choo-choo-charlie Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 that's disappointing. Agreed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jojamapa Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I was curious to see the reaction to this show. I am not surprised at the hosannas, I guess, given the forum. I must preface my comments with the obligatory "It goes without saying I love Tweedy and almost everything he has done, huge fan, have seen Wilco and him solo many, many times etc. etc." I am not here to dump or to troll. I have to say, however, that the band portion of the show was exceedingly underwhelming. The new songs themselves were nice and oftentimes they shone through the mediocre playing. Candidly, it was like Jeff went out on tour with the School of Rock kids. That's OK in and of itself and you would expect some sloppiness but you would also expect some youthful energy too and that was sorely lacking. They tried to play like a low-fi Wilco and just didn't have the chops to pull it off. They are young, it's their first show, it's new material - I understand all that and there is every possibility the last show on the tour will be worlds apart from the first. But, I just can't come on here and say the show was incredible, amazing or any of the other like adjectives being thrown around because it just wasn't those things. Of course this is my opinion and if somebody else truly thought it was fantastic then I am happy for them. I wish I felt differently but I think it needs to be said, and from post-show conversations with several fellow fans I know I am not alone in my sentiments. On the other hand, Misunderstood, Acuff-Rose....were particularly superb as was all the solo set. OK, fire away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ripthisjoint908 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 New material was very, very, VERY GOOD. I almost wished he would have played another 4 songs or so. I was really impressed. The solo set was awesome as well. It was the first time I've seen Jeff solo so it was a bit special. Kicking Television was equally cool and hilarious. Those who have tickets for the shows to follow are in for a treat. I had a fantastic time last night. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 First off, I wasn't there, so obviously my comments are theoretical in nature. But I can imagine that everything jojomapa says is completely true and I still can also imagine that it would have been a very satisfying show For a big fan. From the descriptions of the songs it would seem that having a band with the firepower of Wilco could be almost distracting. Is it possible that the spare sound of this band might be what Jeff had in mind given the nature of the songs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 I was curious to see the reaction to this show. I am not surprised at the hosannas, I guess, given the forum. I must preface my comments with the obligatory "It goes without saying I love Tweedy and almost everything he has done, huge fan, have seen Wilco and him solo many, many times etc. etc." I am not here to dump or to troll. I have to say, however, that the band portion of the show was exceedingly underwhelming. The new songs themselves were nice and oftentimes they shone through the mediocre playing. Candidly, it was like Jeff went out on tour with the School of Rock kids. That's OK in and of itself and you would expect some sloppiness but you would also expect some youthful energy too and that was sorely lacking. They tried to play like a low-fi Wilco and just didn't have the chops to pull it off. They are young, it's their first show, it's new material - I understand all that and there is every possibility the last show on the tour will be worlds apart from the first. But, I just can't come on here and say the show was incredible, amazing or any of the other like adjectives being thrown around because it just wasn't those things. Of course this is my opinion and if somebody else truly thought it was fantastic then I am happy for them. I wish I felt differently but I think it needs to be said, and from post-show conversations with several fellow fans I know I am not alone in my sentiments. On the other hand, Misunderstood, Acuff-Rose....were particularly superb as was all the solo set. OK, fire away.. I'm a little bit surprised there haven't been more reactions like this, to be honest. Let's face it...these new songs that we've now heard all of once are going to take some time to sink in, to get into our consciousness. They're growers, like a lot of Jeff's songs are. For some people, they may never take root — and that's OK. Because from what I heard last night, a lot of these new songs seem to be pretty personal in one way or another. It's a type of songwriting that's not going to appeal to everyone. Anyway, I'm not out to get into a proverbial war of words or anything but I will just say that if you have seen Jeff and Wilco many, many times, as you say, then it just seems a little incongruous to me that you wouldn't be excited to hear Jeff play some new material rather than the songs you've presumably heard him sing many, many times. The solo portion of last nights show was, IMHO, the *least* superb part of the show in the sense that Jeff was struggling a fair bit with lyrics and chords, etc. That just didn't seem to be where his focus was at, and understandably so. It's a bit odd to me, then, to hear someone who's a big fan say that they thought that was the best part of Jeff's performance. Unless it's because that was when he played the songs that you like and/or are familiar with... As for criticism of the band, I think that's a bit unfair after one show. I mean, I guess it depends on what you were expecting. But these are all pretty accomplished players, even if a couple of them are young. Given the choice of any number of musicians to form his band, I'm sure Jeff wouldn't have chosen this group if he felt like they couldn't serve the songs. If Spencer couldn't fulfill Jeff's vision for these songs, I'm sure he would have found someone better suited. Why give the trolls (and I'm not saying you are one) extra fodder by putting your kid in the band if he wasn't up to par? You mentioned a lack of "youthful energy, " but I think that's not really going to happen with this music in the sense that it's not garage rock or thrash metal or whatever. So you're not going to see the band jumping around wildly on stage; again, the music just isn't really suited to that. If that's what you were expecting (or some variant), then you were probably bound to be disappointed. I'm curious as to what specifically you found "mediocre" about the band's playing... I'm not saying last night's debut show was perfect by any means. And I doubt Jeff would expect anyone to be blown away by it. But I, for one, was glad to hear what Jeff's been up to and am excited to hear how this band evolves as they get more and more experience playing together. I realize some people, will never be able to get past the whole Springsteen "fake E Street Band" thing. I've seen it happen before; it's just hard for some folks to accept when the leader of a well-established band starts playing with a different group. The quality of the music is almost irrelevant. But just remember, this isn't Wilco and it was never meant to be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kbraz Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Here is a link to a review of the show: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6113842/jeff-tweedy-wilco-spencer-son-sukierae-new-songs-detroit Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jw harding Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Are tapers allowed at these shows? I would be happy to listen and provide a definitive assessment of the quality of the show. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bird is the word Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I was there! Seen Wilco a few times but this was my first Jeff Tweedy solo experience and it was a great time. Some thoughts... Kinda bummed there was no material from Summerteeth during the solo portion of the show, but this is pretty understandable given the time needed to devote to the new songs. As people have said, the solo stuff was a tad sloppy at times, maybe partly because of the weird lighting? I don't know if it was supposed to be this way, but the lower stage lights would fade and come back on at odd intervals, sometimes leaving him in darkness. Hearing Misunderstood in an intimate setting was great. As for the band portion and new material, I thought his backing band was perfectly adequate and Spencer did great on drums. The songs were by and large quiet and contemplative, aside from a few poppy mid-tempo rockers in the same vein as much of TWL. Nothing too daring aside from Diamond Light which was, for me, the highlight of the new stuff. The only difference is that quite a few of the tunes were darker lyrically than in recent years. As has been pointed out, much of this seems to be influenced by his wife and his family's recent hardships. Appropriately seemed more personal than post-AGIB Wilco. General impression of quality: this probably won't blow anyone away or represent a radical change in musical direction. But if the album gives us even a handful of great new Jeff songs (and the new material strongly suggests it will), I'll be happy. Can't wait to hear more. It was a terrific time in a beautiful venue and was worth the 4 hour drive from Traverse City. I was at Comerica Park earlier in the day, watching my Tigers continue to fall off a cliff against the Blue Jays, so this really erased the sting! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 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.FYI, a source just told me that the 10" should be available at all of the tour stops. It was meant to be a tour exclusive, and not a Detroit exclusive. I'm glad that other folks will have a chance to pick it up, even if I was in the right place at the right time last night! P.S. More moon songs...never bad! ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jojamapa Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 . I'm a little bit surprised there haven't been more reactions like this, to be honest. Let's face it...these new songs that we've now heard all of once are going to take some time to sink in, to get into our consciousness. They're growers, like a lot of Jeff's songs are. For some people, they may never take root — and that's OK. Because from what I heard last night, a lot of these new songs seem to be pretty personal in one way or another. It's a type of songwriting that's not going to appeal to everyone. Anyway, I'm not out to get into a proverbial war of words or anything but I will just say that if you have seen Jeff and Wilco many, many times, as you say, then it just seems a little incongruous to me that you wouldn't be excited to hear Jeff play some new material rather than the songs you've presumably heard him sing many, many times. The solo portion of last nights show was, IMHO, the *least* superb part of the show in the sense that Jeff was struggling a fair bit with lyrics and chords, etc. That just didn't seem to be where his focus was at, and understandably so. It's a bit odd to me, then, to hear someone who's a big fan say that they thought that was the best part of Jeff's performance. Unless it's because that was when he played the songs that you like and/or are familiar with... As for criticism of the band, I think that's a bit unfair after one show. I mean, I guess it depends on what you were expecting. But these are all pretty accomplished players, even if a couple of them are young. Given the choice of any number of musicians to form his band, I'm sure Jeff wouldn't have chosen this group if he felt like they couldn't serve the songs. If Spencer couldn't fulfill Jeff's vision for these songs, I'm sure he would have found someone better suited. Why give the trolls (and I'm not saying you are one) extra fodder by putting your kid in the band if he wasn't up to par? You mentioned a lack of "youthful energy, " but I think that's not really going to happen with this music in the sense that it's not garage rock or thrash metal or whatever. So you're not going to see the band jumping around wildly on stage; again, the music just isn't really suited to that. If that's what you were expecting (or some variant), then you were probably bound to be disappointed. I'm curious as to what specifically you found "mediocre" about the band's playing... I'm not saying last night's debut show was perfect by any means. And I doubt Jeff would expect anyone to be blown away by it. But I, for one, was glad to hear what Jeff's been up to and am excited to hear how this band evolves as they get more and more experience playing together. I realize some people, will never be able to get past the whole Springsteen "fake E Street Band" thing. I've seen it happen before; it's just hard for some folks to accept when the leader of a well-established band starts playing with a different group. The quality of the music is almost irrelevant. But just remember, this isn't Wilco and it was never meant to be. Not interested in a war of words, just a conversation. Look, this isn't my first rodeo. I have been "with" Wilco and Jeff since the beginning and am still a great fan through several iterations and stylistic shifts. I have been a fan of many artists and bands who have changed lineups and styles - and some I have stayed with and others I haven't - as I am sure is the experience of any music fan. Any artist with longevity has hits and misses. I am not saying this band or these songs constitute a miss - how could I at this point? - but for 2 hours last night it certainly wasn't a home run or even an extra base hit - for me. Sorry, but you can't dismiss the idea that this show might not have worked so well by just saying that the person proposing this heresy is somehow limited in their ability to understand or appreciate "the new stuff" and only looking to hear "Monday" played twice. That's "unfair". I was very excited when I found out he would be playing new songs with a new band - more excited than I was when I thought it was just a Jeff solo show. Any time a favorite makes a change or takes a shift there is a period of adjustment, I get it. And you may be be right - perhaps the problem was with me, perhaps for whatever reason I was distracted or couldn't get my head around what I was hearing. It happens. I'm not dumping on them (or trying not to, perhaps ineffectively) and will agree that it's a bit unfair at this point but understand I'm not drawing a conclusion, I'm not burying them, if they came back to Detroit next month I would go again, but LAST NIGHT I was unimpressed. As a rule I don't come on band message boards (as you can see from my count) because it's usually just so much of a rah-rah circle jerk. I was really curious to see what the reaction was and thought I would offer an (apparently) minority opinion. As far as the "youthful energy" comment I guess what I was attempting to say was that younger bands rounding into form, learning on the stage, often overcome their lack of experience and technical chops with pure energy. I completely agree that would not have served these songs, but I don't think those songs served the band either. They are very 'mature' songs that require a depth and a precision I don't think they could quite muster. They sounded a little out of their depth. I'm not a musician, I can't tell you they played a D when they should have played an A, but I have ears and I've heard a lot of music of the years, good bad and in between. I didn't expect them to be Wilco in terms of ability and agree that Jeff's not going to take Spencer or the rest of them out on the road if their not competent but you're being disingenuous if you try and peddle the idea that, at this point, they are much more than competent. And yes, I do believe there is an element of Jeff using his "weight" to give a young group an opportunity and some experience in a setting and with some songs that it takes most years of hard work to get to. Well, the more I ramble the worse I feel about it and pretty soon I'll start disagreeing with myself. I don't find your opinion in any way invalid, I just came away with a different impression. You are making me think more critically about that opinion, however, so thanks for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 To all those who attended the show & can possibly recall any details...I'm wondering what the gear was? As in...especially what guitars Jeff & Jim were playing?...but any & all (amps, pedals, drums, basses) info is appreciated & of interest...thanks!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I love that this is a very civil discourse and that no one is starting flame wars. I like to think that Wilco fans are above all that. I don't pretend to have too much objectivity where Jeff is concerned--he could take a dump on the stage and I would assume there was artistic intention there somewhere!--but I enjoy reading respectful, well-reasoned critiques, no matter what the perspective. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyrockstar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 managed to get a very short, crappy quality video of "World Away" i was intending to tape this show but security was crazy and even cell phone pics were being shut down..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk2nCQeJLY0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyrockstar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 by the way i agree with the segment of posters here that thought the new songs were the highlight of the show. i've never been at a show where new material was so welcomed and it was really exciting to hear the new stuff.the band wasn't perfect, but i thought the rhythm section in particular sounded tight. Jeff's solo songs were great, but I've heard them all before and they weren't particularly remarkable versions. actually there were quite a few flubs.... the new songs were much tighter. (or maybe just harder to recognize any mistakes) the critique of the band is only, maybe the lead guitarist was trying to channel nels a bit and we all know that's not an easy task. great show! really looking forward to hearing the album... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 managed to get a very short, crappy quality video of "World Away" i was intending to tape this show but security was crazy and even cell phone pics were being shut down..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk2nCQeJLY0Very nice to have!!!! As we eagerly await the reports from the front lines in the, should be recently finished (7:30 to 9:00 was the schedule) show in Pittsburgh.Thanks! Even though I totally understand & appreciate the no camera rules (I don't do them at shows), I, paradoxically, also am very glad to have what has been documented as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. Hapablap Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I've been reading the comments here, and I can't wait to hear this! Btw, for those of you who want a recording, It's already available for Pre-order in the roadcase, so we'll get a nice soundboard of it. We just have to wait a few weeks. That's probably why security was so tight. The public debut of these songs for the masses will most likely be that recording, and they want people to buy it. Totally understandable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Liking "World Away" too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 As a rule I don't come on band message boards (as you can see from my count) because it's usually just so much of a rah-rah circle jerk.Just had to quote that as it made me laugh thinking back to some of the 'debates' that have gone on here between 'fans' in the past.Appreciate your calm input. Time will tell for us all. For myself there's plenty of stuff I don't care too much for, but the majority for me is of course great and often enough even with an initial 'meh' JT works his magic to turn my preferences around. I just don't care to get too worked up about love or hate for any music - it's just too personal.As to the band, one thing that did cross my mind was that JT might be making a statement that this is in no way a replacement for Wilco and for no one to think that - especially the current lineup themselves.I do think that Wilco should have some 'reunion show' merchandise for that September concert just for a laugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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