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TWEEDY — 3/30/15, Iowa City, IA (Englert Theatre)


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Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to Iowa City for last night's finale of the spring TWEEDY tour, and it sounds like there was at least one amazing occurrence that I missed (I can only hope that it gets repeated again someday :pray , and I'd love to hear more details from anyone else who was there :dancing )...

 

Also, an odd little coincidence that Glenn Kotche, with cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, is playing at the Englert tonight! That'd be a fun back-to-back. Lucky Iowans! :thumbup
 

Meanwhile, a little birdie sent me the complete setlist as played...so I'll go ahead and post it to get the ball rolling:

 

Hazel

Fake Fur Coat>

Diamond Light, Pt. 1

Flowering

Summer Noon

World Away

New Moon

Nobody Dies Anymore*

Wait For Love*

High As Hello*

Love Like A Wire* [Diane Izzo]

You Are Not Alone*

Low Key*

The Losing End (When You're On)* [Neil Young]

Via Chicago^

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart^

One Wing^

Hummingbird^

One By One^

Please Tell My Brother^

Jesus, etc.^

Whole Love^

A Shot in the Arm^

I'm The Man Who Loves You^

Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood

Only The Lord Knows*

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

Loud, Loud, Loud#* [Aphrodite's Child]>

True Love Will Find You In The End* [Daniel Johnston]

Give Back The Key To My Heart* [Doug Sahm]

California Stars*

 

* — with Sima Cunningham on backing vocals

^ — Jeff Tweedy solo acoustic

# — with Josh Goldsmith on vocals

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Loud Loud Loud# [Aphrodite's Child]

I was not familiar with this. Listening on YouTube - I can only guess at the kind of arrangement that was played. Bizarre choice, but in sort of a good way. I wonder what the motivation was.

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My first Tweedy show! So forgive me when I don't get what the amazing occurrence that bbop mentioned--to me, just making it to a show and the whole experience was an amazing occurrence. :-)

The Englert is the smallest venue I've seen Tweedy (including Jeff w/ or w/out Wilco) in, possibly excluding Otto's in DeKalb. Beautiful rennovated, theater, though. It's like the Minneapolis Orpheum on a smaller scale. Enough about the architecture, though.

 

Awesome show. Jeff was in good spirits and smiled a LOT, even when he called us assholes, lol (for not applauding enough, if I recall? Sorry, I get tired, busy, and details blur together). Even when he chastised the 2nd row on one side for not standing like everyone else during the end of the show. He joked about how we should ignore Liam, how he shouldn't be there, and he was actually unplugged but we shouldn't hear him, then of course admitted he was awesome. Before "Wait for Love" he announced a 3/4 coming up, then pointed out a woman yawning in the front row and gave her good natured grief.

 

Spencer too was awesome. The entire band was fabulous for reasons that I'm sure have been covered extensively in other show threads here. I especially enjoyed Darin Gray--he brings a lot of personality and style in bass. Sima seemed to be having a really great time--her face just shined, especially during the encore.

 

Oh, and halfway through some guy yelled out that he was the mayor's son, which got big laughs. A couple of years ago some drunk girl yelled out that she was the daughter of the mayor of Cedar Rapids and was otherwise generally annoying. I wasn't at that show but the mayor's daughter outburst must have been memorable because even before the show started my friend and some of the people around us were talking with each other about that.

 

Laid back crowd for a venue that serves alcohol. Overall an old crowd (nothing says old like yawning during a Tweedy show, right?), but a mix of ages, including a few kids.

 

"Loud Loud Loud" might have been a way to comment on the Indianpolis bill controversy?? The lyrics were read by the roadie dude with the big mustache (I remember at the Val Air once someone in the crowd yelled out to him, "Turn up the mustache!" when he was on stage doing his thing before Wilco took the stage). He stood back where Liam is and read it while the band and, at Jeff's direction the audience sang, along to the words "Loud Loud Loud." Lyrics here for anyone such as me who isn't readily familiar: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/aphrodites+child/loud+loud+loud_20233104.html

I did see Glenn's name on the marquee and at first thought there was a change of plans and that he'd be opening for Tweedy. Not the case, but I did think it was funny that they were there back-to-back nights. Wish I could have stayed in Iowa City another day! Work and family call, though.

Juan Wauters was a fun opening act. Unique vibe. This site http://littlevillagemag.com/wilcos-jeff-tweedy-performs-with-son-at-the-englert/ describes his style as "simple folk vibe and air of silliness," and that is a fitting description. Some of lyrics were goofy, simple, awkward, funny (on purpose?) and at first I wondered if it was just something about translation but now I think it might have been a mix of serious and silly. I really would like to see him open for Tweedy or Glenn or someone in the future again. He fits a small venue and was perfect for Iowa City-like artsy college town fare. Or, if anyone is familiar with Des Moines, he would be a perfect fit for Vaudeville Mews. I don't know how he would come across in Chicago or a much larger venue. But then, I only saw him the one time and have no firsthand comparison.

 

Jeff said that they "will definitely be doing this again" but first (with humorous eye roll) "I have to go back to work with Wilco." Good news on both Tweedy and Wilco fronts there!

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My first Tweedy show! So forgive me when I don't get what the amazing occurrence that bbop mentioned--to me, just making it to a show and the whole experience was an amazing occurrence. :-)

 

Glad you made it to the show, and thanks for filling in some of the details! Nice to hear from a veteran VCer, as well... :wave

 

I was referring to the Loud, Loud, Loud bit, just because it was so unusual and seemingly out of nowhere. Should've known there would be something offbeat at the last show of a relatively long tour; just wish I'd been able to be there to see it. Apparently they also soundchecked The Four Horsemen from the same record, which I know Jeff has mentioned as being something he listened to when he was younger (maybe a record he inherited from one of his older siblings or something like that). My understanding is that maybe some of the older members of the band had introduced it to some of the younger members over the course of the tour and they had been listening to it on the bus...or something like that.

 

And hilarious that the "Mayor of Cedar Rapids' daughter" is still being referenced. I think that will forever be a part of Wilco/Tweedy Iowa lore. :wine

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