Wilco — 13 September 2016, Los Angeles, CA (The Theatre at Ace Hotel) [Night 1 of 3]

[bböp]

After five shows within the cozy confines of San Francisco's Fillmore, Wilco returned tonight to the type of reserved-seat theater setting that I suspect will be the primary sort of venue for however long the Wilco Schmilco tour lasts. As those types of rooms go, the relatively new Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles is a pretty nice one. It is relatively intimate, offers good sightlines and more than holds its own acoustically. Not to mention that Jeff played two well-received shows there with his Tweedy band just about 18 months ago.

But for all of the Ace's positives, most of the people who walk through its doors are probably from the LA metro area and that sometimes brings its own issues. Before people get bent out of shape, some of the biggest and best music fans (and coolest musicians) I know live in southern California and it's obviously long been one of the music industry's hubs. As you sometimes see in industry towns, though, there can be a certain amount of entitlement, apathy or — apparently — narcissism.

That maybe offers some context for the comments Jeff made during the main set after listening to various things that people yelled toward the stage seemingly between every song up to that point. This included any number of requests; a woman loudly declaring after Reservations: "That song was in our wedding!"; and a man who after Forget The Flowers couldn't help but exclaim, "Really good stuff, guys." Jeff seemed a bit perplexed by it all, calling it "the weirdest crowd I think we've ever (played to)." Introducing Passenger Side, Jeff said, "You can sing along to this one if you want to use your voices for something other than shouting at us. It's almost as if everyone here thinks they're part of the show. I wonder why that is." Then a pause, and "I mean that with love."

It wasn't the only time Jeff would make a comment about the crowd. Earlier he had briefly mentioned how he thought there might be a few "scary" members of this audience, but he joked about counting on the rest to protect the band. And later he gave kind of a backhanded compliment to the audience, saying it had been fantastic and he couldn't quite believe it. Right on cue, someone couldn't help himself and yelled something, which gave Jeff the perfect opening to say he had spoken too soon and quip that the bus driver from The Simpsons was here.

About the only other activity on Banter Corner of note came when Jeff introduced The Joke Explained as being from last year's release Star Wars. That led to the great follow-up comment, "No, we did not give up on naming albums...whoever the asshole is that keeps tweeting that. The album (Star Wars) was supposed to be called Cease and Desist and we figured it would be by now, but no one took the fucking bait. Outsmarted by LucasFilm."

All of the crowd back-and-forth (which more or less subsided in the second half of the show) probably overshadowed the fact that, musically, this was quite an enjoyable performance. My seat was a bit further back than I usually like to be, but the upside of that was that the band sounded uniformly excellent. I could hear well the instrumental flourishes both Nels and Pat added from their respective ends of the stage, which isn't always the case. And the vocals were nice and clear. It was cool to hear the Wilco Schmilco songs this way, and I can understand why the band held off from playing most of them over the summer.

Another interesting aspect of the show, at least for me, was what I'll call the hybrid hootenanny in the first encore. Not sure if this is what the band did in the Pacific Northwest shows at the start of this tour, but I don't think they ever quite did it this way at the Fillmore. By hybrid hootenanny, I mean that Jeff and John remained plugged in using electric instruments (or in Jeff's case, sometimes a plugged-in acoustic), but Nels, Mike and Pat all stuck to their acoustic hootenanny instruments (dobro, melodica, banjitar), which I think made for a better overall sound. Have no idea if they plan to release these LA shows as Roadcase releases, but from both a sonic and setlist standpoint, I think Night 1, anyway, could be a good candidate.

We'll see what happens with Night 2 and 3 soon enough, but here's hoping for a few more of the great LA music fans I know and love and a few less of the couple that sat in the row in front of me looking completely bored during the show-closing Spiders (on which the tempo was faster than normal but wasn't played quite as frenetically as at the Fillmore). Midway through the song, I could see that the man had already summoned an Uber on his phone and once it ended, he and his wife/girlfriend promptly filed out.

Anyway, here was the complete setlist as played for Night 1 of the Los Angeles Schmilco trifecta (there were no changes from the printed setlist):

Normal American Kids^
If I Ever Was A Child
Cry All Day
Radio Cure
Misunderstood ("hootenanny" arrangement — Nels on lap steel, Pat on banjitar, John on 12-string acoustic guitar)
Someone To Lose
The Joke Explained
Pot Kettle Black
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Bull Black Nova (acoustic arrangement)
Reservations
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Nope
Forget The Flowers
Passenger Side
Dawned On Me
Heavy Metal Drummer
Locator
Hummingbird
We Aren't The World (Safety Girl)
The Late Greats
--------------------------------
Jesus, etc.
We've Been Had
Christ For President
California Stars
---------------------------------
Spiders (Kidsmoke) (electric arrangement)

^ — Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline only

[kidsmoke]

As always, Paul, a terrific summary of the show, weirdness, banter and all.

[mus2009]

Ha I figured Wilco in DTLA would bring a strange atmosphere.

[nalafej]

Great recap. Looks like a good setlist. How long is the Wilco Schmilco show?

[mirrorball]

Wilco's set started a few minutes after 8:30, and ended a few minutes after 10:30. 

Great recap of a great show!

[Passenger Sid]

People pay good money to go to concerts. If they want to shout out non-offensive observations or comments between songs, so be it. 

 

Not disparaging Tweedy, but rather sticking up for the audience. 

 

Any celebrities in the audience?

[bböp]

People pay good money to go to concerts. If they want to shout out non-offensive observations or comments between songs, so be it.

 

Not disparaging Tweedy, but rather sticking up for the audience.

At least this is different than the usual stand-up, sit-down debate (which seemed about half and half on the main floor, at least until last third of the show or so).

[Muzzle of Dan]

Last night was my favorite time seeing Wilco.  The arrangements fo everything in the stripped down format works really, really well.  I almost wish I could hear them play YHF in full in this arrangement - all of the YHF tunes we heard last night sounded like they were straight off the record.  Hummingbird was the same thing - where it basically turned back into the arrangement on AGIB.  I love how the show is slimmed down from the monstrous rock outfit Wilco had recently become with playing so many outdoor shows and huge venues.  It's a treat to see them in their current format and Theatre at Ace Hotel has the BEST sound in LA in my opinion.  The mix last night was just beautiful.

 

It was really crazy that this was the quietest Wilco show I've ever been to, but probably the most rowdy.  The audience was really into it last night.  Nels got a crazy ovation after Impossible Germany - which was amazing and totally deserved it.  I was lucky enough to be right in the center on the floor, so I was among the standees.  Some folks behind me did get angry and yelled at us to sit down, but there were so many of us standing by midway through the show that I think those people moved seats or left.  By the end of the show and for both encores, the entire floor was standing and going crazy.  It's amazing the energy Wilco was able to bring in their "quiet" format.

 

Spiders rocked my socks off.  It was even better and more intense than I remember it being at shows years ago. 

 

My wife was the one who yelled about Reservations.  This was our first time seeing Wilco since getting married last year and we had my wife's brother play and sing Reservations as part of the ceremony.  When Wilco played it last night we put our arms around each other and slow danced to the song.  It was just beautiful - like having Jeff serenade us.  My wife was so excited and appreciative that they played the song, that she just couldn't keep it in and had to shout out in thanks.

 

Can't wait to see what the next 2 nights bring.  Hopefully a few more tunes from AGIB, as they would sound beautiful in this format - especially Muzzle of Bees...  I would love to hear a few more of the Schmilco songs that haven't been played yet too.

[Holdin on to black metal]

My wife was the one who yelled about Reservations.  This was our first time seeing Wilco since getting married last year and we had my wife's brother play and sing Reservations as part of the ceremony.  When Wilco played it last night we put our arms around each other and slow danced to the song.  It was just beautiful - like having Jeff serenade us.  My wife was so excited and appreciative that they played the song, that she just couldn't keep it in and had to shout out in thanks.

 

My wife and I got married 6 weeks ago, and two of our friends who are old time musicians did an amazing rendition of "Whole Love" during our ring ceremony. Needless to say, I was totally amped when Wilco played it on Night 3 at the Fillmore, and only wished they had repeated it on Night 4 which was the only night my wife made it to. Would have made an already awesome night that much more magical.

 

Glad you and your wife got to enjoy that moment, not to mention the whole show!

[Muzzle of Dan]

My wife and I got married 6 weeks ago, and two of our friends who are old time musicians did an amazing rendition of "Whole Love" during our ring ceremony. Needless to say, I was totally amped when Wilco played it on Night 3 at the Fillmore, and only wished they had repeated it on Night 4 which was the only night my wife made it to. Would have made an already awesome night that much more magical.

 

Glad you and your wife got to enjoy that moment, not to mention the whole show!

 

That sounds amazing!

 

Thank you it was really special.

[mirrorball]

A few comments on previous comments:

Famous People: I didn't see any, but wondered if that was the source of Jeff's comment about "scary" members in the audience...

 

"Really Good Stuff":  I thought this shout-out was an interesting tongue-in-cheek way to complement the band in the persona of an old, high-powered, music industry exec. I found it amusing that he referred to the band as the "gang".  "really good stuff from you and the gang...." or something like that.

 

Despite the between song shout-outs from the audience, from where I was (Orch center pretty close), the crowd seemed mostly respectful while the music was playing. 

It was an ideal location, far enough back to hear the beautiful clean stereo mix on the P.A., and close enough to fully appreciate the musicians' interplay and individual contributions.

 

Not a flat moment in the whole show - but Bull Black Nova is one that sticks with me.

 

You can see a picture of the band in the purple trees during Passenger Side on Instagram   @mirrorball61  #IHeardSchmilco    (Sorry Pat got cut in half...)

[kidsmoke]

haha, i just posted one there too, with Pat cut out (Not on purpose!) It's just hard to fit them all into the frame!

Bull Black Nova left me breathless. Holy cow!

[Johnny Meltone]

 

 

 

Bull Black Nova left me breathless. Holy cow!

 

Agreed!! Another highlight for me was Radio Cure. If anyone was at the show a few years ago at the Los Angeles Theater (right down Broadway from the Ace,) Radio Cure was a total mess. It seemed like Jeff was completely lost and about to abort, but managed to hold on til the end. Rough. But Tuesday night at the Ace it was perfect - really sharp, almost majestic. A great redemption.

 

Overall, the entire show, with the simpler arrangements, was outstanding. I've seen them a dozen or so times and the show Tuesday really stands out.

[kidsmoke]

Radio Cure was simply gorgeous last night. So intense.

[Muzzle of Dan]

 

Agreed!! Another highlight for me was Radio Cure. If anyone was at the show a few years ago at the Los Angeles Theater (right down Broadway from the Ace,) Radio Cure was a total mess. It seemed like Jeff was completely lost and about to abort, but managed to hold on til the end. Rough. But Tuesday night at the Ace it was perfect - really sharp, almost majestic. A great redemption.

 

Overall, the entire show, with the simpler arrangements, was outstanding. I've seen them a dozen or so times and the show Tuesday really stands out.

 

Agreed - my wife and I were just talking about how crazy that Radio Cure from the Los Angeles Theater was at the show last night in comparison to the one we heard.  The version last night was magnificent.

[YouWouldKnow]

People pay good money to go to concerts. If they want to shout out non-offensive observations or comments between songs, so be it. 

 

Not disparaging Tweedy, but rather sticking up for the audience. 

 

Any celebrities in the audience?

Sorry, I am going to come off like a butthole. Well, I guess I am a butthole, so who cares? I pay good money to listen to bands, not hear other buttholes yell things or have conversations during songs. Just sayin'

People don't shout at movies or talk during movies and movies are relatively cheaper than concerts...

[lost highway]

Sorry, I am going to come off like a butthole. Well, I guess I am a butthole, so who cares? I pay good money to listen to bands, not hear other buttholes yell things or have conversations during songs. Just sayin'

People don't shout at movies or talk during movies and movies are relatively cheaper than concerts...

Not butthole. I like music. I don't give half a dang what some other schmo in the audience thinks- they don't need to broadcast it. America has officially lost the ability to occasionally shut its damn trap and just BE somewhere for a couple hours.

[mirrorball]

Article on the Tuesday show in the LA Times:

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-wilco-schmilco-ace-20160912-snap-story.html

 

Headline is:  "It's pretty fun to hate people."

[Passenger Sid]

Sorry, I am going to come off like a butthole. Well, I guess I am a butthole, so who cares? I pay good money to listen to bands, not hear other buttholes yell things or have conversations during songs. Just sayin'

People don't shout at movies or talk during movies and movies are relatively cheaper than concerts...

 

Conversing DURING a song SHOULD be a no-no, like sitting in a movie theater. But shouting out between songs, to me, is fair game. It's similar to shouting positive or negative things at a baseball game after each pitch/hit/play. 

[Holdin on to black metal]

I don't really care about people yelling out, whooping it up, etc...BUT I do find it funny/annoying when certain dudes let out a loud whoop at the beginning/intro of an acoustic song, like a measure or two into Misunderstood or Radio Cure. There were a few of these dudes at the Saturday Fillmore show. The impression I get is they think the band likes it, like they are giving them a whooping seal of approval. If said dudes knew anything about Jeff or Wilco, they'd probably realize how annoying the band finds something like that.

[kidsmoke]

I don't really care about people yelling out, whooping it up, etc...BUT I do find it funny/annoying when certain dudes let out a loud whoop at the beginning/intro of an acoustic song, like a measure or two into Misunderstood or Radio Cure. There were a few of these dudes at the Saturday Fillmore show. The impression I get is they think the band likes it, like they are giving them a whooping seal of approval. If said dudes knew anything about Jeff or Wilco, they'd probably realize how annoying the band finds something like that.

 

Yes! And it seems like there are always a couple whoopers in every crowd, who wait for the quietest moment. Last night (14th) Jeff started into the poignant "Happiness" and at the quietest, sweetest moment, some woman blurted out, "I love you Jeff!" 

 

 

Hey, did anyone get any good photos of Kevin Morby & band? (Weren't they terrific?!)

[SarahC]

Conversing DURING a song SHOULD be a no-no, like sitting in a movie theater. But shouting out between songs, to me, is fair game. It's similar to shouting positive or negative things at a baseball game after each pitch/hit/play.

It reaches a point though where it's super disruptive and disrespectful. Especially at a Wilco show. Jeff spends hours sometimes making a set list. Very rarely will they honor a shouted request, and odds are if they do, it was on the list anyway. So it's pretty pointless to yell at them to play something.

[kidsmoke]

I thought I'd ask again...any of you wonderful stealth photographers get any pictures of Kevin Morby & band?