Tweedy — 31 March 2016, Osaka, Japan (Club Quattro)

[bböp]

If tonight's show was indeed the last we'll see of the Tweedy band for the foreseeable future, you just had a feeling that the sextet wouldn't simply go quietly into that good night (or mid-evening, as it were, given the lack of an opening act and early Japanese concert starting times). There were no more surprise guests or Tweedy family stage debuts — though the band did play a cover (Neil Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere) that it had just learned a few hours earlier so, as Jeff said, it would have a new song to play — thus what the small but appreciative Osaka crowd was left with was just a good old fashioned rock 'n' roll ending.

 

Before I go any further, a few words about Club Quattro and those relative few who turned up for the show. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when we took an elevator to the 10th floor of an otherwise nondescript building not far from one of Osaka's bustling shopping districts and walked into the venue, I almost couldn't believe how tiny it was. It felt more like a TV studio (without the cameras and lights) than a real venue. You could probably cram 300-350 people in there if you really tried, but only about half of that number showed up so it was pretty comfortable. Early on, Jeff even remarked that this "feels like a dress rehearsal. I feel very close (in distance) to you. It feels like we're just hanging out with some friends in the basement."

 

(Incidentally, afterward a couple of the band members were saying that it was one of the "deadest" rooms they'd ever played in terms of how it sounded to them on stage, a concept that I have to admit I've never fully grasped since I have no experience playing music using monitors and that type of equipment or any real knowledge about sound dynamics. All I know is it sounded pretty darned great out in the room, so kudos to Stan as usual for his great work. )

 

The show itself was a relatively loose (but not sloppy) performance. During Wait For Love, Jeff got a couple of strange looks from a couple of his bandmates when he came in a tick early on one of the verses and admitted as much afterward. Then as the band was about to launch into Low Key, Spencer might've been confused on what song they were playing or simply had a brief lapse but his drum intro led Jeff to quickly stop, look over at him, smile and say, "What was that? We had a stray drum fill there. We'll get it right."

 

One other thing worth mentioning during the Sukierae set was a bit for the Banter Corner denizens (and/or the residents of nearby Awkward Humor Avenue). Before World Away, Jeff said, "We've been having such a great time in your country that we're sad it's almost over. This is our last show of the tour. I'll be back soon with Wilco, this summer at the Fuji Rock Festival, and hopefully Tweedy will be back someday. If not, then we'll be a world away." Insert well-timed rimshot by Spencer. Jeff looked around at his bandmates and said, "I've never tried that — a segue — so I thought I'd try it at the last show!"

 

Fortunately, Jeff atoned for that groaner with a memorable solo set. Of particular note, we got what I believe might be the solo debut of Magnetized (which Jeff said he played because he realized the other day that he hadn't played anything off the new Wilco record) as well as the rarer-than-you-think solo version of Ashes Of American Flags and the elusive-for-this-tour Spiders (Kidsmoke). Not to mention Please Tell My Brother and going off mike to very cool effect for the end of I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, among other highlights.

 

The band then came back on and we were treated once more to Sammy Tweedy's excellent performance of Big Star's Thirteen, the third (and hopefully not last) time he has joined his father and older brother on stage. Sammy and Jeff shared a nice hug afterward, as Jeff and Spencer did at the end of the Sukierae set. Very cool to see how this record and subsequent touring have really become a family affair. Jeff joked that Sammy was making an exception to his vow only to perform the song "once per continent," and the audience responded in kind with a nice ovation.

 

From then on, it was pretty much rock time with more than a little bit of twang thrown in via the excellent lead guitar playing of Jim Elkington and some assistance by Liam Cunningham at times on slide. The Neil Young covers, in particular The Losing End (When You're On) got a great boost from Elkington, as did both Only The Lord Knows and You Are Not Alone. Jeff also dedicated a jauntily rocking version of The Ruling Class to Jim O'Rourke, who Jeff said had been supposed to play it with them but couldn't make it tonight.

 

Then things just sort of kicked into high gear in the best possible way to close out the show. For some reason, the band decided to blitz through California Stars at a much-quicker tempo than usual and it simply rocked. Liam and Sima took lead vocals on the second verse and the band just barreled through it at what seemed like a gallop, leaving me thinking to myself, "Damn, now that's how that song should be played!" (and I've heard it a few times). And after a gaijin woman had shouted a request for some Bowie a bit earlier in the encore, the six members of the Tweedy band obliged by nailing Bowie's Queen Bitch with big smiles on all of their faces. If there's a better way to finish off a tour than that, I'm not sure I've seen it.

 

Here was the complete setlist, as played (the lone change from the printed setlist was the omission of New Madrid during Jeff's solo set):

 

Hazel

Fake Fur Coat>

Diamond Light, Pt. 1

Flowering

Summer Noon

World Away

New Moon

High As Hello*

Wait For Love*

Love Like A Wire* [Diane Izzo]

Low Key*

Nobody Dies Anymore*

Via Chicago^ (w/harmonica)

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart^

One Wing^

Magnetized^

Hummingbird^

Please Tell My Brother^

Born Alone^

Jesus, etc^

Spiders (Kidsmoke)^

Ashes Of American Flags^

I'm The Man Who Loves You^

A Shot in the Arm^

Thirteen# [big Star]

Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood

Only The Lord Knows*

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

You Are Not Alone*

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

The Ruling Class%

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere* [Neil Young]

California Stars*

Queen Bitch* [David Bowie]

 

* — with Sima Cunningham on backing vocals

^ — Jeff Tweedy solo acoustic

# — with Sammy Tweedy on lead vocals and Spencer Tweedy, Sima and Liam Cunningham on backing vocals

% — with Sima Cunningham on keyboard

[remphish1]

Take any pictures? I am intrigued!

[bböp]

Take any pictures? I am intrigued!

 

Doesn't really do it justice, but anyway...

 

[remphish1]

WOW! That is bonkers..cool expierence!

[Preferred B]

This sounds like a really cool experience, and a nice compliment to the Tokyo show. Thanks for the detailed reports. Did you spend any time hanging out with the Japanese fans, Paul? Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing at least one Tweedy at the Vic in May. Wish I could make Sheboygan, too!

[Albert Tatlock]

Banter Corner

Awkward Humor Avenue

Mornington Crescent

[bböp]

Mornington Crescent

Downton Abbey (not that I would know)

[Albert Tatlock]

Downton Abbey (not that I would know)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mornington_Crescent_(game)

[froggie]

Jeff Tweedy VS Paul.... who remembers more Wilco shows?  pity you coudnt make to any of the Australian shows!

[TacoCat]

Thanks for the detailed review Bbop! I just recently returned back to the U.S. from spending a few weeks in Japan, and reading your Osaka report today reminded me again of how special and memorable that night felt (in addition to Tokyo's Liquid Room show with Jim O'Rourke, wow!). 

 

I will coyly admit that I was the gaijin woman who shouted for some David Bowie and Mr. Tweedy jokingly replied that they're going to play some Neil Young for now (hinting that I should be patient ). Well, the wait was worth it since I too had the biggest smile on my face when they ended the night with "Queen Bitch." The two gigs in Japan were totally worth the long plane ride from home. I will have to thank Tweedy band for making me haul my ass all the way out to Asia to see them, because it's been an absolute thrill to discover and travel throughout Japan!