TWEEDY — 6/5/14, Detroit, MI (Masonic Temple [Jack White Theatre])

[bböp]

Well, Night One of TWEEDY is in the books....will write more in a bit, but for now, here was the complete setlist as played (new song titles taken from printed setlist):

 

Down From Above*

Flowering*

Summer Noon*

World Away*

New Moon*

Where My Love*

Slow Love*

Nobody Dies Anymore*

Honey Combed#

Desert Bell*

High As Hello*

Wait For Love*

Low Key*

Spiders (Kidsmoke)^

Passenger Side^

You Are Not Alone^

The Ruling Class^

New Madrid^

Kicking Television^

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart^

Jesus, etc.^

Misunderstood^

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

Diamond Light*

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

I'm The Man Who Loves You^

Acuff-Rose^ (performed at edge of stage w/o PA system)

 

* — with full TWEEDY band (Spencer Tweedy on drums, Darin Gray on bass, Jim Elkington on electric guitar and Liam Cunningham on electric guitar, keyboard and backing vocals)

# — with Elkington and Cunningham only

^ — Jeff solo acoustic

[rhino4evr]

How were the new songs ?

Kinda odd that they didn't play the single they released two days ago

[Magnetized]

14 new songs?? OMG!      

 

I can't wait to hear details. 

[bböp]

To answer some immediate questions, the main Tweedy portion of the set lasted almost exactly one hour (from 9-10 p.m.) and then Jeff played about 35-40 minutes by himself before the encores.

 

They were NOT selling the new album but there was a special vinyl-only 10" of parts 1 and 2 of Diamond Light that Jeff said would only be available at this show (and has a locked groove)! I think they probably pressed 500 of them. To me, it seems likely that Diamond Light will not be on the actual album. It sounded more like a Loose Fur-esque track to me, with bass and drums really emphasized, and didn't really seem to fit with the other new songs that were played, which I might generally characterize as somewhat more subdued and of a certain mood (many of the songs seemed to deal with mortality and mature love, for instance, which is hardly surprising given the album title and what's going on with the Tweedys). Not all of the new stuff was quieter — World Away and Low Key, among others, were almost poppy. I'm more trying to characterize some of the lyrics I jotted down.

 

Certainly don't take too much from these comments since it's the first I've heard these songs. But all I'm saying, and maybe folks who were there would agree with me, is that Diamond Light seemed to stand somewhat apart from the other new material.

 

(Interesting, also, that they didn't play the track that was released the other day, but maybe they just haven't learned it yet as a band. Jeff mentioned that there were still some songs that the band "hadn't learned yet.")

 

Anyway, just some immediate thoughts I had post-show...

[Jimmy Coulas]

Was there a setbreak in between the band performance and Jeff's solo portion of the show?

[bböp]

Was there a setbreak in between the band performance and Jeff's solo portion of the show?

Nope.

[Preferred B]

New Moon*

 

 

Another moon song to pick from!

 

Thanks for the report. Sorry to hear that single was only available in Detroit - maybe another version will show up for sale at some point.

[paulcalypse]

Most new songs Jeff played acoustic guitar. On Down From Above Jeff played a strat, and Diamond Light featured a jazzmaster.

 

Diamond Light was very cool, but I'm a sucker for noise.

 

Let me say the opening "comedian" was bad. Not sure who booked that guy.

[kbraz]

The show was fantastic. Great to hear new tunes wash over you, hilarious banter, respectful audience.

 

Jeff played acoustic nearly all the show while his lead guitar player took all the leads and it was sweet.

 

Wish I could hear the new stuff again but live what can I say? Artist keep creating and I am on the passenger side and thankful for that!

 

So grateful I saw the breakout of all this music.

 

Kid smoke out of the TWEEDY set was sublime.

 

Misunderstood and Acuff Rose my God!

 

Good Night and thank you Jeff!

 

Rest assured solo Tweedy delivered!!!!!!

[kbraz]

I thought the first song was as good as Diamond Light sounded like AGIB stuff, so difficult to comment on the new material given the volume we got... The line about "marrying a burden" was heavy, very poetic stuff. Wish I had more of a frame of reference for the new lyrics.

 

Did I mention the show was incredible?

[Magnetized]

Artist keep creating and I am on the passenger side and thankful for that!

 

What a great way of putting it. That's how I feel too, even without having heard the show. I'm so glad that Jeff still has that restless, creative energy and I'm fully on board for the ride. I may or may not fall in love with all this new music immediately, but I wholeheartedly trust Jeff's instincts and taste. 

 

SO happy for all of you lucky people who got to experience the first show!

[kbraz]

Jeff has a great line in response to the crowds enthusiasm about the new material...it went over too well and he felt bad that we didn't want to hear the old stuff.

 

This was after he acknowledged that philosophically it was not a good idea to start the tour with a ton if songs nobody has ever heard.

What a great way of putting it. That's how I feel too, even without having heard the show. I'm so glad that Jeff still has that restless, creative energy and I'm fully on board for the ride. I may or may not fall in love with all this new music immediately, but I wholeheartedly trust Jeff's instincts and taste.

 

SO happy for all of you lucky people who got to experience the first show!

Wilco Me, your faith will be rewarded!

[bböp]

Jeff has a great line in response to the crowds enthusiasm about the new material...it went over too well and he felt bad that we didn't want to hear the old stuff.

 

This was after he acknowledged that philosophically it was not a good idea to start the tour with a ton if songs nobody has ever heard.

He also "upped the ante" by asking for crowd participation on Slow Love. I liked the effect of the crowd singing the "cultish mantra" of "Slow Love Is The Only Love" to start the song and "No Love Is The Only Love" to close it out. People embraced that singalong pretty well, I thought. Of course, Jeff's banter about how he always wanted to be a cult leader was hilarious.

[paulcalypse]

Then we all put blankets on and walked out into the desert (Jeff's idea)

[kbraz]

Then we all put blankets on and walked out into the desert (Jeff's idea)

That was the line of the night! Takeover the Southwest as part of the TWEEDY cult

[de4d5y]

Just got back from the show, gotta agree with everyone about it being great. I was really loving the new songs, kind of crazy to hear so many at once. If I had to compare them to something, I would say a lot of them were reminding me of the slower songs on The Whole Love. Maybe a couple had a Sky Blue Sky vibe to them too. I mean they definitely sound distinct, and I'm sure they will stand on their own, that's just what I would say from hearing them the first time. Overall great show though, pretty interesting version of Kicking Television. Has that been played solo acoustic before?

[Magnetized]

Just got back from the show, gotta agree with everyone about it being great. I was really loving the new songs, kind of crazy to hear so many at once. If I had to compare them to something, I would say a lot of them were reminding me of the slower songs on The Whole Love. Maybe a couple had a Sky Blue Sky vibe to them too. I mean they definitely sound distinct, and I'm sure they will stand on their own, that's just what I would say from hearing them the first time. Overall great show though, pretty interesting version of Kicking Television. Has that been played solo acoustic before?

He played Kicking Television at the charity show at the Vic on 2/15/14. He made some typically self-deprecating remarks about how it wouldn't sound good solo, and of course he then proceeded to absolutely kill it.

[paulcalypse]

He played Kicking Television at the charity show at the Vic on 2/15/14. He made some typically self-deprecating remarks about how it wouldn't sound good solo, and of course he then proceeded to absolutely kill it.

I think you can't take him serious when he says "I'm serious". It was funny to hear it acoustic. The lights were weird, so Jeff kept messing up because he couldn't see where his hands were on the fretboard. But he's working on his abs!

[Sunshine]

wow -- what a GREAT show. Kicking Television was a highlight for me.  The new stuff was really good, I'm excited for the album.

 

and yea, where the hell did they find that asshat comic? his whole act was how he cant get laid.  well, no shit. I love raunchy, but this was unfunny crap.

[Suki]

Agree the comic was horrible -- probably the biggest and soberest group he's encountered.

 

I was so happy to be the first audience to hear the new material.  Like most Jeff Tweedy songs, some were immediately accessible and some will take repeated listening to, to really appreciate.  Plus it was sometimes hard to understand the lyrics.  Overall I loved the new songs and can't wait to hear more.

 

The backing band was solid but of course couldn't match Wilco.  The record will be interesting -- Jeff said he played all of the instruments except for Spencer on drums and a few "friends" who helped out.  I loved seeing the pride he had in Spencer ("my boy!").  He initially planned on doing the record on his own, but Spencer kept coming to the studio each day after school and it evolved. Jeff said that kind of counted as solo since Spencer shares his DNA.

 

One of the banter highlights -- after The Ruling Class Jeff asked if we heard how he messed up the opening line.  He sang "They resurfaced the sidewalk on my block the other day."   Apparently that WAS how he first wrote the song lyrics and he said somehow it got back into his head after all these years. 

[bböp]

Was gonna try and do this last night, and I don't know how helpful it will really be to anyone else (and I'm hesitant to take things out of context after just one listen) but I jotted down some lyric fragments for a few of the new songs to start getting a grip on the new material and figured I'd share as much as I could. (I could obviously have heard some of these wrong, so I'm not totally vouching for accuracy but I think they're pretty much right.)

 

Down From Above - It's only love till it goes...the last beginning has begun/the last book is written/the last song is sung

 

Flowering - Hold me stranger, don't deceive/Angel master can't retrieve

 

Summer Noon - Like a lioness or a coyote/pink beating heart on the balcony AND Never leave your mother's womb/unless you wanna see how a broken heart can swoon

 

New Moon - I've always been certain, nearly all my life/I knew I'd be your burden/ I knew you'd be my wife AND Treat me like a stranger again

 

Where My Love - I want to watch you grow old and dumb/I want to see what we become

 

Desert Bell - I'm sorry you don't recognize me/born and bred to be led by degrees

 

Honeycombed - I vanish before I go/I've written with rope wrapped around my throat

 

Nobody Dies - Want it to stay golden till you let me back in AND Where I'm going nobody dies anymore

[linclink]

Was gonna try and do this last night, and I don't know how helpful it will really be to anyone else (and I'm hesitant to take things out of context after just one listen) but I jotted down some lyric fragments for a few of the new songs to start getting a grip on the new material and figured I'd share as much as I could. (I could obviously have heard some of these wrong, so I'm not totally vouching for accuracy but I think they're pretty much right.)

 

Down From Above - It's only love till it goes...the last beginning has begun/the last book is written/the last song is sung

 

Flowering - Hold me stranger, don't deceive/Angel master can't retrieve

 

Summer Noon - Like a lioness or a coyote/pink beating heart on the balcony AND Never leave your mother's womb/unless you wanna see how a broken heart can swoon

 

New Moon - I've always been certain, nearly all my life/I knew I'd be your burden/ I knew you'd be my wife AND Treat me like a stranger again

 

Where My Love - I want to watch you grow old and dumb/I want to see what we become

 

Desert Bell - I'm sorry you don't recognize me/born and bred to be led by degrees

 

Honeycombed - I vanish before I go/I've written with rope wrapped around my throat

 

Nobody Dies - Want it to stay golden till you let me back in AND Where I'm going nobody dies anymore

First a few questions- How long (hours & minutes wise) was the show at 25 songs?

Any merchandise unique to this tour (besides the 10")?

 

And here's some lyric snippets that someone on the Steve Hoffman Forum posted...don't know if these help jog the memory or not...

1. "last book is written, last song is sung"

2. "flowering"

3. "found my things in the trash"

4. "make my rendezvous"

5. "treat me like a stranger"

6. "i want to see what you and i become"

7. "slow love is the only love"

8. "nobody dies anymore"

9. "children are grey"?

10. "i'm sorry you don't recognize me"

11. "i should take you to.."

12. wait for love

13. low key

23. "are you scared, are you frightened, terrified..."

[bböp]

First a few questions- How long (hours & minutes wise) was the show at 25 songs?

Any merchandise unique to this tour (besides the 10")?

 

And here's some lyric snippets that someone on the Steve Hoffman Forum posted...don't know if these help jog the memory or not...

1. "last book is written, last song is sung"

2. "flowering"

3. "found my things in the trash"

4. "make my rendezvous"

5. "treat me like a stranger"

6. "i want to see what you and i become"

7. "slow love is the only love"

8. "nobody dies anymore"

9. "children are grey"?

10. "i'm sorry you don't recognize me"

11. "i should take you to.."

12. wait for love

13. low key

23. "are you scared, are you frightened, terrified..."

There were some TWEEDY T-shirts and individual show posters. TWEEDY portion of the show was close to two hours total, I think. (9 p.m. to about 10:55).

[Atticus]

Jeff played acoustic nearly all the show while his lead guitar player took all the leads and it was sweet.

 

 

that's disappointing.

[Vacant Horizon]

those song titles look like classic tweedy.  i'm just so psyched for this release.  for some reason i wasn't really in the wilco mood when TWL came out, but i'm ripe for this release.  really hope the tour continues in the fall and he hits atlanta.