Wilco — 1/25/12, Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)

[bböp]

A weird crowd in more ways than one and a pretty sleazy policy enacted by the venue to let people pay an additional 20 bucks at the door to get in early. (How is that better than out-and-out bribery? I'd almost feel better about it if that money went to the band, but I know it almost certainly doesn't.) At least there were a few nice nuggets in tonight's setlist...

 

We got, at least to my memory, the first fully electric version of Laminated Cat in quite some time (Jeff played the Rickenbacker he uses on I Might and Whole Love), so that was a nice surprise. And it's always great to hear pop gems like Magazine and Nothing'sever.

 

Maybe most surprising was the seamless fade from Casino Queen, just at the handclap part, into Hoodoo Voodoo. That's something I don't remember hearing from this incarnation of the band and reminded me just a little bit of how earlier lineups used to use Casino Queen as almost a jumping-off point to meander into a cover or two back in "the old days." (Won't Get Fooled Again came to mind for some reason, but I'd have to go listen to an old bootleg.) Obviously that didn't happen at the Wiltern, but for a second or two there was almost a sense of mystery of 'Where are they going to take this?' which was cool.

 

Oh, and on Hoodoo...the shirtless roadie strikes again! That's always fun to watch as the Nels/Pat guitar duel goes on...

 

Here was the complete setlist as played:

 

One Sunday Morning>

Poor Places>

Art Of Almost

I Might

IATTBYH>

One Wing

Rising Red Lung

Impossible Germany

Born Alone

Laminated Cat

Pot Kettle Black

She's A Jar

Misunderstood

California Stars

Box Full Of Letters

Standing O

A Magazine Called Sunset

Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)

Dawned On Me

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

Whole Love

Heavy Metal Drummer

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Casino Queen (partial)>

Hoodoo Voodoo (w/ bass/guitar/keyboard tech Josh on cowbell)

[Preferred B]

Maybe most surprising was the seamless fade from Casino Queen, just at the handclap part, into Hoodoo.

 

That was fun! I was waiting for it to fade back into Casino Queen for the ending, but maybe that would have been a bit much. I also really enjoyed "Nothingsevergonna..." tonight.

 

The line thing reminded of being in Siberia, when it was necessary to slip bottles of vodka to the guys managing the Baikal ferry crossing in order to keep your car's spot in the queue.

[choo-choo-charlie]

A weird crowd in more ways than one and a pretty sleazy policy enacted by the venue to let people pay an additional 20 bucks at the door to get in early. (How is that better than out-and-out bribery? I'd almost feel better about it if that money went to the band, but I know it almost certainly doesn't.) At least there were a few nice nuggets in tonight's setlist...

 

We got, at least to my memory, the first fully electric version of Laminated Cat in quite some time (Jeff played the Rickenbacker he uses on I Might and Whole Love), so that was a nice surprise. And it's always great to hear pop gems like Magazine and Nothing'sever.

 

Maybe most surprising was the seamless fade from Casino Queen, just at the handclap part, into Hoodoo Voodoo. That's something I don't remember hearing from this incarnation of the band and reminded me just a little bit of how earlier lineups used to use Casino Queen as almost a jumping-off point to meander into a cover or two back in "the old days." (Won't Get Fooled Again came to mind for some reason, but I'd have to go listen to an old bootleg.) Obviously that didn't happen at the Wiltern, but for a second or two there was almost a sense of mystery of 'Where are they going to take this?' which was cool.

 

Oh, and on Hoodoo...the shirtless roadie strikes again! That's always fun to watch as the Nels/Pat guitar duel goes on...

 

Here was the complete setlist as played:

 

One Sunday Morning>

Poor Places>

Art Of Almost

I Might

IATTBYH>

One Wing

Rising Red Lung

Impossible Germany

Born Alone

Laminated Cat

Pot Kettle Black

She's A Jar

Misunderstood

California Stars

Box Full Of Letters

Standing O

A Magazine Called Sunset

Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)

Dawned On Me

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

Whole Love

Heavy Metal Drummer

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Casino Queen (partial)>

Hoodoo Voodoo (w/ bass/guitar/keyboard tech Josh on cowbell)

 

The Uptown Theatre in Kansas City did the exact same thing -- the pre-show early entry move. The band caught wind of it and Jeff chastised the venue/management from the stage. Great setlist!

[gogo]

I can't believe that early-entry business is becoming so wide-spread. I wonder how much influence the band might be able to put into play on this. Probably not a lot, if it's technically legal, I'm sure there's nothing in the contract with the venue/promoter/whoever that would give the band any say into stopping it.

 

I think I'd prefer if the charge was listed in the ticket price up front. I wouldn't like that, either, but at least you'd know ahead of time what the rules were, and you could base your decision to attend/show up early/whatever on that information.

 

But more importantly: I would like this exact same set list in SF, please.

[bböp]

I can't believe that early-entry business is becoming so wide-spread. I wonder how much influence the band might be able to put into play on this. Probably not a lot, if it's technically legal, I'm sure there's nothing in the contract with the venue/promoter/whoever that would give the band any say into stopping it.

 

I think I'd prefer if the charge was listed in the ticket price up front. I wouldn't like that, either, but at least you'd know ahead of time what the rules were, and you could base your decision to attend/show up early/whatever on that information.

 

But more importantly: I would like this exact same set list in SF, please.

 

We were saying the same thing yesterday. I'm sure the band ultimately has very little, if any, sway. And yeah, unfortunately, these "skip-the-line" or "fast-pass"—or whatever else they're called—programs do seem to be becoming more prevalent, especially at Live Nation-owned venues. (I think House Of Blues has done it for a long time now where if you have dinner in their restaurant or buy something from their gift shop, you get in first as well.)

 

I do sometimes wonder how it's decided whether or not to do it at a given venue, though. Like is it a venue decision that's evaluated on a show-by-show basis, or is just an across-the-board policy? Are bands or promoters even consulted? Frankly, I'm a little surprised that it doesn't happen even more frequently because, really, what's stopping the owners of venues from doing it (other than a small outcry from a few people)? Why wouldn't every venue do it for general admission shows? I guess because not every place is run by corporate money-grubbers looking to wring every last dime out of people, and thank goodness for that.

 

But anyway...some places do sell a certain number of "fast pass" tickets as an extra add-on when you're buying the ticket; that was the case at the most recent Wilco show in Detroit. The woman who was administering the VIP program yesterday at the Wiltern claimed that they sold advance VIP passes for that show as well, but I certainly didn't see it on the ticket page when I bought my tickets (not that I would've necessarily paid anyway) so I'm a little dubious of that claim. The Kansas City situation was the worst, though, because they blatantly lied when they came out and offered people the opportunity to come into their bar for five bucks but assured the rest of the people in line that they'd still be getting in first.

 

Anyway, I agree that while these early entry things are still sketchy in general, at least you could make a decision on whether to play the game or to line up early or not rather than be ambushed an hour or two before doors. That's more or less what happened yesterday, where this lady came out and went up and down the line offering VIP early entry for 20 bucks. It was distasteful, preying on people's anxieties or weaknesses like that. At first it seemed like most people refused to ante up, but as it got closer and closer to doors and one or two people eventually broke down, then the proverbial floodgates opened...

[scottwok]

Awesome show with great encore set! My girlfiriend and I sat in the Loge and there were about 200 empty seats in the middle Loge section. We ended up moving over to get a better view but it was kind of disappointing that these seats were empty for a "sold out" show. We asked the lady in the office downstairs about it when we were getting out "coat check" items and she said that they were probably industry tickets that no one used but that the show was definitely "sold out." There would have been a lot more energy and less sitting if not for this flub... but still a great show. LA Theater up next

[choo-choo-charlie]

 

The Kansas City situation was the worst, though, because they blatantly lied when they came out and offered people the opportunity to come into their bar for five bucks but still assured the rest of the people in line that they'd still be getting in first.

 

 

The KC gig really embarrassed me as a native Kansas Citian, and I'm really disappointed in the Uptown for doing that, particularly because on the whole, it's a great venue. I saw my first Wilco show there, and they book tons of great acts there. I wouldn't be surprised if Wilco never books a show there again. There are few places in KC that are the "right" spot for them, and I don't want this incident to cause them to skip the town on their next Midwestern tour.

[bböp]

Sorry that this early-entry thing sort of hijacked this thread a bit, and for whatever part I played in that...

 

To get back on the topic of the show itself, does anyone know exactly what happened after Misunderstood when Jeff came to the front of the stage and spoke directly to someone who I guess had been flipping him/the band off (presumably during the "Nothings" portion of the song)?

 

Jeff said something about it on mike, bantering about how that was a weird way to demonstrate to a performer that one was having a good time or something like that. But I was wondering if anyone in that general area heard what was said off mike and what the general story was.

[calvino]

I don't think I have ever seen the "fast-pass" thing at any Chicago venue - though it has to be over 10 years since I saw a show at the House of Blues - dumb policy.

[kidsmoke]

We sang some songs, we all flipped each other off, then we sang some more songs. Good times!

 

Hahaha....that thing with flipping the bird was the result of a guy right in the middle flipping Jeff off. I forget after which song that was, but seeing it, Jeff immediately walked to stage edge and asked him why the hell he was flipping him off! The guy responded, "Because that was fucking awesome!" which led to Jeff "returning the love" and suggesting the whole audience show the love. A fun moment but I'd rather it didn't catch on.

 

And Paul, I'm so with you on the whole VIP ticket thing.

[bböp]

And Paul, I'm so with you on the whole VIP ticket thing.

 

You know, ultimately, I guess everybody's got to decide for themselves on a case-by-case basis if they want to play the game or how "worth it" the early entry thing is. Maybe that depends on what kind of venue it is or if you can't wait in line or any number of other factors, but the whole thing is just unseemly IMHO.

 

And thanks for the clarification on the "bird flipping" incident.

[Madrone]

Dammit! Laminated Cat! I was hoping for that at the Warfield/Fox. What are the chances they bring it out again? Probably unlikely....

[tblair]

what's wrong with letting the people who queue the longest in first..??

 

quite obviously it's fairer, but no-one makes any money out of it

 

what a fucked up world!

[choo-choo-charlie]

I think you're missing something.

[IRememberDBoon]

Born Alone

Laminated Cat

Pot Kettle Black

She's A Jar

Misunderstood

California Stars

Box Full Of Letters

Standing O

A Magazine Called Sunset

Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)

Dawned On Me

 

 

 

nice little run there

[theSECRETweapon]

the $20 vip pass situation was the only lowlight for me. sort of made the 5 hour line wait useless. other than that i love the wiltern. great venue, great show, great time.

[Muzzle of Dan]

So excited for tonight!!!

 

But still basking in the glow of this show at The Wiltern...

 

Laminated Cat was probably one of the most awesome things I have ever experienced at a rock show. It was really just stunning and face-melting all at once.

 

It was really great to see She's A Jar - a personal first.

 

Casino Queen was another one that had me smiling from ear to ear. The transition into Hoodoo Voodoo was super tight.

 

(by the way - Laminated Cat, She's A Jar and Casino Queen were all requests I had put into the website.... so go me!)

 

As for the $20 VIP crap... it's crap. And it's pretty sad because most of the people who spent $20 to get in early didn't even wind up with better spots than the people who stayed in line. The guy in front of me had a wife and 3 kids; and the 3 kids each paid the extra $20 to skip ahead! I ended up right next to them in the pit. I felt really sorry for the Dad when the realization hit him that the extra $20 thing was just a scam.

 

My girlfriend and I also had the chance to introduce ourselves to Donna and her family! Very fun to see some real faces from this place. Unfortunately, we won't make The Association tonight - but perhaps we'll see some of you at the show!

 

I'm pretty excited to see what the set is like at the LA Theatre tonight. It should be pretty stellar and diverse if they continue the trend of only repeating new songs and Impossible Germany... Whatever the set, I'm sure I won't be disappointed - this band is seriously on fire right now.

 

I'm crossing my fingers for Sunken Treasure and Ashes tonight.

[tblair]

I think you're missing something.

who... me?

what am I missing?

[Analogman]

The tracklist of the torrent seems to differ from what is posted above:

 

1. One Sunday Morning(Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)

2. Misunderstood

3. Poor Places

4. Art Of Almost

5. I Might

6. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

7. One Wing

8. Rising Red Lung

9. Impossible Germany

10. Born Alone

11. Laminated Cat

12. Pot Kettle Black

13. She's A Jar

14. California Stars

15. Box Full Of Letters

16. Standing O

17. A Magazine Called Sunset

18. Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)

19. Dawned On Me

 

Encore:

20. Whole Love

21. Heavy Metal Drummer

22. I'm The Man Who Loves You

23. Casino Queen>Hoodoo Voodoo

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bböp]

The tracklist of the torrent seems to differ from what is posted above:

 

Well, I was there and I'm confident the setlist I posted above is correct.

[Analogman]

The taper must have switched some tracks around.

[kidsmoke]

Yeah, I remember it as Paul has it.

[Analogman]

I made a comment about in the torrent thread.

[H.Stone]

And thanks for the clarification on the "bird flipping" incident.

 

This may be entirely unrelated, but remember at one of the '08 St. Louis shows when someone in the crowd was flipping Jeff off? And he said from stage, "Does that mean something new now?" He went on to say, essentially, that as far as he knew it was an insult, so he wasn't sure why an audience member who seemed to be enjoying the show would flip him off, etc. Maybe it was somehow tied to that--someone who was at the Pageant show or heard a recording of that night or something. People love to re-live old "jokes." ("Play whatever you want!" "How's your foot?" etc.)

[kidsmoke]

I made a comment about in the torrent thread.

 

I remembered that a friend had gotten a setlist and asked her to send me a photo. The photo confirms Paul's setlist (as if we ever doubted!). The only deviation was that they dropped out Hate It Here, probably because they ran out of time. Brennan posted over on etree to let the taper know his tracks were out of order.

 

Here's that setlist: