Thanks, Wilco!

[JHamm]

I was laying in a hospital a few months ago contemplating my life. Lots of things ran through my mind. One of them was how much music had meant to me all through my life. My dad played guitar a lot and music was part of our everyday lives growing up. When I was old enough, I attended as many concerts as I could afford. Saw some amazing shows! Somewhere along the way, I met my wife at a REM concert in the mid 90's. They were one of the first bands that really connected with me and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for what they did for me. 

 

Not too long after, I saw Wilco for the first time. I was a casual fan going into the concert and was hardcore when I left. But my life went off 

the rails and became directionless when I quit a job that left me perpetually depressed and longing for something else. I lived in 4 states in 2 

years with my would-be wife and had no clue where my life was headed. Then I heard the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot demos. I think my reaction could best be described with one word - Wow! I kept a close eye on tour dates and finally got see them support the record at a show in Atlanta in the summer of 2002. It was hot as Hades in the Tabernacle! But it was that night that changed my world. I knew I couldn't afford to follow them, yet I wanted to so badly. Somewhere, along the way, I came up with the idea for The DVD Project and started working on an archive of Wilco videos. I didn't know how to edit or even how to put videos on the computer at the time. I used a small severance package from work to build a computer that could capture videos onto a computer and I set about making as many trades for VHS tapes as I could. My first package came all the way from St. Petersburg, Russia. 

 

The egg had hatched and it grew into something that I could've never imagined. My wife and I followed Wilco in the spring of 2003 on a string of

tour dates while we decided where we wanted to settle in our lives. One of those dates was in Asheville, NC. We walked around the town and fell in love and moved here about 4 months later. We've been here 10 years now. All because of Wilco.

 

Somewhere along the way while nurturing The DVD Project, my wife suggested I take some film classes to grow my knowledge of video. So, at the ripe young age of 33, I became a freshman film school student. I was the outcast old guy and drew some laughs when I told a professor my goal was to film Wilco. I'm pretty sure nobody in the class had heard of them. After taking classes for a couple of years, I started checking out equipment from school and shooting bands in Asheville. My first show was an epic Blue Mountain concert that ran more than 3 hours and 45+ songs. I continued to seek out local bands and eventually was offered a job shooting concert footage for a local indie newspaper's website. I hadn't even graduated yet!

 

Now 4 years later, I graduated with honors and am still shooting the occasional video for the same indie newspaper. I also occasionally shoot for

closed circuit broadcast a nearby casino. I've gotten to shoot footage of people like Rhett Miller, Willie Nelson, Warren Haynes, Brett Dennen, etc. Some people I have a lot of admiration for. And somehow, some way, I've become a person of note in our local music community despite the fact that I don't play an instrument and might be the most socially awkward person in existence. 

 

I apologize for the long, rambling nature of this, but I owe a huge thanks to Wilco. I live in a most beautiful part of the country because of Wilco. I get to see just about any band I want and have had some tremendous opportunities because of Wilco. My life is dramatically better because of

Wilco. 

 

So, Wilco, if you're out there, thanks!

[Magnetized]

Wonderful post, Jesse. When I was first falling in love with Wilco a few years ago now, I was so excited to hear about the DVD Project, and I couldn't believe you were so kind to send me all of those DVDs for nothing other than the cost of the original spindle of blank DVDs. I still can't, even though I'm now more familiar with trader ethics. I treasure that collection. Your post was the whipped cream on my pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving!

[gogo]

Lovely, Jesse.  Kisses to you and Missy and Laurel!

[blureu]

Great post. The Wilco Asheville 2003 show is one of my favorites that I've seen of the band. Was the

Blue Mt show in 2008? Any chance that you could share it? I was at that show too.

[Beltmann]

Love this post, Jesse.  Thanks for being such a good friend to Wilco, to Via Chicago, and to me personally!

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

The heart and soul of this board and the ultimate expression in fandom.

[froggie]

great post jesse. i spent 6 weeks in hospital since november and music is that main thing to get me through, inlcuding wilco. thanks for being so kind to us!

[Tweedling]

Bad ass post! When I see them I will tell them you said, "hi". Haha

[SarahC]

Wow, Jesse, thank you for sharing this with all of us! 

You are such a great guy, and I am so glad that we've known each other for a while now. All because of Wilco!

 

Your video work is awesome, and the DVD project is and was so great. Because of your DVD project I was able to "see" Wilco years before I actually saw them in concert. Your work means a lot to me personally for that reason. 

 

So, thank you Jesse, and thank you Wilco!