Wilco — 14 March 2017, Kalamazoo, MI (Kalamazoo State Theatre)

[bböp]

Don't really have time to write too much of substance right now. Just drove back from the show through some periods of scarily blinding lake-effect snow and have to get up in about five hours to catch a flight, so if no one else chimes in by tomorrow, I'll add some details then.

 

Suffice it to say that the jam band folks (and anyone else for whom the primary standard for evaluation of a show is setlist variety) should avert their eyes. But for the general population, I have to say that this was a pretty entertaining performance — and I was in the balcony. Jeff labeled the crowd "robust" near the end of the main set, saying, "Don't let anyone tell you you're a Tuesday night audience; you're at least a Thursday night audience." He added, half jokingly, "There must be a lot of unemployment here. There's a lot of drinking going on."

 

One interesting nugget Jeff revealed during the first encore was that apparently someone requested — I assume through the official request channels — that the band not play Jesus, etc., "to which Jeff said, "That's why we're playing it. Don't let that give you any ideas (about other songs), though...because we'll know about the reverse psychology." Then, with a half smirk, he added, "This (non-request) was an abomination. Hope you're happy."

 

Jeff also had some good Banter Corner material that I'll probably fail to do justice to about reaching his quota for asking a crowd whether it was having a good time (two, I believe). Because after that people would probably start to think that he wasn't confident. Then he went into a David Lee Roth imitation about checking in with the crowd and threatened to continue speaking in a Rothian manner for the remainder of the set. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

 

A few other totally random tidbits that no one else will be interested in...

—This was the first full-band show I've seen in a while where Matrix wasn't guitar teching for Jeff. Not sure why, perhaps weather-related travel issues, perhaps just easier to fly from Australia to Toronto directly. Anyway, the rest of the crew shuffled around to cover his absence and things seemed to go off, more or less, without a hitch.

 

—Jeff played a light-colored Stratocaster, at least I think so based on my balcony view, on Impossible Germany. Don't remember that before, or at least not too often.

 

—Maybe the Glenn standing-on-drum-stool routine/Todd Trainer tribute leading into I'm The Man that was retired some years ago is back to stay. He did it again last night, apparently egged on by his bandmates, who all but refused to start the song until he did so. I'm not complaining, but it's kinda funny that he's doing it when he currently has such a small drum set.

 

—No references to Pi Day were made, at least that I picked up on.

 

Anyway, for now, here was the complete setlist as played (didn't see a printed setlist, so don't know about changes/omissions):

 

Ashes Of American Flags

Normal American Kids

If I Ever Was A Child

Cry All Day

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>

Art Of Almost

Pickled Ginger

Misunderstood (hootenanny arrangement — Nels on lap steel, Pat on banjitar, John on 12-string acoustic)

Someone To Lose

Pot Kettle Black

Via Chicago

Bull Black Nova (acoustic arrangement)

Reservations

Impossible Germany

We Aren't The World (Safety Girl)

Theologians

Heavy Metal Drummer>

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Hummingbird

The Late Greats

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

Random Name Generator

Jesus, etc.

Locator

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

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

Spiders (Kidsmoke) (electric arrangement)

[Albert Tatlock]

A few other totally random tidbits that no one else will be interested in...

...

—No references to Pi Day were made, at least that I picked up on.

 

 

I like your tidbits, but don't let it get to your head.

 

Also, why would anyone mention Pi Day, it's not the 31st April yet

[bböp]

I like your tidbits, but don't let it get to your head.

 

Also, why would anyone mention Pi Day, it's not the 31st April yet

Ta. I shall endeavour not to get a swelled melon about your kind sentiments which, coincidentally, was what Jeff told the members of last night's crowd after praising them. "Don't get too cocky," he said. I will keep the words of the sage Tweedy in mind...

 

And re: Pi(e) Day, well, please do have some for me on 31 April — Welsh rarebit, perhaps?

[Albert Tatlock]

And re: Pi(e) Day, well, please do have some for me on 31 April — Welsh rarebit, perhaps?

 

Probably laverbread.

[SL500]

Bbbop:  How do you get to so many Wilco shows?  Where do you live?  I'm so impressed!  Just incredible.

 

And, are you going to Big Ears?

[bböp]

Bbbop: How do you get to so many Wilco shows? Where do you live? I'm so impressed! Just incredible.

 

And, are you going to Big Ears?

Thanks for the kind words. I usually drive, but occasionally fly or take public transit (especially in Chicago)...

 

And yes, I plan to be at Big Ears.

[SL500]

Thanks for the kind words. I usually drive, but occasionally fly or take public transit (especially in Chicago)...

 

And yes, I plan to be at Big Ears.

How many shows have you seen in total and when did you start going? 

[bböp]

How many shows have you seen in total and when did you start going?

First show: 9/19/00 (Irving Plaza, New York, NY)

 

And I don't keep a count of shows...the number would probably be less impressive than you think.

[Bourbon Gangster]

This was the third show I've been to and it was probably the best one I've seen so far.  The energy of the band and the crowd was awesome.  I'm on a Wilco facebook group that was recently discussing the standing vs. sitting during the concert debate, and I thought it was interesting that the lower level stood during the whole show, and the balcony sat for the whole show, except for Spiders.  I was in the second row of the balcony and I'm a short guy and I have a disability that keeps me from standing too long, so I thought that worked well.  For me at least.

 

A couple obesrvations to add to bbop's comments:

 

Nels played an electric lap steel on Misunderstood, and that was different than the dobro he has played for that song in the past.

 

There seemed to be some confusion on stage before the solo on "Almost".  It looked like Jeff was having trouble with his guitar.  I feel like the last time they played the State Theatre, they had some trouble with monitors or getting their sound dialed in.  I wonder if there's something about the acoustics of the room there that doesn't work well for Wilco.

 

Whenever Jeff said something about the new album, he called it, "Scccccchhhhmmmmmilco", like it was a bad thing (jokingly), and at one point had the crowd repeat the "correct pronunciation".

 

I was expecting them to start with the first three songs of Schmilco, so it was an awesome surprise when they jumped right into "Ashes of American Flags" to start the show.

 

I noticed that they changed up a couple things with the arrangement of "Pot Kettle Black".  I don't remember exactly what though.

 

There were a couple new t-shirts.  One had the same graphic design as the poster for this concert, but in different colors.

 

So much awesomeness in one show, I can't remember everything.  But there's a couple of things that I remember.