Jeff Tweedy 12/3/13 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre

[hugglemeclose]

My first time seeing Jeff solo after many Wilco shows and I couldn't have asked for a better performance and setlist. As always Jeff's stage banter and interaction with the crowd was part of what made the show so great. While the clapping guy up front was irritating, I was kind of glad he was there because of the inspired way that Jeff responded to him. As for the annoying dudebro in front of me who kept yelling out a throaty and guttural "Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh" during every other song, that guy I could have done without. But at least where I was (sixth row on the far left side) the rest of the crowd was mostly attentive and appreciatively well-behaved.

[Passenger Sid]

 

Tweedy solo shows are enjoyable for his guitar mastery, since his style often gets lost in the larger band context. His playing seemed especially flourish-y last night, and I was really digging it.

 

I too was really digging the guitar work. Thought he'd break strings on Laminated Cat, then on others, subtle picking and tempo changes. 

 

Still can't get over Long Time Ago. Really sounded amazing how he played it. And the opener Solitaire was perfect. Better than the more sound-scaped cd version.

[carmenivy]

My first time seeing Jeff solo after many Wilco shows and I couldn't have asked for a better performance and setlist. As always Jeff's stage banter and interaction with the crowd was part of what made the show so great. While the clapping guy up front was irritating, I was kind of glad he was there because of the inspired way that Jeff responded to him. As for the annoying dudebro in front of me who kept yelling out a throaty and guttural "Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh" during every other song, that guy I could have done without. But at least where I was (sixth row on the far left side) the rest of the crowd was mostly attentive and appreciatively well-behaved.

Lol @ throaty and guttural "Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh"

[unclewilco]

My first solo show (after seeing Wilco three times dating back to 2004). I requested "Radio Cure" online, so hopefully that had something to do with his decision to break it out. I'm sure I'm not the only person who requested it. Despite it being his first solo show in a while, to me Jeff's voice and guitar playing sounds like it's already in mid-tour form, as is his ability to suffer fools. If you read this and you're planning to attend a future show, remember it's not about you. Some 1,500 fans didn't pay good money and travel to listen to you. We did it for Jeff and his music. You have to appreciate how unflappable Jeff is. It goes with the territory, I suppose. I know violence is never the answer, but there were several of us who wanted to find those 2-3 people who couldn't shut up and kick their asses. Anyway, GREAT show and I'm glad I drove 750 miles round trip to see America's best songwriter.

[indy81]

Gotta say, you guys are making this sound like it was a completely miserable experience.

[thejokeexplained]

i have come to expect rude behavior from a minority of fans when solo artist play venues that have bar service through out. But when those same artist play higher end, performance arts type venues,  with limited bar service. I expect, and usually get a more respectful audience. 

 

Being a taper i am pretty sensitive to crowd chatter at solo shows. But i have found the "shushers" at these shows usually more annoying and affect the recordings more then the drunks.

 

This is a old topic with noise at gigs. But because the abuse of cell phones in public, which in my opinion is causing social retardation in america. People become oblivious to their fellow man while in public and i expect things to get worse in these intimate environments before it gets better.

[dmbtke]

It was a great show for Jeff and I really am glad that I drove up from Joplin for it.

If any of you were from out of town, I want to take the time to apologize for some of the bad aspects of the crowd. That guy in the first few songs was so far out of line. That guy isn't a representative of our city.

Hopefully a good tape comes out. Love the Remember the Mountain Bed -> Sunken Treasure.

[Magnetized]

I like an enthusiastic audience, and that extends to a fair amount of whooping and hollering between songs and even sporadically during songs. Sometimes you just get carried away and all that excitement has to come out. I think performers appreciate some unbridled enthusiasm and find it encouraging. With someone like Jeff, even a sprinkling of assholes can inspire some good spontaneous banter. But overall, that's probably the main reason I like to be way up front. When all that is happening behind me, it kind of adds to the ambiance without affecting me too much. I'm willing to line up for a long time to get up front at a GA show and also endure heart palpitations while sweating out getting good seats the second they go on sale for a reserved seating show. It's worth it to me to not have to endure being surrounded by people texting, taking videos, yakking with their friends, and all the other typically rude concert behavior so common now. I guess it's a little selfish, but as long as I've got my place on the rail I can tune out most of what's going on behind me--it's just me and the performer. I can't change the world but I can somewhat control my surroundings by suffering a little in advance!

[Atticus]

a sprinkling of assholes 

 

again, family board.  

[winterland121072]

anyone see any tapers?

[redstripe]

is 'a sprinkling of assholes' excessive profanity?

[luke79]

A pinch of miscreants? A touch of rapscallions? 

[Magnetized]

I'm such a gosh darn pottymouth.

[M. (hristine]

again, family board.  

I thank skygod every day for your vigilance.

[Atticus]

is 'a sprinkling of assholes' excessive profanity?

 

not at all!

 

it just might get some posters inappropriately sexually aroused in front of their children (thinking of having their assholes sprinkled).  

 

I have no problem at all with the use of the word "asshole."  I'm a fan of the asshole.

[Magnetized]

A pinch of miscreants? A touch of rapscallions? 

a soupcon of ne'er-do-wells

[winterland121072]

a group of uncrossed Ts...

[IRememberDBoon]

you wanna hear some HORRENDOUS crowd banter try a Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds acoustic show. Its beyond unbearable.

Back in the early days he was great solo but man now people shit themselves at every chord change.

[Magnetized]

I know there are FLAC files up for this show, but if anyone just wants to listen without downloading it's up here

 

http://sooutoftune.org/concerts/1165

 

Also the Denver show. Hopefully he'll be adding others as tapes surface. 

[froggie]

anyone got links to flac files for download of this/these?

[bböp]

Happened to see this article on opening act Andrew Orvedahl posted recently, and thought it was moderately interesting. Always tough to be an opening act, especially doing a different thing than what the headliner does. Sounds like that one guy in the KC crowd was pretty douche-y.

 

The perils of opening for Jeff Tweedy in Kansas City

Denver comedian Andrew Orvedahl takes on a heckler in Chiefs territory

By David Accomazzo

Photo by Sharon Alagna

Picture this. You’re Denver comedian Andrew Orvedahl, and you’re booked as the opening act for Jeff Tweedy — the frontman of Wilco. You’re the only thing between a crowd and a major music headliner. And you have 40 minutes to fill with jokes. Denver and Salt Lake City, Orvedahl says, were great, enthusiastic crowds. But the Kansas City one? Not so much.

First, they boo you when you first enter the stage, just because you’re from Denver. Our sports teams beat theirs, or something. Regardless, they’re not happy. But you keep at it, and they grudgingly warm to you.

Except for that one guy. The guy in the crowd who at first just shouted out “Tweedy! Twee-e-e-e-e-dy!” during your set. How do you handle a heckler? This isn’t even a comedy show. It’s not like you’re headlining Comedy Works in Denver; the rules are different here. You can’t just go after the guy; he paid to see Tweedy! Plus, you’ve opened for many acts, it’s sort of been a theme in your career, so you know your role. It’s your job to soften the audience members for the headliner, not antagonize them. You can’t just berate the guy. What if the crowd turns on you? So you keep going. But then he yells out the ultimate heckle, one you’ve only seen directed at other comics, not you.

“You suck!”

It’s the worst thing anyone can shout at you, because it’s a litmus test for the audience. You’ve seen it go two ways: Either they agree with the heckler (“Yeah! You do suck!!) or they side with you (“Shut up!”).

Nevertheless, it takes you off guard. It doesn’t help that there are more than a thousand people in the audience, and through the bright lights you can’t see a single one of them. There’s a horrible moment where the catastrophic thought flashes through your mind: “Oh God. This could be it. Maybe the majority of these thousands of people think that I do suck.”

Luckily, it’s a fleeting feeling, since, as you quickly realize, you aren’t sucking. You’re doing all right. So you handle it as gracefully as you can. After the show, people come up to you to congratulate you on your set. They compliment you on how you handled the heckler, but wish you were a little meaner to him. He’s just a drunk asshole, why be so polite to him? And honestly, there’s a part of you that wishes you hadn’t. Screw that guy.

Orvedahl has been doing stand-up comedy for 10 years, and he’s seen it all. He’s one-third of The Grawlix, a comedy group that inclues Orvedahl and comedians Ben Roy and Adam Cayton-Holland. In 2011, he started a monthly storytelling show called The Narrators, and it has been running strong ever since.

Orvedahl and the Grawlix (who do a monthly show in Denver) are stalwarts in the Denver comedy scene. As Denver’s comedy scene has grown (a few years ago, Orvedahl noticed that “It just kind of evolved that way over time to where … your reputation as a Denver comic would precede you,” like a “New York comic” or a “Los Angeles comic”), Boulder has soaked up some of the overflow. The weekly comedy show at the Bohemian Biergarten, run by Denver comedians Chuck Roy and Brent Gill, and the Dairy Center for the Art’s comedy show often feature Denver comedians as headliners.

The Denver comedy scene is strong, Orvedahl says, but he has a new theory on it.

“All the success hinders all the comedians,” he says. “No one wants to leave because it’s so much fun, and no one is making full-time money from here because the next closest city is like 1,000 miles in any direction. So you’d basically have to go out and become a road dog — and then, you’re not even doing comedy in Denver — to earn full-time money. You can’t make full-time comedy money in Denver unless you’re living in a squatter house with 11 other dudes and your monthly expenses are like $300. There’s just not enough opportunities that pay enough. ... It’s like a part-time job I have.”

[choo-choo-charlie]

I'm from KC and live elsewhere now, but my wife and I made the trip back home for this show and the Denver show. We laughed quite a bit during both the KC and Denver opening segments.

 

The article is slightly inaccurate. He wasn't booed the moment he walked onstage; rather, it was when he introduced himself a few minutes into his bit as being from Denver, and I'd say it was only a portion of the crowd and it didn't last for more than a few seconds. It's not like he was booed continuously by the entire crowd. As for the heckler, that guy WAS a jerk. When the "you suck!" comment came out, the crowd booed HIM and told HIM to shut up.