bböp Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Wow, all I can say is that was almost certainly the best TWEEDY show yet. Pretty special. And though there have only been five performances thus far, this one might be looked back on as a show where things really started to jell for this band. This was one of those shows that a simple glance at the setlist alone doesn't do it justice, though it was a nice surprise to hear one of the only (the only?) solo performances of Deeper Down. In general, the songs Jeff chose to play in his solo set tonight worked beautifully and had a lot of gravitas and impact. Via Chicago, with harmonica, was particularly devastating. To these ears, Jeff was really on with his guitar playing in general. Jeff deviated from the printed setlist quite a bit, omitting Remember The Mountain Bed and leaving off Heavy Metal Drummer, Passenger Side, Laminated Cat and A Shot in the Arm. Then again, perhaps he knew at some point where he wanted the show to go. He might have decided to replace some of those songs with the second encore, which wasn't on the printed setlist and didn't seem planned at the time (i.e. the crew seemed to be scrambling a bit). So perhaps we got lucky...well, either way, I know we did. More to come, but for now, here was the complete setlist as played: Down From Above*Diamond Light*Honey Combed*Flowering*Desert Bell*Summer Noon*Fake Fur Coat#World Away*New Moon*High As Hello*Where My Love*Slow Love*Nobody Dies Anymore*Via Chicago^Spiders (Kidsmoke)^>Muzzle Of Bees^I Am Trying To Break Your Heart^Please Tell My Brother^Deeper Down^Born Alone^Sky Blue Sky^Jesus, etc.^-----------------------------Wait For Love* (w/Scott McCaughey on keyboard)Low Key* (w/Scott McCaughey on keyboard)California Stars* (w/Scott McCaughey on keyboard)-------------------------------I'm The Man Who Loves You^Misunderstood^ (performed at edge of stage w/o PA system) * — with full TWEEDY band# — with Jim Elkington only^ — Jeff solo acoustic Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Heart full of holes Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Wow indeed. That was an amazing evening. It felt like we were gathered around the campfire. Misunderstood left me speechless. Tonight is in my top 5. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I'm so with you both on this. There was such a great spirit in that room tonight. . . well, last night. This was really one for the record books. The venue was perfect for them too--reminded me a lot of the Vic. I hope to get on here and gush more specifically later, but it's good to know we share the feeling that the stars were aligned tonight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 And again, for anyone interested, here was the Minus 5's opening set as played (it was pretty kickass in its own right, IMHO): Lies of the Living DeadThe Old PlantationIn The GroundIt's Magenta, ManTwilight DistilleryKill The DeadWith A GunThe Days of Wine and BoozeMy GenerationRevolution Blues [Neil Young]Aw Shit Man>Strychnine [The Sonics] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 In terms of banter and such, I enjoyed Jeff's occasional jabs at the awful clappers in the audience. Particularly during his solo set, there were a number of folks who just couldn't clap in time yet kept trying anyway... At one point Jeff joked about how people wouldn't sing along with the words he wanted them to (a reference to his request to sing along to a new song, Slow Love) nor could clap in time. "You're a rogue crowd," he quipped to the DC audience. "No wonder we can't get anything done." Haha. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Warning: A dissenting opinion ahead Very mellow show. VERY MELLOW. I feel like Jeff went from Dad Rock straight to Great Grandad Rock. Even the Wilco songs were super mellow. Skip the alcohol before the show and pound a Red Bull or six. Jeff was charming and funny as usual, but sadly for me, when I look back at the most memorable parts of the show, it's the between song banter and a few Wilco songs. There were a couple of new songs that could be defined as something other than a dirge, but for the most part it was s-l-o-o-o-w. He did thank the crowd for sitting through a full hour of new songs, but man, the combination of never hearing the songs before and their beyond laid back delivery made it rough to get into. That being said, I loved "Please Tell My Brother" and was thrilled to see it. I've always felt that it's one of his most touching lyrics ever. Kidsmoke and IATTBYH were two other highlights for me just to see and hear his guitar playing without the craziness that the rest of the band brings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Baltimore was a great show (probably my fave moment of both shows was "Honeycombed" in Baltimore...probably...), but Washing ton D.C. was, as "they" say, "one for the ages"! It reminded me of the 1-2 of this years shows at The Vic...first one was great, but the second one was transcendent.Interesting tidbit...I requested "Deeper Down" for last night & wow! what a beautiful version. In 2013, I was in line for the all-request Vic shows on night #2, & talking to the person next to me. We both had "Deeper Down" as our first choice (thus figuring it'd be a slam dunk of sorts), but put down alternate requests & he chose to do those & didn't do "Deeper Down" at all. I believe he has done this one solo before (think I looked it up once myself)..."Please Tell My Brother" is another one that was on my list of requests before, so having that as the prelude & then the run after that ("Sky Blue Sky" is the request choice of mine he did instead of "Deeper Down" at The Vic) was just jaw dropping...noting that the solo "Born Alone" has become a total standout pretty much any time I've heard it.The big newest news though, was that the band was just firing on all cylinders. It can't be easy having to be the group that's having to face the inevitable measuring up against Wilco thing...but man this worked, on it's own terms, on that same incredibly high level.And the songs!!! Best choice for running order yet me thinks & we've got 15 new songs he did tonight, plus the "I'll Sing It" preview, now giving us exposure to 16, or all but 4 of "Sukirae" songs are out there now (in some form). I couldn't be more thrilled with the material, or more excited to hear the rest of them & the studio versions!!I stayed with a close friend (& fellow musician- we stayed up for hours jamming after both nights) was only going to go to Baltimore, but he was so blown away by both the material on the download of the Mt. Jam set & the first show that he went to D.C. last night...suffice to say this...we made a last minute stop, I kid you not, for him to get a chili-dog before the show...he said it was, sincerely one of the single greatest shows he'd ever seen in his decades of live music- and...with Jeff's new direction for the cult now (something about only needing to like chili-dogs, that's it...though this could wreck havoc with the wearing white only part of being in the cult)) my buddy laughed & agreed that the Cosmic tumblers had aligned for his chili-dog lovin' butt to ripe for recruitment for the Tweedy Cult!! He said he can't remember the last time he was so excited about a new release coming out. I reminded him it wasn't until September, but that the D.C. show we saw last night would be out in 4 weeks.Final weird food note...beyond the valley of my friend's chili-dog synchronicity... I was at the Vic shows last year & at one point during the second night, Jeff was talking about remembering "Let's Make A Deal" (old 70's game show with Monty Hall as the host) & recalling how they ask audience members if they had certain obscure things on their person.The example he brought up was "Does anyone in the audience have a hard-boiled egg here?"- I had grabbed a few extra eggs from the hotel breakfast buffet for a guy I knew who was coming straight from work to get in line with no chance to eat...so I actually had a couple extra on me...we were laughing so hard, & then about the time the moment had moved on, we looked at each other & started cracking up again, realizing I'd just missed this great chance to have been the guy who actually did have the hard boiled egg on him. For a minute I considered interrupting & yelling- "Wait I've got it!! I just had to check & see if it was hard or soft boiled!!"I mention this because it's a weird synchronicity too but also because as a vegetarian it's be a long, deeply adulterated by fake meat substitutes, stretch for me to even consider a chili-dog cult...but maybe I can make it back in via the hard boiled egg miracle of 2013... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 He said he can't remember the last time he was so excited about a new release coming out. I reminded him it wasn't until September, but that the D.C. show we saw last night would be out in 4 weeks. What does this mean? Are they releasing these shows for sale? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 What does this mean? Are they releasing these shows for sale? Yes. http://wilco.kungfustore.com/categories/491-roadcase Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Cool, thanks! As I've grown lazy in my old age, I wish there was a good old fashioned option for gettting a disc in the mail. Another memory I just had from last night: At the end of the show, Jeff did a quick re-introduction of the band (first names only this time) and then hugged his son at center stage. Awwww. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 how was Misunderstood played without the PA?. did he sing it the style of the "god-shaped hole" verse?.. i cant imagine the quieter parts without a PA. and the age-old question, how many nothing Nothings? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dontknownuthin Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 About 16 Nothings, I'd say. G-d shaped hole verse was sung in the more subdued style of the rest of the song, not belted out. Pretty sure everyone was expecting Acuff or Dreamer once he stepped to the stage edge, but as soon as the crowd heard "Back in your old neighborhood..." instantly the crowd began to audibly sing/chant/murmur-along. At the end, the crowd went into the multiple Nothings without missing a beat, Jeff faded out halfway through, and silently conducted the crowd the rest of the way before cueing everyone when to do "...Nothing at all...". Magic. No catharsis on the g-d shaped hole bit, but we got it in spades on the "disposable dixie cup drinker" belt-out earlier in the show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
smells like flowers Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 we got it in spades on the "disposable dixie cup drinker" belt-out earlier in the show. Did we ever! Jeff singing that line was probably the vocal highlight of the night for me. Wow, what a show. The theatre was perfect acoustically, had the faded luxury of bygone days aesthetically, and the close proximity to chili dogs was a little lagniappe! Hearing the new material for the second time was all it took. I love it. It's a bit ambient and spare at times, with an edge that belies the heartrending lyrics. Diamond Light was a real standout, and I agree with whoever said it sounded Loose Furry. The opening set by The Minus 5 was full of fun energy and laughter. It was amazing to get to see my friend Joe Adragna on drums! And speaking of drumming, I loved Spencer's work on stage -- his easy, almost languid posture and light touch were a treat sonically and visually. I'll be honest, though-- when they played California Stars I was really missing Wilco. As much as I was blown away by the new material and its departure from what we've been hearing at shows lo, these many years, I look forward to the return of the band. I also happen to think they could totally tear up the new material if there was ever a time for that to happen. For now, though, sheer gratitude for the experience, and Portsmouth can't come soon enough! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 And I was in DC briefly yesterday I had 54 8th graders in tow on our way to Williamsburg. Headed back to DC now. Sorry I missed it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dontknownuthin Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 This was also the first time I'd heard Jeff sing "Please Tell My Brother" since his mother passed. Does anyone know if this was the first time since? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 This was also the first time I'd heard Jeff sing "Please Tell My Brother" since his mother passed. Does anyone know if this was the first time since?He played it at one of the Vic shows in recent years, I'm pretty sure, and occasionally elsewhere. But yeah, not terribly often. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gabepride Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Spencer's drumming, both in his relaxed posture and in the musical way he serves the songs, reminds me of Levon Helm's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bart Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Spencer's drumming, both in his relaxed posture and in the musical way he serves the songs, reminds me of Levon Helm's. Wow! Nice observation. It didn't occur to me at all at the time, but I think you nailed it. Even the shirt he wore (an oxford) reminds me of Levon in the Last Waltz. (as I google it, I see that the two shirts are not the same, but I did find a bunch of other photos of Levon wearing oxford-type shirts.) Anyhow, great observation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 This was also the first time I'd heard Jeff sing "Please Tell My Brother" since his mother passed. Does anyone know if this was the first time since? He played it at his solo show at the Paramount Theatre in Denver on Dec. 5, 2013. Funny aside: the guy sitting behind my wife and I at that show was a Wilco/Tweedy know-it-all who constantly ran his mouth to his friend the entire show, dropping random facts and info about every song as it was played. Thing is, about 95% of it was complete bull turds. I recall him telling his friend Jeff wrote "Please Tell My Brother" while he was in the grips of heroin addiction and had just done prison time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rusty Shackleford Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Echoing what others have said, this show was special. The crowd was (for the most part) super-quiet during the acoustic numbers, especially the encores. Just rapt with attention and living in the shared moment. The "Misunderstood" singalong was utterly magical. You don't get that at every show, so I'm grateful to have been there for this one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cold as Gasoline Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Saw this nice write-up of the show, with some interesting tidbits and a photo gallery to boot.http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2014/06/12/photos-jeff-tweedy-and-minus-5-lincoln-theatre/ This is pretty cool: "Tweedy had a busy day on Tuesday before the show. An old colleague of mine who works at Brooks Brothers said the Tweedys came into the store to buy shirts earlier that day after getting a last minute lunch invite from the White House." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bosco Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I recall him telling his friend Jeff wrote "Please Tell My Brother" while he was in the grips of heroin addiction and had just done prison time. Oh, you don't remember when Jeff went to jail, ya he was all doped up on heroin and got in a fight in a bar and killed some dude, he went to jail and his cellmate taught him to sing and play, he got out and became a rich and famous rock star. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Robby Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Oh, you don't remember when Jeff went to jail, ya he was all doped up on heroin and got in a fight in a bar and killed some dude, he went to jail and his cellmate taught him to sing and play, he got out and became a rich and famous rock star. Kinda hard to "..travel from coast to coast" while doing prison time. Wouldn't you agree? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Head in a Guillotine Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Oh, you don't remember when Jeff went to jail, ya he was all doped up on heroin and got in a fight in a bar and killed some dude, he went to jail and his cellmate taught him to sing and play, he got out and became a rich and famous rock star.I've overheard people say similar things at multiple Wilco/Tweedy shows. People love to create rock and roll myths... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Dang, I never knew Jeff was such a badass. Kind of cool that someone thinks that, right? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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