]

1. I purchased Summerteeth through one of those Columbia House "Buy 10 for a penny" promos (then immediately cancel................too funny) and fell in love from the first note.

 

 

...a coworker brought "Summerteeth." I was hooked right from the start and forced him to play the record on a continuous loop until the end of our 7 hour shift.

 

 

I read a short review of Summerteeth... My first listen I was hooked.

 

 

I read a review of Summerteeth ... I bought the CD and loved it from the first note to the last.

 

That's how I felt, too. I listened to AM and Being There and went to live shows because I liked hanging out with my husband , but once Summerteeth was released, I loved the band on my own. It's still the album I go back to most frequently.

[The High Heat]

Being There. Within the first 30 seconds of "Misunderstood" I was hooked.

Me too!

[Magnetized]

I LOVE that ACL/PBS recording. That recording + AM/BT/MA era Wilco is how I got my brother interested in the band.

 

I agree about that ACL recording. I was already hooked at that point, but that's what first got my friend intrigued enough to listen to those guys I kept talking about. She said she finally saw what I meant--I believe she said "they're the real deal, aren't they?" And I keep that one permanently saved on my DVR--nice to watch again occasionally.

[cosplusisin]

1a. In 1997 or so, I saw a video on muchmusic. It was the video where they are all skydiving with their instruments. I didn't really like the song too much, but I remembered the band name.

 

1b. In 2002 or so, a friend of mine really liked Wilco. He had Being There and Mermaid Ave 1. He was friends with not only me, but my sister too. Somehow he lent my sister his Wilco CD's, saying "this is awesome - you should listen to it". So I didn't directly listen to it, but I heard my sister listening to a couple of songs (I remember Far Far Away and California Stars in particular). It didn't strike me then, yet. I was still (gradually) getting out of my "the only good music is heavy music" phase (that started way back in junior high - I was already in university by this point).

 

1c. In 2004, this girl that I had a crush on at the time was really into Wilco. She told me how she had gone to see them etc., and that was really when I decided to check them out! I didn't get any albums or anything yet - I found a download of one of their concerts online. I think it was glidemagazine.com - they had a full show from 2004 on there. I listened to it and I actually loved it! I really warmed to several of the songs, like "At Least That's What You Said" and "The Late Greats". As well, some of the standard favourites, like "Jesus Etc". So from there, I started buying their albums. I think the first one I got was A Ghost Is Born, then YHF soon after (might have been the other way around). Then ALL the others ones very soon after that.

 

2a. The opportunity came soon to see not Wilco, but Jeff Tweedy solo, in June or July of 2005. I remember asking on this board if I should go, because it was far away (3 hour drive for me), and I really wanted to see Wilco, the band. People were like "yeah, go see him. You'll find Wilco shows are abundant, but Jeff solo is a lot more rare!" So I went, and it was awesome, if not a little short. It was at the Calgary Folk Fest.

 

2b. Finally saw the full band in June of 2006 at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium. Great show, but not even my favourite Wilco show, now that I've seen them many times since....

 

3 (not that you asked). I've started to lose count how many times I've seen them now, because I see them pretty much every time they come to my town. Let's see... there was 2006, 2007 (twice + a soundcheck), a 2008 (opening for Neil Young), a 2010 (probably my favourite Wilco show), and the JT solo in 2005, and another JT just this year in 2011. And there'll be one more Wilco show for me in the near future this fall!

[jack324]

1. I was aware of Wilco from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot onwards and started to hear more buzz about them after A Ghost Is Born, but the first time I started listening to them in earnest was in early 2006. It was my freshman year of college and my roommate had one of those iPod docks, which he used all the time. One afternoon, he was playing a few songs by this one band and I said "I really like this, who is it?", and I've been a huge fan ever since.

 

2. I first saw Wilco at Bonnaroo 2009. They were the Saturday night mainstage pre-headliner into Bruce Springsteen, and they were in a really conflict-laden timeslot - up against Elvis Costello, The Decemberists, The Mars Volta, and David Grisman. I already had a great spot from Rodrigo y Gabriela right before, so I thought I'd try my luck with Wilco first and then duck out to one of the other shows after about 90 minutes or so. Well, that never happened - I ended up staying for the whole show, loved every minute of it, and am now seeing them for the sixth time next month.

[aricandover]

1. 7/7/95 Graffiti, Pittsburgh, PA

 

2. 7/7/95 Graffiti, Pittsburgh, PA

 

A friend had an extra ticket to the show and said "Hey, I have an extra ticket for this show tonight, you should come. You might like them."

 

I didn't. The following year, I went with the same friend to see Golden Smog, which I ended up loving. That led me to "Being There" and I've been a fan ever since.

[rhino4evr]

1. I had heard bits and pieces of both Being There and Summerteeth while in college in 1997..then someone bought my girlfriend Mermaid Ave as a gift right when it came out. We liked it but only listened to it a few times..then I read all about YHF..and bought it a few weeks after release based on all the great reviews..bought the rest of their catalog within a month.

 

Saw them live at the Carefree Theater in Florida during the YHF tour...they played inside a movie theater and we were in the 4th row...pretty much was sold after that. I've seen them 4 times total.

[RainDogToo]

1. I first heard Wilco in 2000, when "How to Fight Loneliness" was played in the Winona Ryder film, "Girl, Interrupted." My sister and I argued over who was going to buy Summerteeth... she wound up beating me to it. Soon after though, she lost interest and I took over.

 

2. My first Wilco show wasn't until 2004, when I saw them in Norfolk, Virginia. http://wilcobase.com...p?event_key=784

[IATTBYB]

1. In the mid 90's when I was in law school, I was a big fan of a certain radio show on the local college's student radio station that played alt- and traditional country tunes. They played Box Full of Letters just about every week for about 3 months in a row and I fell in love with that song. I bought AM, loved it from the first listen, and have been a fan since.

 

2. First show was Kalamazoo State Theater in 2004 I think (the winter aGIB tour) . . . and it blew me away. That was the tour with the video screen and they opened the show with Via Chicago. Talk about starting the night off on the right foot.

[calvino]

 

2. First show was Kalamazoo State Theater in 2004 I think (the winter aGIB tour) . . . and it blew me away. That was the tour with the video screen and they opened the show with Via Chicago. Talk about starting the night off on the right foot.

 

I think you mean 2/26/05 at the Kalamazoo State Theater. http://wilcobase.com...p?event_key=835

 

It was great show...I may have spent a little too much time at the Bell's Brewery before the show, though.

[IATTBYB]

 

I think you mean 2/26/05 at the Kalamazoo State Theater. http://wilcobase.com...p?event_key=835

 

It was great show...I may have spent a little too much time at the Bell's Brewery before the show, though.

Yep, that's the one. I could have looked it up, but I thought I would rely on my memory. Note to self . . . stop trying to rely on my memory. And you, my friend, definitely started that night off on the right foot if you started at the Eccentric Cafe

[calvino]

It was fun day and show - Kalamazoo is a nice town.