Jeff Tweedy - Living Room Show 6/8/13

[Atticus]

All of my clapping and sniffling is copyrighted, so I hope no one is listening to unauthorized copies of shows I've attended.

[renic]

Wow!  You must have a low tollerance, but consider it let go.

 

 

I've seen the light and now advocate that Jeff only plays shows for single payers.  Bidding starts at 10 million dollars per seat, but the good news is there's only one seat.  ;-)

 

or perhaps save some money like folks do and post that you are looking to join a lrs group.

[Bart]

Good idea!  I didn't mere mortals could do that............seriously, I didn't know these shows were open to the public in some fashion.

[Atticus]

Good idea!  I didn't mere mortals could do that............seriously, I didn't know these shows were open to the public in some fashion.

 

http://viachicago.org/topic/40324-can-someone-please-explain-the-tweedy-living-room-shows/?p=1338762

 

here's a link to a post by Gogo in a thread you started on June 12, 2009 about living room shows.  She provides links to 2 other threads where they talk about how people get into the groups, etc. 

[renic]

Good idea!  I didn't mere mortals could do that............seriously, I didn't know these shows were open to the public in some fashion.

 

knowing is half the battle

[Atticus]

http://viachicago.org/topic/40324-can-someone-please-explain-the-tweedy-living-room-shows/?p=1339698

 

link to post regarding copies of shows:

 

 

Hi people,

Actually, this: 


4. It is my understanding that the powers that be signed off on the shows being shared with the public a couple of years ago.


is NOT true. Jeff never gave permission for the Living Room Shows to be distributed outside of the people at the Living Room Show.

Sorry guys.....from the horse's mouth.

xo
srmt

[renic]

this aggression will not stand man

[Guest Jules]

Good idea!  I didn't mere mortals could do that............seriously, I didn't know these shows were open to the public in some fashion.

 

They are auctioned off in public. Anyone can go and bid on one of these shows.

[tinnitus photography]

there's a great pic of Jeff with several VCers.  Except it has Speed Racer in it, who of course is not a VCer.

 

funny, after digging around through the threads about how to get into a Living Room show, i found this quote from Speed Racer regarding LRS:

 

 People post setlists and photos and stories that I'm very grateful for (as someone who has zero interest in ever attending one myself),

[Atticus]

that is hysterical!

[Atticus]

To be fair to Speed Racer, her changing her mind about going to a living room show had nothing to do with Jeff or the music or even the LRS format. She was only there to hit on Esue's mom.

[tinnitus photography]

Hysterical!

[Guest Jules]

Hysterical!

 

Calm down.

[Elixir Sue]

To be fair to Speed Racer, her changing her mind about going to a living room show had nothing to do with Jeff or the music or even the LRS format. She was only there to hit on Esue's mom.

 

I can confirm this.

[keeprighton2]

I get it, but on the other hand wouldn't it suck if just a few insiders got to look at the Mona Lisa.  Great art should be spread far and wide.

 

I love the idea of these shows (even if it wasn't for charity).  The idea of a "famous rockstar" doing a tiny show that's one step above sitting on the porch and playing for friends is beyond fantastic.  But the way they are executed smacks of classism or the cool kids vs the dorks or the haves and the have nots.  It seems like the exact opposite of the Wilco ethos.

 

Being excluded from the president's national security briefing is understandable.  Being excluded from listening to someone I love/respect/admire, not to mention fund by buying cds, dvds, books, shirts, concert tickets, etc. sucks.

 

Tend to agree with this. An excellent way of raising extra money for the charity by selling copies via roadcase. It does smack a little of being an exclusive club for the well heeled. Huge credit to Jeff, a selfless and generous act in the first place. Something to be proud of (but maybe shared a little wider)

[IRememberDBoon]

I don't think its that its exclusive for the well heeled or whatever BUT................

Is it me or does it seem like the same gang of folks bidding and getting accepted every year?? And then they come in here and talk in code yada yada yada and then say they cant talk too much about it or whatever. Meh. Maybe they should open up the bidding process somehow like different NEW people.

 

[Magnetized]

It is a lot of the same people year after year, and some groups are more closed than others, as far as I can tell. But that just happens naturally, because once you've done it, you probably want to do it again the next year, so until someone decides to drop out or form a separate group, there just aren't many open spaces. The ground rules are a maximum of 30 people, and Jeff very graciously gives up a Saturday night of his time for each show. When I really contemplate that--considering his touring and creating and everything else that goes into doing what he does--it's kind of mind-blowing. So there's a finite number of these private shows that the man can possibly commit to.

 

And just think about the amount of organization involved in putting one of these things together! Someone needs to come to the Letters to Santa benefit show prepared to pony up approximately $30,000 on the spot! Unless someone has that kind of money laying around, they've got to have done the groundwork beforehand, getting 29 other people to send them their portion so it's in the bank. How many people are prepared to do that, with no ironclad guarantee that they will win a show? 

 

Speaking for myself, it took me a while to figure out how these things worked, and I'm not that shy. I just kept asking around with other fans who I would see at shows and then figured out who to ask. I actually made it to the waitlist for a show in 2012 but as it turned out that didn't happen. This year I got the call!! Then I had to figure out if I could possibly spend that much money--not just the cost of the show, but also airfare and hotel--and after a little soul searching I decided this was worth more to me than the faint hope of a comfortable retirement. (Just kidding--sorta. I wish I were kidding!) 

 

So it's definitely not out of the question for relative newcomers to worm their way in to a group. Just be nice, send PMs to the organizers, and be prepared to wait. And save your pennies or hit your 401K. It is an amazing experience, one that I hope I will have the privilege to do again next year.

 

And if all else fails and you can't do a living room show, I can vouch for the fact that the two back-to-back shows Jeff traditionally does at the Vic come very close to the same feel, for a whole lot less money. If someone wants to feel that intimate connection with The Man, give the Vic shows a whirl.  And those recordings are available.

[Beltmann]

Maybe they should open up the bidding process somehow like different NEW people.

 

 

 

The bidding process is already wide open.  Anyone can make a bid, or put together a group to make a large bid.  If there have been repeat winners, it's only because those groups have been determined to repeatedly make competitive bids; there's nothing preventing new groups from making similarly competitive bids.

 

As Wilco Me pointed out, it's not easy to organize a winning bid, which accounts for why an "established" group might have a likelier chance at success--it's a little like having an infrastructure that provides an advantage, yes, but no guarantees.

[Magnetized]

Well said, Beltmann. And I forgot to even mention that IF your group wins a show, you don't know when it will be scheduled, so your whole group needs to keep their schedules open for several months. When I think of all the logistical barriers, it's actually amazing that these things go off as smoothly as they do. It"s a great tribute to the organizer, in our case, Wendy.

[Jcamp]

Upon good advice, I attended the Vic benefits shows this year for the first time.

 

Because of my schedule..I wasn't able to be anywhere near being amongst the First 30.

In fact, arrived just as doors opened....

 

was in the Front Row both nights: same chair actually.

I guess I need to thank the well-heeled for not sitting in my chair both nights.

for $150 , best place on Earth !

[IRememberDBoon]

NICE JCamp. How does that work?

[twoshedsjackson]

Upon good advice, I attended the Vic benefits shows this year for the first time.

 

Because of my schedule..I wasn't able to be anywhere near being amongst the First 30.

In fact, arrived just as doors opened....

 

was in the Front Row both nights: same chair actually.

I guess I need to thank the well-heeled for not sitting in my chair both nights.

for $150 , best place on Earth !

Cool. I've always wanted to attend one of the Vic shows - or any of his solo shows for that matter. I almost did it this year, but given the airfare/hotel costs I decided to save the money for Solid Sound. Maybe next year.

[Jcamp]

NICE JCamp. How does that work?

it works out good : pretty, pretty good...

 

bundle up , extra layers , anti-freeze optional : hang out in front of Vic box office until Noon on a January morning >> wait until March.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

[NoJ]

I can confirm this.

 

Pics?

[Atticus]

You could probably find some on another website.