Wilco — 12/3/11, Kansas City, MO (Uptown Theater)

[bböp]

A fun show, despite some shenanigans with getting into the venue that Jeff was kind enough to acknowledge and apologize for, even though I know he and the band had 100 percent nothing to do with it. I'll let someone else maybe explain further what happened, but I just felt bad for those people who waited in line for a couple hours out in the drizzle and should have been first in. I can imagine how bummed I'd be if I only got to see one show a year and really wanted to be up front and a venue stooge pulled something bush league like that...

 

That said, it was no harm, no foul for the most part. As Jeff said, "We're here to have a good time." And a good time was had by most, even the occasional guy who just fell down in front of us for no apparent reason, only to hop right back up as if nothing had happened.

 

Interesting to not hear OSM for the second straight show. Wonder if it's going to evolve into a once every few nights kind of thing, or a seated theater-only type of song. We'll see...

 

Once again, a nice mix in the setlist. Less Than You Think was a surprise as an opener -- I know they did it at one of the Ryman shows -- and I'm personally very happy they've resurrected Someday Soon for a bit.

 

Anyway, here was the complete setlist as played:

 

Less Than You Think>

Art Of Almost

I Might

Misunderstood

Black Moon

Via Chicago

You And I

Kamera

Box Full Of Letters

Born Alone

Radio Cure

Impossible Germany

Capitol City

New Madrid

Someday Soon

War On War

Dawned On Me

Hummingbird

A Shot in the Arm

---------------------------

Whole Love

Heavy Metal Drummer>

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Standing O

Monday>

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

----------------------------

Cruel To Be Kind [Nick Lowe] (w/Nick Lowe on acoustic guitar and lead vocals)

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

 

Interesting to not hear OSM for the second straight show. Wonder if it's going to evolve into a once every few nights kind of thing, or a seated theater-only type of song. We'll see...

 

 

I'm wondering if Jeff is getting tired of the douchebag factor (the whooping out at inappropriate in the song).

I told my son that there would be some DB cheering out when when the 'it's you God I don't believe in..." and I was correct. TheDB Factor is killing us all.

[steve joplin]

I consider this to be the best Wilco concert that I have attended. The first two songs were worth the price of admission. The rest was just gravy.

 

I was very pleased to hear New Madrid.

[tblair]

One Sunday Morning getting the heave-ho??

[Albert Tatlock]

One Sunday Morning getting the heave-ho??

Interesting. It obviously can suffer with the wrong kind of audience, and knocks a couple of other tracks out by it's length.

When I saw it (twice in a row like you) I thought it was getting a much more involved response than I was expecting. Instead of reverence, there was a lot of mild grooving from the ladies around me (those I could see rather than me being some sort of magnet!), and the build after the fade was greeted with cheers like those for a guitar solo. It may go on to be a treat like Mountain Bed for when the atmosphere is deemed conducive.

[M. (hristine]

"...I KNOW you didn't wait in the rain. You would have melted. There is a guy who usually stands where you are standing. You are not him and it's throwing me off.

 

I have been to shows where the first 5% of the line were awarded early entry, but it's only a sleazy Walmart management mentality that let's one buy for cheap what hasn't been earned.

 

It was good to see Wilco, and Nick Lowe stole my heart clean away. A "something for everyone" setlist and sweaty encore. Happy to be there and laughing still when a man as big as a tree crumpled at my feet then jumped back up, finished his beer and carried on as if nothing happened.

 

Many thanks to the band, and wishes for a wildly successful tour. xo

[Sparky speaks]

One Sunday Morning getting the heave-ho??

 

Maybe it gets monotonous to play. I know it is pretty boring to listen to. To me this song just goes nowhere for an extremely long period of time. But that's just me. Play some rockers...

[indy81]

I usually don't comment on setlists, but wow! "Less than You Think", "You & I", "Kamera", "Radio Cure", "Box Full of Letters", "New Madrid", "Someday Soon"...I hope these make their way into the "regular" set. Things have been a bit stagnant.

[ditty]

A fun show, despite some shenanigans with getting into the venue that Jeff was kind enough to acknowledge and apologize for, even though I know he and the band had 100 percent nothing to do with it. I'll let someone else maybe explain further what happened, but I just felt bad for those people who waited in line for a couple hours out in the drizzle and should have been first in. I can imagine how bummed I'd be if I only got to see one show a year and really wanted to be upfront and some venue stooge pulled something bush league like that...

"...I KNOW you didn't wait in the rain. You would have melted. There is a guy who usually stands where you are standing. You are not him and it's throwing me off.

I have been to shows where the first 5% of the line were awarded early entry, but it's only a sleazy Walmart management mentality that let's one buy for cheap what hasn't been earned.

 

...so people were able to buy early entry?

 

We have GA tickets for Detroit Saturday and if this happens I will lose it! I'm calling the Fillmore in Detroit this week. No point in driving 5 hrs and getting to the venue early to get the shaft by shady venue management.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Less Than You Think: I was pleasantly surprised to hear this as the opener. And they droned for probably a good 5 minutes before launching into Art Of Almost, which was pretty damn great. The sound mix was a little off for Nels' solo but it was corrected by the time I Might got grooving. Misunderstood was ferocious. Jeff's jumbo Gibson sounded great here. 22 nothings. Felt like the entire crowd was singing along.

 

Black Moon was a nice change of pace, provided some good dynamics to the set. I think it sounds better on the album, though. Via Chicago is always great and the noise sections were as powerful as ever. I was a bit surprised to hear You And I next. Could've gone wi another track from W(TA) here. Loved Kamera. Jeff's Rickenbacker sounds wonderful on this. On another guitar note, he pulled out a white Strat-looking axe for Box Full Of Letters, which slayed and had a nice solo from Pat.

 

Born Alone is a great live track. I hope it sticks around for a bit. That outro is rockin'. Another surprise came in the form of Radio Cure, which slowed things down again. The blips, beeps and boops were abundant, yet tasteful. The take on Impossible Germany last night was the best I've heard, hands-down. I was beginning to tire of it but this one sounded fresh, rejuvenated. Definitely got one of the bigger responses of the night.

 

Next, i thought Jesus, etc. was coming. Jeff had capo 5 on the SG (the guitar nerd in me can often predict what tune is next based on instruments, capo placement, etc.) and made a speech about how the next song is their test of how hip a crowd is, depending on their ability to sing along. Then he started Capitol City and I smiled. Tricked me and probably a few others! It sounds great live. Has a little more muscle but still maintains its playful Beatle-y bounce.

 

I lost my shit when they started New Madrid. A few people around me cheered very loudly, but most others had a puzzled look on their face. Overheard someone say "what the hell is this crap?" Lost shit again with Someday Soon. Same response from people around me..."does anyone know what song this is?"

 

War On War was rockin'. Dawned On Me crushed. Jeff said, "I think that's the best that's ever sounded! Let's see if we can knock the next one out of the park!" And they did, with a fun, campy take on Hummingbird with a big singalong chorus. And with A Shot in the Arm, the first set ended with a real bang. That song absolutely slays.

 

Whole Love and Heavy Metal Drummer made a nice one-two pop punch, and Glenn manned the rock drummer pose on his kit while Tweedy blasted feedback to launch I'm The Man Who Loves You, which had heads bobbing all around. Standing O was played a little faster than on the record and really revved up the encore. I lost my shit for the third and fourth times with Monday and Outtasite (Outta Mind). It could have ended there and I'd have been happy.

 

But then they returned once more to play Cruel To Be Kind with Nick Lowe. It was a nice collaboration, but I would've liked to have ended on a Wilco tune. Nonetheless, Ieft the show completely energized. Out of the six times I've seen Wilco, this ranks in the #3 spot.

 

***

 

A few other notes:

 

I got my oldest brother into Wilco about 2 years ago. He'd been waiting for this night for a long time. And his mind was blown. On the other hand, my middle brother came in with pretty low expectations, which ended up being exceeded quite a bit. "I didn't realize they rocked," he said. We all went with our wives (my wife and I have been to Wilco concerts all across the country) and it was the first time the six of us went out together as a group, so that made the night special.

 

Someone in front of our group not only had terrible BO, but they also had rotten-egg farts the entire evening, so bad that it'd often clear out the area for a few minutes. And another yahoo tried to take pictures and video with his phone for about the first 3-4 songs, but every time he held his phone up, it'd be locked and all you'd see was his wallpaper, which was a picture of what I assumed to be his kids. People kept telling him to either do it right or put the damn thing away.

 

To end on a positive note, I truly believe that this band has made a very special record and the new songs sound terrific live. I'm excited for what I hope to be many more years of Wilco records and top-notch, first-rate, rock and roll shows!

[M. (hristine]

Eh, I'm pretty sure it was a management decision peculiar to that venue.

 

We had been at the venue most of the afternoon and the second group in line. About an hour before the show started, a guy that worked for the Uptown (not for the security contractor), canvassed the line. Basically if you gave him 5 bucks, you could go into the bar, get a free drink and wait until the show started. I asked the dude a couple times whether the people paying the extra would have a time advantage getting down to the stage. He said that they would not. I had two underage kids with me and didn't want to take them into the bar (not really sure I could have for that matter).

 

Some minutes before the doors opened for us outside, the 50 or so folks that had paid to get into the bar (now "VIPs" I was told by security that I questioned), went down to the floor. We ended up 3rd and 4th row back.

 

Another KC venue has a VIP section for some of it's shows. Pay 25 to 50 bucks more per ticket to get in the fenced first three rows of the stage. I'm not fond of that set up, but at least one knows the parameters from the get go.

 

Like bbop said, Jeff caught wind of the situation and apologized. He emphasized that it was certainly not band policy and admonished the management of the venue.

 

Pretty sketchy if you ask me.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Here's the KC Star review: http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2011/12/review-wilco.html.

 

I forgot to mention that the band really looked like they were having a blast. It's great to get that kind of energy from the band and have [most of] the crowd give it right back. And it was a treat to hear at least one track from every record. We are very lucky people to have a band like this "in our time."

[M. (hristine]

Nice review choo-choo-charlie!

[ditty]

Pretty sketchy if you ask me.

 

ahh, very sketchy. I have no question the band knew nothing about this, they want the fans that have waited the longest up front.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Eh, I'm pretty sure it was a management decision peculiar to that venue.

 

We had been at the venue most of the afternoon and the second group in line. About an hour before the show started, a guy that worked for the Uptown (not for the security contractor), canvassed the line. Basically if you gave him 5 bucks, you could go into the bar, get a free drink and wait until the show started. I asked the dude a couple times whether the people paying the extra would have a time advantage getting down to the stage. He said that they would not. I had a couple of underage kids with me and didn't want to take them into the bar (not really sure I could have for that matter).

 

Some minutes before the gates opened for us outside, the 50 or so folks that had paid to get into the bar (now "VIPs" I was told by security that I questioned), went down to the floor. We ended up 3rd and 4th row back.

 

Another KC venue has a VIP section for some of it's shows. Pay 25 to 50 bucks more per ticket to get in the fenced first three rows of the stage. I'm not fond of that set up, but at least one knows the parameters from the get go.

 

Like bbop said, Jeff caught wind of the situation and apologized. He emphasized that it was certainly not band policy and admonished the management of the venue.

 

Pretty sketchy if you ask me.

 

Sounds like the venue goon just discovered the capitalist spirit.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Here's the KC Star review: http://backtorockvil...view-wilco.html.

 

I forgot to mention that the band really looked like they were having a blast. It's great to get that kind of energy from the band and have [most of] the crowd give it right back. And it was a treat to hear at least one track from every record. We are very lucky people to have a band like this "in our time."

 

Just where has the reception online been tepid (except for a couple of posters here?)

 

In the online world, reaction to “Whole Love” has been tepid among many Wilco fans, especially those who haven’t moved on from “Yankee Hotel Foxrot,” Wilco’s most critically acclaimed album, and who found the band’s past two records to be a bit too tame and fastidious.

 

Read more: http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2011/12/review-wilco.html#ixzz1fbYsDfLZ

[-seven]

Less Than You Think: I was pleasantly surprised to hear this as the opener. And they droned for probably a good 5 minutes before launching into Art Of Almost, which was pretty damn great.

 

This sounds amazing!

[Albert Tatlock]

 

Is the European experiment over?

 

This is me writing with a smile on my face glad that you got that final song MChris.

 

[worldrecordplayer]

Here's the KC Star review: http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2011/12/review-wilco.html.

 

I forgot to mention that the band really looked like they were having a blast. It's great to get that kind of energy from the band and have [most of] the crowd give it right back. And it was a treat to hear at least one track from every record. We are very lucky people to have a band like this "in our time."

 

A "tepid" reaction to TWL online? Have I been hallucinating these past several months?

[JAK2112]

Anyone else noticed it's the second straight show without both IATTBYH and Jesus? Interesting. Also had no Handshake Drugs

[M. (hristine]

This is me writing with a smile on my face glad that you got that final song MChris.

 

 

As you know, bbop is wonderful company and encyclopedic in his knowledge of rock and roll. I have a few black holes in my personal music history, so our conversation about Lowe and Stiff records precipitated some internet excavation. Nick Lowe, Ian Dury, Dave Edmunds and Elvis Costello were all familiar names to me. Yet except for Costello, occupied only peripheral awareness. I was busy in the late 70s.

 

These guys were masterful lyricists and tunesmiths. Thanks to Wilco and bbop, a bit of musical history has been colored in for me.

 

Lowe's hotness has not cooled one degree.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlCxGDMvvNw&feature

 

Lovely intro by Peter Cook.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Anyone else noticed it's the second straight show without both IATTBYH and Jesus? Interesting. Also had no Handshake Drugs

 

I didn't pay attention to the prior night's setlist, but certainly noticed that those tunes absent. I love them all, and wouldn't have minded if they were played -- BUT -- I was one of the lucky thousands to hear New Madrid, Someday Soon, Monday, Box Full of Letters and Radio Cure.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

A "tepid" reaction to TWL online? Have I been hallucinating these past several months?

 

I checked Metacritic to see if there were some less than positive review out there, and it has a score of 89 or universally acclaimed.

 

The only place you find people not falling over themselves for this one is here.

[choo-choo-charlie]

I wondered how he came to that conclusion. Either way, he usually has nothing but the best things to say about Wilco when they come through old Kaycee...

[REH]

This digresses from the actual topic of how was the SHOW, but as the #1 (little redhead) in line, a few notes regarding the logistics:

 

The guy who made the decision to let the bar-crowd in early is actually the OWNER of the Uptown, which surprised me. Earlier, the decision had NOT been to handle it that way, which is why I originally stayed in line after having been there since 1pm. Once he decided to pull a switch, he came & pulled me inside, I think because he knew I was about to get screwed otherwise. It was a VERY strange deal. Typically, the artist chooses -- or not -- to sell early-entry-lounge passes at the Uptown (like Bon Iver did), so probably not cool for management to supersede that. I know I got lucky, but I will say at least I recognized many of the faces upfront at being people who waited outside with me (& stayed), so that was a relief. I do feel badly for those who weren't as fortunate.

 

Also, the guy who fell down in front, has a bad hip & slipped on the metal grate in front of the barrier, just FYI.

 

That said:

I never, never, ever, ever though I'd have the chance to hear "Less Than You Think" at a show. I could've died happy right then & there.

 

And yes, the lukewarm response to "New Madrid" bummed me out, it got much better play in Madison.