Wilco — 6 September 2016, San Francisco, CA (The Fillmore) [Night 1 of 5]

[bböp]

Parking this thread for now...with comments to come.

 

OK, just for Herr Tatlock (and whomever else might be interested), here are le promised comments...

 

Well, another Wilco residency is upon us — the first of this length that the band has ever done outside of Chicago, I'm pretty sure — and, as usual, it will be highly interesting to see how this one turns out after getting a baseline of sorts on Night 1. While there might not necessarily be quite as much variety this time, given the likely showcasing of songs from Wilco Schmilco each night, it should nonetheless feature a number of tunes that the band hasn't played live much in the past couple of years.

 

After unfortunately having to sit out the band's latest trip through the Pacific Northwest, this was my first chance to experience the new stripped-down stage setup. And apart from the "faux-liage" that serves as the backdrop, I have to say that it really did feel to me like getting a chance to watch the band play as it does in its backstage practice room (which I know some band members have talked about in interviews). While I missed some of the rock power that more amps, more pedals and more gear allows, this format also frequently offers a chance to experience some familiar material through fresh ears — and that's always welcome. (Incidentally, I don't think I've gone to a full show without I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, I'm The Man Who Loves You, Heavy Metal Drummer or Jesus, etc. in a looooong time.)

 

Perhaps I should start at the end this time, which meant a double-time rendition of Spiders (Kidsmoke) that I'm not sure I've ever heard quite this way. I don't know if this was the way Jeff and Co. have been playing the song the past couple days — none of the posts I'd read seemed to mention it — but this was electric Spiders really returning to its Krautrock influences as much as it has in a long time IMHO. From the start, the tempo established by Glenn was driving and gone was the extended clapping interlude that has come to be expected. Instead the band blitzed through the song with the kind of frenetic guitar work and percussive elements that were always trademarks in the early days. It's funny because I had just listened to the live version of the song from the Alpha Mike Foxtrot box set on the flight in and it had occurred to me that compared to that recording, from 2004, it really seemed like the song had slowed down tempo-wise over the years. Not sure if this performance was merely an experiment or what — Jeff went over and had a brief chat with Glenn on his way off stage — but hopefully it stays this way for a while.

 

Of course, maybe the only thing missing from Spiders was the powerful impact of the breakdowns. The one thing I missed at times with the relatively spare stage setup was that oomph that comes on some of the more traditional rocking material. But the tradeoff is to be able to hear the subtleties of, for instance, Nels' playing so much better. Whereas sometimes different aspects of the band's musicianship can be lost due to the acoustics of a particular room or a slightly-off sound mix, this stripped-down approach allows the arrangements to come through. It was definitely interesting to watch and listen to Glenn operate on a much smaller kit than he usually has and use some different techniques and rhythmic patterns, etc. I'm sure he probably is having fun with it.

 

The venerable Fillmore is, in many ways, a perfect room for this type of show because it's intimate and sounds great like a theater but is mostly general admission standing so you have, ostensibly, a lot of the serious fans close to the stage with less shenanigans. It wasn't an especially lively crowd on Night 1, but that might be due to it being a Tuesday night as well as the amount of newer material being played. I will say that it was definitely an appreciative one, though, with extended ovations for both Nels (after Impossible Germany) and John (after It's Just That Simple).

 

Meanwhile, Jeff seemed to be very comfortable in a room he's played more often than just about any this side of the Vic Theatre or Lounge Ax in Chicago. Some details of Banter Corner have already been subsequently mentioned below, but Jeff had a fair bit to chat about. After Nope, for instance, he joked about the song having a "classic Schmilco ending. Come see us in a year. Maybe by the end of this week, we'll have some endings." And later in the show, he said he kept forgetting to say the full name of Wilco Schmilco. "This is important shit, man," Jeff joked, almost as an aside. Earlier he also had some funny banter after a woman yelled out, "We love you." Jeff replied (and I'm probably paraphrasing a bit here): "We love you too. We even wrote a song about it. But people didn't like it that much, so we took it back."

 

(One of my personal favorite moments, actually, was when a waitress came strolling across the front of the stage right at an awkward moment during the main set-closing The Late Greats and you could see Jeff's eyes following her and his mind probably quizzically wondering why she had chosen that particular moment to come through. Very few people probably noticed this, but it amused me. )

 

Anyway, I guess that's about all I've got for now. It was a treat to (finally) get to see the Schmilco show and I definitely look forward to seeing what the next few nights have in store (obviously). Kudos to a band that doesn't often rest on its laurels and constantly seeks ways to keep reinventing itself.

 

Here was the complete setlist as played for Night 1 of the Fillmore run (there were no changes from the printed setlist):

 

Normal American Kids^

If I Ever Was A Child

Cry All Day

Muzzle Of Bees

Misunderstood

Someone To Lose

The Joke Explained

A Magazine Called Sunset

I'm Always In Love

Reservations

Impossible Germany

Happiness

Nope

Forget The Flowers

Ashes Of American Flags

Dawned On Me

Locator

Theologians

Hummingbird

We Aren't The World (Safety Girl)

—happy birthday sung to drum tech Ashwin—

The Late Greats

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

California Stars*

It's Just That Simple*

We've Been Had*

Christ For President*

A Shot in the Arm*

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

Spiders (Kidsmoke) (electric arrangement)

 

^ — Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline only

* — performed hootenanny style with band on acoustic instruments

[Albert Tatlock]

Parking this thread for now...with comments to come.

Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!

[DoctorDetroit8]

One of my favorite parts was after the end of Impossible Germany which had the crowd loudly cheering for an extended time, Jeff Tweedy mused ~"Now that we've got you warmed up... we're going to play the slowest of the slowest song on Schmilco ('Happiness')... a dirge, actually..."

 

After that song, a fan playfully shouted "Set Nels Loose!"

 

The comment made everybody laugh, as Nels went from his famous guitar solo in Impossible Germany to just slowly strumming on Happiness. Jeff then joked that Nels actually chose to play that song and that the fan should set his mind loose.

 

Several songs later, when Nels switched to his double-guitar, Jeff revisited the comment, laughing "Set Nels Loose... Look at that guitar! Does he seem oppressed?"

 

 

Tweedy: We had a Schmilco listening party at Amoeba today... (~5 fans loudly clap) Glad to see it was a success!

 

Jeff also poked fun of a fan who shouted "Thank you Wilco!" as if he was a Town Crier. Jeff opened up an imaginary scroll and mimicked the fan's voice. Great show!

[Blackberry Rust]

God, these setlists are just...perfect.

 

Wilco: please. come. back. to. Australia. soon. bring. these. setlists.

[bböp]

Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!

 

Sorry, needed a nap!

[Albert Tatlock]

Sorry, needed a nap!

A bumper edition no less!

 

SF had that effect on me too last time I was there, though it was only for a long weekend of course and jetlag ruled. Still I did walk past said Fillmore and went to the fast food place next door I think. Mind you, I did walk just about everywhere in SF that weekend - covering more ground than Dirty Harry. I did end up being very lucky with the way things turned out too.

 

Also, liked 'Faux-liage'. You missed that they could have been hanging from their laurels not resting on them.

Boom boom

(I will be mighty suprised if you know where boom boom comes from. After checking google to see what that might give you I can say it is nothing to do with JL Hooker or anything in the urban dictionary,)

[bböp]

A bumper edition no less!

 

SF had that effect on me too last time I was there, though it was only for a long weekend of course and jetlag ruled. Still I did walk past said Fillmore and went to the fast food place next door I think. Mind you, I did walk just about everywhere in SF that weekend - covering more ground than Dirty Harry. I did end up being very lucky with the way things turned out too.

 

Also, liked 'Faux-liage'. You missed that they could have been hanging from their laurels not resting on them.

Boom boom

(I will be mighhty suprised if you know where boom boom comes from)

Do tell! (But take your time because I'm going back to bed.)

 

I guess you probably did like SF quite well despite the foot labor required (and not resting on your laurels). I know the San Franciscans we both know eagerly await your return...saw a few of them last night!

[gogo]

[scribex6]

Thanks for the reports. Looking forward to seeing them Saturday and Sunday. Was there a Fillmore poster handed out after the show and does anybody have a pic they can post? 

[Holdin on to black metal]

Thanks for the reports. Looking forward to seeing them Saturday and Sunday. Was there a Fillmore poster handed out after the show and does anybody have a pic they can post? 

There was. The band was selling both a five night poster ($50), and a poster for just Tuesday's show ($40). THEN the Fillmore handed out the free one after the show. As a poster collector, I gotta say, everyone of them looked great. I'll try to post pics of the five night one and the Fillmore one when I get home

[DoctorDetroit8]

Thanks for the reports. Looking forward to seeing them Saturday and Sunday. Was there a Fillmore poster handed out after the show and does anybody have a pic they can post? 

 

 

No problem! I was in the 2nd row.

 

BTW, they are also selling a different Wilco poster for every night ($40). And as you can see below, it looks like The Fillmore is also producing a different free poster every night(!). Usually, with other residencies, The Fillmore only produces one poster with all the dates on it. No Schmilco CDs are available for sale yet.

 

With that, if anybody can get me an extra free poster for any other of the dates (reward offered), I'd be very appreciative! Thanks! 

 

 

[Sandoz]

I *have* to ask: Were smartphones allowed or strictly prohibited?

[Marquee]

So... pretty much the same as Seattle and Portland. Kind of disappointed that all the sets on the tour have been VERY VERY similar.

[bböp]

So... pretty much the same as Seattle and Portland. Kind of disappointed that all the sets on the tour have been VERY VERY similar.

Omg, really? Are you the proverbial "asshole in Des Moines?" Jeff referenced in that recent Consequence of Sound interview?

 

I mean they are showcasing songs from Wilco Schmilco, so I suspect the shell of the sets are gonna be pretty similar, but they've definitely opened up the repertoire quite a bit the past few shows (and will probably continue doing so in SF). What were you expecting, exactly? Yeesh.

[Sun Caught Fire]

So... pretty much the same as Seattle and Portland. Kind of disappointed that all the sets on the tour have been VERY VERY similar.

 

What bbop said. I know the perfect cure if you think not enough variation among setlists; just go to one show per tour and you won't suffer a single repeat and refrain from looking at setlists from other shows. Be thankful for the great shows they put on at a way reasonable price; and since the Schmilco tour proper started the sets have opened up quite a bit and will no doubt continue to do so, and we at least still had a blast at summer shows that were rather static.  "A typical city involved in a typical daydream, hang it up and see what tomorrow brings"

[DoctorDetroit8]

I *have* to ask: Were smartphones allowed or strictly prohibited?

 

 

I was in the 2nd row center, with all the longtime fans, and almost everybody took pictures/video with their phone/camera during some point during the show. Usually, it was timed to when the picturesque wooded backdrop set changed lighting: Spring, Fall, Winter, Sunrise, Sunset, Night, etc. Everybody took pictures/video discreetly (didn't hold the camera high up in air with 2 hands, for example), although a few accidentally forgot to turn off their flash, lol.

 

Security appeared to be perfectly fine with fans using their cameras in this discreet manner. Interestingly, when Wilco performed 'Impossible Germany', dozens of fans in the front rows put their cameras up to take full video in full view of Security and also the band, and nothing was said to them. Perhaps because it's such a popular song that they don't mind, lol.

 

The fans in the front rows were very friendly/chill, and also in general, as previously pointed out. There were no evil eyes given out or snide comments made to fans taking photo/video. Everyone was nice.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! Hope this helps,

[Albert Tatlock]

Do tell! 

 

Basil Brush. He had all the greats on his show at one time or another from the 60s to the 80s. Punchline of a joke, then Boom Boom!. Don't know why.

 to you too!

[Holdin on to black metal]

A couple setlist reflections: This was my 17th Wilco show, going back to 2006. Pretty sure it was my first Reservations. Loved having that in there. In general, the arc of the setlist felt very spontaneous and other than the first few songs and the general idea that Schmilco songs were gonna keep coming, I had no idea what to expect... which is different from most other Wilco shows I've seen and that I paid a little attention to setlists leading up to the show. For example, Reservations > Impossible Germany > Happiness.

 

Speaking of Impossible Germany, pretty sure they have played that at every single Wilco show I've seen. However, I will note that Nels' solo seemed more fluid and thus, more impressive than ever before. I mean, it's always a minute or two of guitar badassery, but sometimes it is a little choppier (or much choppier), and amounts to a type of edgy noodling... last night's solo seemed very well constructed from top to bottom, with a very organic and fluid feel to it. And I was completely sober.

 

The Spiders arrangement was a trip, and Ashes of American Flags stood out as well... particularly because it seemed much truer to the original recorded version than it's generally been performed in the past several years. I'm guessing a lot of that had to do with Glen's lack of chimes.

 

Excited for the rest of the week!

[Drunken treasure]

Omg, really? Are you the proverbial "asshole in Des Moines?" Jeff referenced in that recent Consequence of Sound interview?

 

I mean they are showcasing songs from Wilco Schmilco, so I suspect the shell of the sets are gonna be pretty similar, but they've definitely opened up the repertoire quite a bit the past few shows (and will probably continue doing so in SF). What were you expecting, exactly? Yeesh.

agreed! Muzzle of Bees, Theologians, Ashes, Magazine called sunset, among others... wow

[Sandoz]

I was in the 2nd row center, with all the longtime fans, and almost everybody took pictures/video with their phone/camera during some point during the show. Usually, it was timed to when the picturesque wooded backdrop set changed lighting: Spring, Fall, Winter, Sunrise, Sunset, Night, etc. Everybody took pictures/video discreetly (didn't hold the camera high up in air with 2 hands, for example), although a few accidentally forgot to turn off their flash, lol.

 

Security appeared to be perfectly fine with fans using their cameras in this discreet manner. Interestingly, when Wilco performed 'Impossible Germany', dozens of fans in the front rows put their cameras up to take full video in full view of Security and also the band, and nothing was said to them. Perhaps because it's such a popular song that they don't mind, lol.

 

The fans in the front rows were very friendly/chill, and also in general, as previously pointed out. There were no evil eyes given out or snide comments made to fans taking photo/video. Everyone was nice.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! Hope this helps,

 

Yes being a GA show kinda guarantees that the first couple rows will be packed with people who are there for the right reason.  And as you described, very chill & very friendly, as always. But smartphone video at any concert still always makes me want to punch the person. And I'm not a violent person  

 

I have no further questions Doctor Detriot! Thanks!

 

Dr Mom