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Wilco — 5 July 2016, Roma, Italy (Villa Ada)


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Haven't been able to find much spare time to sit down and write something, which is what happens when you're constantly on the go, but I figured I should at least get something down about this one (especially after I walked about five kilometers on a very muggy night to find this venue and get back to my accommodations). Better late than never, I guess...

 

To make a long story short, the venue for this show was a lagoon-esque site in the northern end of the second-largest park in Rome where they have an annual summer festival ("Roma incontra il mondo," which I think translates to Rome vs. the world). Anyway, apparently it's just known among locals where this site is but I guess I figured it would be fairly obvious where it was located and it wasn't. So I spent quite a while wandering around this park rather aimlessly and frustratingly.

 

Eventually I figured it out and still managed to get a decent spot (thank you, casual Italian fans!). It seemed to me like there were probably about a couple hundred people who were really ardent fans, including most of those close to the stage, and then a lot of other people who were there just because it was something fun to do outside in the summertime — a place to eat and drink, to dance, to hang out with friends, that type of thing. So that kind of gives you an idea of the scene.

 

In terms of the music, highlights for me included excellent versions of old warhorses Spiders (Kidsmoke) and Impossible Germany. On the latter, Nels really stretched out his solo beyond the norm — I think I even caught Jeff sneaking a peek at the digital clock at one side of the stage, not because he was bored but just to sort of gauge how long Nels had been going — and the crowd showed its appreciation with a nice ovation afterward. I definitely got a little lost in the song, which doesn't always happen anymore. As for the electric Spiders, it just seems to play well in Europe; it always has, I guess, because of the frenetic guitar work, the chaotic breakdown sections and the rhythm that encouraging clapping along (always popular over here).

 

Again, I won't repeat my previous comments about setlist variety and all that from previous post after the Ferrara show (though the band did tweak it a bit from that show). My only "complaint," if it can be labelled as such is that the hootenanny section has remained fairly static for a while now. Originally that acoustic encore seemed to really give the band some freedom to branch out and play some different songs night to night, and that hasn't seemed to be the case as much lately. Yet the songs they do play feature nice arrangements, and even still evolving somewhat. For instance, I took note of a little melodica pattern that Mike was playing on (I think) I'm Always In Love that I hadn't noticed before. And on that song in Rome, the crowd even added its own harmony part at the end that came about, I think, from not really knowing the song that well, so that it became almost an "in the round" kind of situation that bizarrely ended up working pretty well. Even Jeff took note of it, saying afterward, "You guys added a part there...don't get too creative now."

 

Not too much of note from Banter Corner overall, though Jeff did ask the crowd if it was still having a good time before launching into Via Chicago and then said, "We'll see what we can do about that." And there was a somewhat ongoing bit in the latter half of the show where Jeff would applaud the audience members, insisting that he wasn't doing it to get them to applaud more.

 

All in all, an enjoyable evening in Rome — and I have to add, the show also featured a really good-sounding mix by Stan at the front of house — despite having to walk quite a way to get there. I kind of want to make a "When in Rome..." joke here, but I'm coming up empty.

 

Anyway...here was the complete setlist, as played:

 

More...

Random Name Generator

The Joke Explained

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>

Art Of Almost

Pickled Ginger

Hummingbird

Handshake Drugs

Camera

Where Do I Begin

Cold Slope>

King Of You

Via Chicago

Spiders (Kidsmoke) (electric version)

Jesus, etc.

Box Full Of Letters

Heavy Metal Drummer>

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Dawned On Me

Impossible Germany

The Late Greats

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

Misunderstood*

War On War*

I'm Always In Love*

California Stars*

A Shot in the Arm*

 

* — performed hootenanny style with band on acoustic instruments

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