Wilco — 12/9/14, Chicago, IL (Riviera Theatre) [Winterlude Night 4]

[bböp]

All sounds great, but why was it one of the "weirdest" shows?

 

 

 

I guess I just meant weirdest in terms of setlists. It's hard to explain, but at certain points, I really felt like I had no idea what was coming next (which isn't always the case) and the pacing and song selection was just so all over the place. That doesn't always work, but in this case, it just felt liberating in a way. Like they could just do anything at any time, and did...

 

So yeah, it just felt unique. Like you'll never hear this many random songs in one show again. It was definitely, in some sense, a show for the diehards.

 

This is so much fun reading the setlists and everyone's feedback on the shows. Me thinks I'll be downloading this run and will use these shows (along with AMF) to bring Wilco back into my listening rotation.

 

A note about the "This is 40" arrangement of "I Got You." Long before Wilco recorded it for the film soundtrack, it was the "Shakey's Pizza" arrangement as played by Jeff and Jay way back in the day. At least that's what Jeff calls it on the lovely bootleg recording of his and Jay's session for C'Est What in Toronto on 11-20-1996. Check it out over at the [recently redesigned!] sooutoftune.org. 

 

Also a neat version on YouTube: http://youtu.be/YUCuJKRDuFk

 

Duly noted, and thanks for the links! I always just refer to it as the "This Is 40" arrangement since that's the most recent incarnation of it, but yeah, I think the arrangement does date from way back in the day. I'm a fan.

[guitargeek85]

Just found this from the show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXqSQ89wkA

[radiatortunes]

I really really should have figured out a way to stay in Chicago longer. 

 

Me, too!

[knotgreen]

wowzer. it hurts a tiny bit to read about these shows.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

It's kind of interesting that they put out the "What's Your 20?" release, played the "This is 40" arrangement of "I Got You," and are doing exactly 30 songs each night. Is someone in Wilco into numerology or something?

[worldrecordplayer]

Just found this from the show

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXqSQ89wkA

Fantastic!

[tangerine73]

for sure these are for super fans only... a lot of rare tracks including never before played tunes.. would love to hear speak to the rose now that they have played message from the mid bar.. alone should have been on alpha mike foxtrot. 

[ViaMinnesota]

I can't wait to make a playlist of all the acoustic mini-sets when this run is over, and basically have a double-disk acoustic wilco live album.

For my very first post I want to second that.

[malvarmas]

I can't wait to make a playlist of all the acoustic mini-sets when this run is over, and basically have a double-disk acoustic wilco live album.

That's actually quite smart, and I'll have to do the same. 

[smells like flowers]

Just found this from the show

That was fun!

 

On a completely UN-snarky note, I did notice that Jeff is wearing skinny jeans. Perhaps feeling the pressure from those TWEEDY youngsters.

[Gewee]

It was weird because it was a very eclectic mix of C-sides and almost never played tunes.the only song I saw coming a was Impossible Germany. Lots of acoustic numbers, difficult arrangements and the drum solo, natch. Never saw anything like it before

[Sandy in SFCA]

I really really should have figured out a way to stay in Chicago longer. 

 

I know exactly how you feel!

[curvemyflight]

Aside from the song selection, for me the show was so unique and awesome because they went almost 90 minutes without an energy peak. And they pulled it off.   High level of difficulty (as Jeff said) and they stuck the landing.  Most bands won't go more than the first three songs without a crescendo of some sort.  

 

There were some upswings along the way, but it wasn't until Impossible Germany that they blew it wide open. And Nels was the Nelsiest Nels I've ever seen during this song. I think he left his body. How appropriate that the next song was Standing O after the very elongated and energetic applause for Nels after I.G. It was went on and on, and Nels turned to Jeff and made a shrug like, WTF? then took  a bow. 

 

Standing O and then I'm A Wheel were frantic, with the crowd loving finally able to let it out and Pat added to the front row in full rock-star guitar mode. It served as a three-song catharsis with The Lonely 1 seeming ever so more meaningful after those songs.

[mdjr]

My favorite Jeff banter of the night:

 

"this has been a big hit for Taylor Swift this year..."  (launches into "Shake it Off")

 

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

 

I did some setlist data crunching.

 

So far 120 songs have been played...and only 10 songs have repeated (although in different formats each time)

 

Art of Almost - album version (Night 2) and hootenanny (Night 1)

Box Full of Letters - waltz (Night 3) and album version (Night 2)

Camera/Kamera - Camera (Night 1) and Kamera (Night 4)

Dawned on Me - album version (Night 1) and hootenanny (Night 3)

I Got You - album version (Night 2) and hootenanny (Night 4)

I'm the Man Who Loves You - no horns (Night 1), with The Total Pros (Night 3), hootenanny (Night 2)

Misunderstood - album version (Night 3) and hootenanny (Night 4)

Passenger Side - album version (Night 3) and hootenanny (Night 4)

Spiders - acoustic (Night 4) and album version (Night 3)

Too Far Apart - album version (Night 4) and hootenanny (Night 3)

 

Not counting the Mermaid Ave records, by my count they have played all but 24 songs on their "official" album releases.

 

Can't wait to see what the next two nights bring...

[nalafej]

Box Full of Letters - waltz (Night 2) and album version (Night 3)

 

Great recap. You have this flipped though. Waltz was night 3

[Yaz Rock]

Well then, here's to hoping for Kamera (Fuzz Mix)! Or are they only doing stuff off the box set? 

[kamera]

Standing O and then I'm A Wheel were frantic, with the crowd loving finally able to let it out and Pat added to the front row in full rock-star guitar mode.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awa4RQI8L54

[HelloNinja]

Before playing "Deeper Down," Jeff talked about how technically difficult some of the songs they're playing on this run are, and he said that this one was near the top of that list. Anybody know what makes it so difficult? It doesn't seem like it would be that hard but they make it all look so easy. 

[bböp]

Before playing "Deeper Down," Jeff talked about how technically difficult some of the songs they're playing on this run are, and he said that this one was near the top of that list. Anybody know what makes it so difficult? It doesn't seem like it would be that hard but they make it all look so easy.

I'm not a musician, but Deeper Down seems to have quite a few chords and that's always an indicator to me of a song being a little more challenging to play. A lot of times a song might not seem that hard, but it's often ones that don't seem hard that actually are.

 

A good example of that is Hummingbird. Not sure if you've ever gotten to see Jeff play that solo, but I never realized that one has so many chords. You wouldn't think it'd be that hard, but yikes!

 

With Deeper Down, there's also the matter of Nels having to juggle the Jerry Jones "Shorty" 12-string and the lap steel. It's deceptively intricate arrangement, it seems to me.

[guitargeek85]

Just found this from the show...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bzy5KMAy1A

[H.Stone]

I'm not a musician, but Deeper Down seems to have quite a few chords and that's always an indicator to me of a song being a little more challenging to play. A lot of times a song might not seem that hard, but it's often ones that don't seem hard that actually are.

 

With Deeper Down, there's also the matter of Nels having to juggle the Jerry Jones "Shorty" 12-string and the lap steel. It's deceptively intricate arrangement, it seems to me.

 

I also think the timing is complex, particularly in the transitions out of the verses.