bböp Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Sometimes you walk out of a show on a cloud, just knowing deep down that it had been a thoroughly satisfying, life-affirming performance. And then other times, you walk out with a bit of a sour taste in your mouth for whatever reason. Usually these feelings are utterly personal, based on your own perspective, your reaction to the music itself, the talent of the performer, the energy of the audience or any number of other factors. A great show to one person might be somewhat disappointing to another.So feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but for me, this show at the Fabulous Fox just left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. The band was fine, though I'd say this veered more toward the "professional" end of the performance spectrum. The muddy sound, at least toward the front of the room, left something to be desired, though I'm sure it probably sounded much better toward the middle and back.However the vibe of the crowd left me cold, even though most people were on their feet from the start and remained standing throughout (often a dicey proposition for a reserved seating theater show). Maybe it was just the behavior of some of those in the front row who were constantly taking ridiculous selfies with their backs to the band or the couple who turned up next to me with about three songs left in the show, stayed for one song and then left again. Or maybe it was just the relative disengagement of those I observed. For instance, what happened to the electric Spiders? This was a song that people used to go completely apeshit for, especially during the breakdowns. Lately, I've observed very little pogoing, headbanging or much of anything. Not to say that people didn't sing along at points, particularly during "local" favorites like Heavy Metal Drummer and Casino Queen, and Jeff almost willed the crowd into a decent clap-along at the end of Spiders. But I just didn't get that sense of a lot of people being very invested. Again, maybe that's just my personal take. Maybe it also had something to do with the cavernous venue, which just seemed the antithesis of intimate (especially when contrasted with the backyard feel of the previous evening in Kansas City).At any rate, on the bright side, we did get the full-band debut of Nope from the forthcoming Wilco Schmilco. Jeff dedicated it to his father, who was in attendance. Unfortunately the muddy sound where I was, as well as the arrangement, sort of detracted from the enjoyable Dylan-esque element that was evident upon first hearing the song a couple of weeks ago when Jeff played it solo acoustic at Pickathon. In the electric version, you couldn't really hear the lyrics as well, and Nels' distorted guitar — he flicked the switch (forgive the electric guitar ignorance) quite a bit — was kind of distracting, at least on first listen.Impossible Germany was another highlight for me tonight. Just when I started thinking I could stand to not hear it for the umpteenth time, Nels turned in a really terrific solo and the swell of energy when the guitars come back together really shows the genius arrangement of that song IMHO.As far as Banter Corner, there really wasn't a lot. Maybe the only noteworthy bit came relatively early when Jeff first checked in with the crowd, saying that it was "good to be back. I'm from around here. Did you guys know that?" He went on to say that he had never actually lived in St. Louis, but had worked in the city ("not very hard," he cracked.) Jeff added that the Fox was the "last place on earth I ever thought I'd be playing" while he was growing up, and recalled opening for Sheryl Crow there a long time ago (1997, to be more precise). "Where is she now?" Jeff joked. Actually, this was Wilco's second headlining show at the Fox but the first in nearly 12 years. The band played the venue in September 2004 on the "A Ghost Is Born" tour. We'll see how long it takes for the next performance there, but hopefully by that time, our societal fascination with selfies will have abated somewhat. Here was the complete setlist as played (looks like We've Been Had was substituted for New Madrid in the encore on the printed setlist):More...Random Name GeneratorThe Joke ExplainedI Am Trying To Break Your Heart>Art Of AlmostPickled GingerHummingbirdHandshake DrugsCold Slope>King Of YouVia Chicago>Spiders (Kidsmoke) (electric arrangement)Jesus, etc.If I Ever Was A ChildNope (full band live debut)Box Full Of LettersHeavy Metal Drummer>I'm The Man Who Loves YouImpossible GermanyThe Late Greats---------------------------------Misunderstood*It's Just That Simple*We've Been Had*Casino Queen*I'm Always In Love*California Stars*A Shot in the Arm** — performed hootenanny style with band on acoustic instruments Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 bbop. You gonna be at Madison. I would live to buy you a drink or 2. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 bbop. You gonna be at Madison. I would live to buy you a drink or 2. Unfortunately not! Sounds like that was a bad one to decide to sit out, given the number of cool people I know who are going, but something had to give. Thanks for the offer, though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LittleDrummerBoy Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 It's quite upsetting to me that the recent set lists from the last couple tours were very cookie cutter. I like to see some variation in Wilco's sets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalafej Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 It's quite upsetting to me that the recent set lists from the last couple tours were very cookie cutter. I like to see some variation in Wilco's sets.It's hard to argue with this. I mean, there was a time not too long ago where they didn't repeat songs over two nights in the same city. They repeated a lot of songs within the same day in St. Louis yesterday! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I had that sense of a professional but not inspiring experience in Santiago de Compostela, which again may not have been due to the band per se, though it was the WTA tour. It's hard to put myself in the place of those scrutinising the variety of the setlists since it feels like a long time since Wilco were in London, and it is. Since then there has been the coming and going of Star Wars, ditto the hootenany segment, and in November Schmilco will be out, so God knows what the setlist will be like on that night. I wish they had 2 nights in London like last time at the Roundhouse, when the second night was one of my most joyous concert experiences - possibly due to the appearance of Sir Nicholas of Lowe in the encore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I was fortunate enough to have a much better vibe over on the Pat side of the stage. Lotta dancing, almost everyone standing and no sit/stand tension at all, some pogo-ing (OK, that was me), no talkers. Limited selfies, although the guy behind me had his phone brightness set on "outdoor" quite a bit. Had one random guy in the aisle who had the Willie Nelson braided pigtails and bandana, sans the facial hair, and he was having a blast. We got along well. Ended up seeing him down the street later, and he's a long-time Phish fan and relative newcomer for the Wilco's. The stage on the AD side was lined with Pat and John fans who all seemed to well satisfied with the view and the performance. Elbows on the stage and all smiles. We've seen that look before, right?Not a lot of banter as bbop pointed out. They started a few minutes before 9, and then played right up to 10:57 or so, but Jeff was not doing a lot of talking. Lots of smiles for Jeff; not so much for the other guys oddly. On introducing HMD, Jeff said that it was one of his few "nostalgic" songs, and that he wasn't sure if the places in the songs were still in existence. As for the setlist, you gotta admit it does work for a crowd, especially a big, seated venue crowd. Dash 7 or One Sunday Morning just isn't gonna find its way into the main set with the SW songs they're playing. Spiders was a treat (Katie, my daughter's favorite... first time she was able to hear the kraut version. She even got the setlist and a rare Josh photo bomb.) And yes, IG is still an awe inspiring event, as is VC. It was nice of them to play Jesus, etc, since at my age I always need a pee break.But alas, there was no Bull Black Nova on this otherwise "Fabulous" evening. I really thought we'd get that. My week-long social media blitz (see #bullblacknova on FB) gathered some attention, but apparently not enough to do the trick. The Loft and Wilco HQ were courteous but apparently not able to get that on there. I displayed the sign prominently, yet discreetly, and at one point in the encore set I'm certain Jeff gave me a nod and a thumbs up upon making eye contact with me and the sign. I suppose it's not the best song to play in front of your Dad, but then again VC or Handshake Drugs are not exactly parent-friendly either. So, we shall continue to modify the grovelling tactics down the road. I did get 2 BBNs this year already (Atlanta, and Jeff solo at the Vic), so I still have my inner peace.Speaking of inner peace.... HOLY COW WAS WILLIAM TYLER AWESOME!! His new record Modern Country is wonderful, and the new songs sounded great with the band he brought. Darin Gray (of Tweedy touring band fame) on bass, and Joe Westerlund (lately of Califone with Tim Rutili) on drums/bells/percussion filled out the new songs magnificently. The crowd was small but polite for their 30 minutes. I would have loved to hear more of that set.Great to catch up with bbop; hope to see the rest of you all soon... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dagwave Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 ashtray: I definitely spotted you in the wilco crowd "thank you St. Louis" photo tweeted by the band today in the lower right corner! I think I can see bbop in the middle, too! sorry I couldn't be there with yas! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fred Garvin Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 We were standing behind "theashtraysays" and Jeff definitely gave a nod to your Bull Black Nova sign. You also did a good job of holding it up between songs, so you were never impeding the sight lines of the people behind you. THANK YOU! I probably don't go to as many shows as most of the folks on this site, but I thought last night's was great. The sound on Pat's side just outside the orchestra pit was excellent. Setlist may have resembled other sets on the tour, but for someone who hasn't seen previous shows on this tour, I thought it was the ideal mix of old and new, fast and slow, etc. Crowd around us was enthusiastic and engaged without being obnoxious. The first review I read on this thread reminds me of how I feel about the more current Coen Bros. movies--the films are still great, but they don't make me feel the way their old films used to make me feel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 ashtray: I definitely spotted you in the wilco crowd "thank you St. Louis" photo tweeted by the band today in the lower right corner! I think I can see bbop in the middle, too! sorry I couldn't be there with yas! Well Dag, you had your chance... sorry you couldn't join too. You (we) would have enjoyed the whole evening. And yes, I think that's me with the goofy smile in the bottom. That's my "Wilco contentment" look. We were standing behind "theashtraysays" and Jeff definitely gave a nod to your Bull Black Nova sign. You also did a good job of holding it up between songs, so you were never impeding the sight lines of the people behind you. THANK YOU! I probably don't go to as many shows as most of the folks on this site, but I thought last night's was great. The sound on Pat's side just outside the orchestra pit was excellent. Setlist may have resembled other sets on the tour, but for someone who hasn't seen previous shows on this tour, I thought it was the ideal mix of old and new, fast and slow, etc. Crowd around us was enthusiastic and engaged without being obnoxious. The first review I read on this thread reminds me of how I feel about the more current Coen Bros. movies--the films are still great, but they don't make me feel the way their old films used to make me feel. Fred, thanks for that. I try to be a bit discreet. Most folks are more curious about what it says than they are annoyed. I agree it was a good crowd in our area. Sorry I didn't introduce myself... I really need to do that more at shows... lots of VC folks who I would/should meet in person. I think we need some way to identify ourselves.. maybe radiatortunes can design us a VC pin?? BTW - I did wear my "quarter to three cuckoo clock" pin last night. I forgot to mention that the venue had small monitor speakers along the edge of the stage pointed toward the crowd, which certainly made the sound better for folks in the pit. Nice touch and much appreciated. Don't often see that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lkapon Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 For instance, what happened to the electric Spiders? This was a song that people used to go completely apeshit for, especially during the breakdowns. Lately, I've observed very little pogoing, headbanging or much of anything. Hey bbop I was listening to an early spiders last night from 9/4/03 and commented to my better half that as much as I love hearing this being fleshed out live with this lineup, the current lineup puts you into a tear your hair out pogoing frenzy when the breakdown finally comes. Although I think I may actually enjoy listening to Jeff building to the breakdown with those beautiful notes drenched in just enough feedback that you know rapture is on its way. Kinda like the pause right after the "at least that's what you said". That small moment before Jeff crunches the first baump...bawdawdababaump. You know you're just about to be taken to the altar. Thank you for all your reporting. It means everything to be able to live vicariously through the words of someone who cares enough to share an obsession. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopQuizKat Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 I was on the guitar wizard's side. We had a great vibe over there! I'm not a fan of the cookie cutter setlist either however I managed to pretty much avoid looking at any recent set lists so I could be somewhat surprised with the songs. I thought the real treat was the long hootenanny set. New Madrid wasn't played right? am I trippin? I thought they played We've Been Had there...anyways the encore just felt like it kept coming. I thought it was over a couple of times then Matrix would walk up with another Gibson or Martin! Also another highlight for me was the fact I hadn't seen any of Star Wars live yet and I just love RNG. It just gets groovin! I had such a blast! Euclid earlier in the day was pretty awesome then I got to see a lot of friends and my entire family was in attendance so for me it was a fantastic evening all together. A fabulous evening at the fabulous fox! Pretty sure I saw the thumbs up to you Vince! Wish we could have bumped into each other! I agree William Tyler was awesome. Darin sounded great with him!I'll be in Chicago with my new Wilco Trucker hat I got! which my gal has already remarked that I haven't taken it off since the encore Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jamaicaplain Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Correct - they did subbed out New Madrid and did We've Been Had in its place. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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