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Wilco - 8 June 2017 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Stage AE)


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What a show! This was personally in my top three favorite shows that I've been to out of eight. The overall energy and atmosphere from both the crowd and the band was wonderful. 

 

Stage AE is always a wonderful venue, especially in the summer. It reminded me of Lifestyle Communities Pavilion - the venue they played in Columbus a few years back. This was my first show after the release of Schmilco, and the "fauxliage" backdrop is beautiful. 

 

Jeff was particularly chatty tonight, and the banter was hilarious. Towards the beginning he thanked the audience for coming to see them even though they had a lot of entertainment options. (There was a Pirate's game, as well as a Penguins Stanley Cup game.) He said he appreciates our patronage, and that he hoped all our sports teams won. 

 

Later, he stated that he loves Pittsburgh. After he said this, he mentioned that the band doesn't pander, and that they don't ever say anything just to make people happy. He later chimed in that he's told audiences that their city sucks. 

 

Another banter highlight was when he pointed to a young girl in the front row and mentioned that she was the youngest in the crowd. (My guess is that she was around 8-10 years old). He told her to tell her friends, because they need younger fans since the band's core audience is dying. After some laughter from the audience, he said, "Well not you all of course." After a pause he stated, "Yeah that's going to come back and bite us." Jeff then stated before Box Full of Letters that this was a song from their first album, and he looked at the girl and chuckled as he said that for her it would be educational. 

 

Before Heavy Metal Drummer he said that he likes Pittsburgh because it reminds him of St. Louis, saying that both cities are on a river. Jeff mentioned that this song could also describe Pittsburgh, so it reminded him of St. Louis. (He was referring to the lyric, "A double kick drum by the river in the summer")

 

Like the previous show, he kept political rants to a minimum. He did give a speech that we all have to be nice and care for another. He said that we get a sense of this when we're all together in a place like this. He also stated, "We have to be better than whatever that is, but I'm not mentioning any names." (I have an inkling he was referring to Trump however.) 

 

After the next song, he said, "The next climate agreement should be called the Pittsburgh Climate Agreement. Let's see someone try to take a s*** on that." He then looked at the young girl in the front and said, "Pardon my French. See this is why we don't have any younger fans!"

 

I really there is a Roadcase of this show due to the fact that the setlist was fantastic, but also because the banter was the best I've ever heard. 

 

In terms of the setlist, I thought it was wonderful. I was surprised that they didn't play We Aren't the World (Safety Girl). I wonder if this is the first show they haven't played it since Schmilco came out. I was definitely disappointed since it's one of my favorites off the album. 

 

If I missed anything, I'm sure someone will chime in. I didn't get to see a printed setlist, so I'm not sure if there were any changes. 

 

 

Ashes of American Flags
Normal American Kids
If I Ever Was a Child
Cry All Day
Company in My Back
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart>
Art of Almost
Pickled Ginger
Sunken Treasure (Jeff on acoustic, no harmonica)
Someone to Lose
I'm Always in Love
Via Chicago
Impossible Germany
Jesus Etc.
Box Full of Letters
Theologians
Heavy Metal Drummer>
I'm the Man Who Loves You
Hummingbird
The Late Greats
--------------
Locator
Random Name Generator
Spiders (Kidsmoke) (Electric Arrangement)
I'm A Wheel
-------------
Monday>
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

 

 

It was general admission, and we were first in line, so I was able to hear the soundcheck. In case anyone is wondering, these were the songs played in the soundcheck.

 

Nope

Happiness

I'm Always in Love

Sunken Treasure

Hate it Here

 

I was able to get a glimpse of the band through a part in the fence where the tarp wasn't covering it. I really enjoyed the songs played, and I was hoping they'd play Happiness during the show because I'd requested it for my father. Granted, the setlist was still amazing. 

 

After the show, one of the roadies gave me the pair of drumsticks Glenn used during the show! I have a feeling it was because one of the band members saw me "Air drumming" along to a few of the songs. I actually have the same pair (it's the pair he designed for Promark), but it was incredible to have the sticks he played with. 

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It was general admission, and we were first in line, so I was able to hear the soundcheck. In case anyone is wondering, these were the songs played in the soundcheck.

 

Nope

Happiness

I'm Always in Love

Sunken Treasure

Hate it Here

 

I was able to get a glimpse of the band through a part in the fence where the tarp wasn't covering it. I really enjoyed the songs played, and I was hoping they'd play Happiness during the show because I'd requested it for my father. Granted, the setlist was still amazing. 

 

After the show, one of the roadies gave me the pair of drumsticks Glenn used during the show! I have a feeling it was because one of the band members saw me "Air drumming" along to a few of the songs. I actually have the same pair (it's the pair he designed for Promark), but it was incredible to have the sticks he played with. 

 

Thanks for the detailed report! Wish I could've made this one, mainly because it was the only GA show on this pre-Solid Sound run but also because it seems like Pittsburgh always gets a good show.

 

And it sounds like you guys got another fun one last night! Certainly more my preference of songs than the show in Michigan; no offense to Michigan, but I'm Always In Love, Sunken Treasure and Monday are winners in my book any day! (Incidentally, I think I saw a photo of Jeff during Sunken and he was playing acoustic, so I'm going to assume that was the acoustic arrangement with Pat staying on the keys. Most people probably don't care, but that song is definitely one of the more variable ones in terms of arrangements in the Wilco catalog.)

 

Cool that you got Glenn's drumsticks! That was probably Ashwin, who's Glenn's drum tech and one of the nicest dudes ever... :thumbup

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Great post! Thanks for posting in such great detail. :)

 

The show was SMOKING HOT!!! SMOOOOKING!!! Maybe one of the best Wilco (best any band) I've ever seen and I've never been disappointed in a Wilco show, ever. The energy was palpable! From stage to audience, from audience to stage, from the weather, the stars above and the almost full moon...

It was a night of beauty and optimism with an aura saturated with euphoria.

 

Thank you Wilco❤️

 

SSF cannot come fast enough!

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