Wilco — 12/3/14, Milwaukee, WI (Riverside Theater)

[bböp]

Well, you couldn't have asked much more from the band on a Wednesday night on the eve of a big hometown run. Far from using it as a mere warmup gig, though, Jeff and Co. really pulled out a killer set for their "home away from home" crowd.

 

More to come, but for now here was the complete setlist as played:

 

Company In My Back

Poor Places>

Art Of Almost

I Might

Hell Is Chrome

Ashes Of American Flags

War On War

No More Poetry (Jeff solo acoustic, essentially, with some percussive hints from Glenn)

Cars Can't Escape

Feed Of Man

Someday Soon

It's Just That Simple

Airline To Heaven

Jesus, etc.

Born Alone>

Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)

She's A Jar

You And I

Box Full Of Letters

The Late Greats

Heavy Metal Drummer

Walken

I'm The Man Who Loves You

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

Passenger Side

Dawned On Me

A Shot in the Arm

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

Misunderstood*

New Madrid*

Casino Queen*

Dreamer In My Dreams*

 

*— performed hootenanny style with Jeff and John on acoustic guitar, Pat on banjo, Nels on dobro, Mikael on acoustic guitar/melodica and Glenn on percussion

[Beltmann]

For me, "Feed of Man" was the highlight, partially because it was unexpected but mostly because I love it and had never heard it live.  (Jeff reported that "Feed of Man" was played because it got the most online votes, with 36 (the next highest was 8).  He said someone in the audience must have stuffed the ballot box.)

[bböp]

For me, "Feed of Man" was the highlight, partially because it was unexpected but mostly because I love it and had never heard it live.  (Jeff reported that "Feed of Man" was played because it got the most online votes, with 36 (the next highest was 8).  He said someone in the audience must have stuffed the ballot box.)

 

Yeah, that was definitely a highlight (the highlight?)! I think at least one of my seatmates couldn't quite believe her ears when they started playing that. It's a definite rarity, like a true deep cut, especially for this lineup. The band played it somewhat regularly in summer and fall 2000 when they toured behind Mermaid II, but I'm pretty sure this was only the second time the current lineup has played it. They did it two summers ago at the Hoboken Americanarama stop when Warren Haynes joined them on slide. This time, Nels handled the slide duties and sounded great. It looked like they were having fun playing it — I think Jeff even said as much — so I'd expect a reprise in Chicago sometime over the course of Winterlude.

 

For me, the setlist was pretty stellar last night. I'd been waiting for Dreamer to show up in the hootenanny encore, so we finally got that. And I had missed Casino Queen when they did it in Port Chester, so it was fun to see that as well (though I kind of wondered why they sort of played the normal band arrangement of it rather than the "LouFest" arrangement, which seems to me like it would have worked well in that setting). Anyway, a fun night, a good crowd, some setlist surprises...what else do you need? Well, I guess slightly better seats maybe — but I'm not complaining!

 

Oh, I also wanted to mention that No More Poetry was another nice surprise and Jeff basically just played it by himself, solo acoustic. Other than Glenn adding a little bit of texture, it didn't look to me like the rest of band played on it at all (though they all remained on stage).

[Albert Tatlock]

 

 

Taped in front of his keyboard during the encore, Sansone had a handwritten "RIP IAN" sign (with a heart drawn around "Ian"), in tribute of Ian McLagan

 

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/wilco-at-the-riverside-theater-b99399305z1-284713841.html

 

A nice touch.

 

Also, nice to see normal service resumed from our concert correspondent.

[Beltmann]

I actually came here this morning to mention Pat's "RIP Ian" sign, which I thought was really great and nobody around me seemed to even notice that it happened.  He held the sign up for the audience as the band exited the stage.

 

Ditto on the return of bbop!  Thanks, Paul!  (I was hoping you were present, but never saw you.  We were on the second level.)

[worldrecordplayer]

First 6 songs same as the Wednesday show at the Cap.  Which I just coincidentally happened to listen to on my way into work this morning.

[Smokestack Joe]

Wilco's performance last night was special to me. Playing music spanning over their 20 career brought back a lot of memories, seeing them in small clubs in Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison back in the 90s. . A few of the songs made me think about Jay Bennett too.

Thanks for all 20 years Wilco!

[bcdoc]

Great show...and plus they played my request of "Feed of Man." The song clearly rocks. I hope it makes more future appearances.

[Preferred B]

Loved the show last night. Feed of Man! So awesome. No More Poetry, hootenanny Dreamer... fingers crossed for Dark Neon during the Winterlude!! (A girl can dream.)

[virtualreason]

This was the first Wilco show for me in far too long, having missed out on the Tweedy run. To me, Jeff came out looking a little off, and it didn't show for the vast majority of the show. It was apparent when he flubbed a few lyrics, including the whole second verse of Late Greats. Whatever, shit happens.

 

That was my first experience with Feed of Man in any capacity, and it really blew me away. The band had fun and I think the audience was quite receptive of a song they (likely) had never heard before. It certainly needs to make an appearance in more sets!

 

The highlight for me was the second encore. I think it's one of the coolest things I've experienced at a Wilco show. When the entire room was shout-singing the chorus of Casino Queen, it sent shivers down my spine.

 

I'm now fully primed for my two Winterlude nights. It's going to be fantastic.

 

fingers crossed for Dark Neon during the Winterlude!! (A girl can dream.)

 

Start stuffing the ballot box now! I'll help.

[Cold as Gasoline]

Well, that was a Rock and Roll Show!  Not having seen them play together in over a year, I had musical amnesia about how incredibly in synch they sound together.  The crowd was really into it, the first floor (what I could see of it from first row balcony) stood throughout.  A highlight for me was hearing John take the frontman position for "It's Just That Simple."  Haven't heard that one live before, and it sounded great.  Usually I am way up front for Wilco and I can't really see Glenn.  Man, it is just amazing to watch him work - incredible energy and precision.

 

Banter notes: about 3/4 through, Jeff declared that we were in the "upper echelon" of audiences, but not to get cocky because there was still some show left.  Jeff flubbed the "greatest singer in rock and roll" verse on "The Late Greats" (totally forgot to come in and then filled with random lyrics from other parts of the song).  He said that was the first mistake he's made in the band's 20 year history, but sadly he got "gonged" by Glenn.

 

What a fantastic appetizer for the feast of next week's Winterlude!

[Magnetized]

Loved the show last night. Feed of Man! So awesome. No More Poetry, hootenanny Dreamer... fingers crossed for Dark Neon during the Winterlude!! (A girl can dream.)

Start stuffing the ballot box now! I'll help.

I just tried to request it but it's not on the dropdown menu. Maybe flood their FB page with requests? I'd really like to hear that too!

[Albert Tatlock]

Banter notes

 

Good man / woman.

[Cold as Gasoline]

Good man / woman.

 

I am woman, hear me roar.

[Ghost of Electricity]

so i've been out of it in terms of checking out the setlists.  New Madrid? When did they start doing UT material again?

[The Inside of Outside]

Just one opinion on Wilco playing New Madrid again - my hunch is that it stems from Jeff playing it often (nearly every show?) this summer during his solo sets in the Tweedy shows.

[Preferred B]

I just tried to request it but it's not on the dropdown menu. Maybe flood their FB page with requests? I'd really like to hear that too!

 

I may or may not have been requesting Dark California Stars for the final Friday show with a write-in comment of  "Actually, Dark Neon!" for a while now. But I forget a lot, so it's really about 8 times. Matt, feel free to stuff the box (that's what she said) for a night when you'll be there!

[andshewas]

First show in 5.5 years! (FINALLY!) Flipped my lid a bit when (my request) Cars Can't Escape started playing. Hadn't been keeping up with their setlists as of late, nor had I been aware of their little hootenanny encore. That was a real treat. : }

I brought a friend along who, although we'd been nerding out on Wilco for a decade, had not yet seen the band play. I'm not sure he was super into it...he didn't know the older songs, and hadn't stuck around the Tweedy show in June to be familiar at all with New Madrid. (Looks like I have some work to do with this guy!)