Tweedy — 16 June 2017, Eau Claire, WI (Foster Farms [Eaux Claires Festival; Day 1 of 2])

[bböp]

Don't have a lot of time to offer something substantive, but figured I should at least post a couple of quick comments and the setlist from yesterday's Tweedy show on the first day of the third annual Eaux Claires Festival. Along with the Tweedy set, the day was (depending on your point of view) a great warmup for/rehearsal of/teaser to next week's Solid Sound V with performances by Mikael Jorgensen's Quindar, Nels Cline's duo Cup with wife Yuka C. Honda; and two mini-sets by the Autumn Defense (acoustic trio with, for the first time apparently, upright bass). Also on the bill was a short but enthralling set by Glenn Kotche and Bon Iver collaborator S. Carey.

 

Jeff also later appeared as part of the cool John Prine tribute spearheaded by festival organizer Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, performing Sam Stone with special guest Swamp Dogg(!), whose classic version of the song is many folks' favorite cover rendition.

 

Anyway, the Tweedy performance was the band's first in nearly 15 months and all of the band members seemed genuinely happy to be playing together again. The set had a freewheeling sort of feel, especially when the band was joined at the end by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon plus Phil Cook and Anais Mitchell as well as John Stirratt (who delivered a cool electric guitar on Key) for the set-closing duo of California Stars and Give Back The Key To My Heart. It seemed like Vernon, Cook and Mitchell probably knew about 60 percent of the words to Cali and maybe 15 percent of Key, but a fun time was had nonetheless.

 

Vernon, Cook and Mitchell also joined the band earlier in the set for a rendition of Pop Staples' song Friendship, (which, of course, appeared on the posthumous release Don't Lose This produced by Jeff) with Cook taking the lead vocals and eventually leading a crowd singalong on the chorus. Definitely a highlight of the day, at least in my book.

 

One could forgive Jeff if he temporarily had a brain fart on which band he was playing with on a couple of occasions, which made for a funny moment at the end of the set when he thanked the crowd with a wave and said, "We're Wilco...no we're Tweedy!" Earlier he had told the crowd that he and Spencer had made a record a couple of years ago "called Tweedy." Oops! He also characterized, ahem, Sukierae as being "about 65 percent waltzes," and how the band "couldn't be true to ourselves without giving you a waltz...so be kind."

 

Anyway, IMHO it was not a bad showing at all given the long layoff since the band's last show and that they probably had half a day of rehearsal given Wilco's ongoing tour. Here was the complete Tweedy setlist, as played:

 

Hazel

Fake Fur Coat

Diamond Light, Pt. 1

Flowering

Summer Noon

World Away

New Moon

Love Like A Wire* [Diane Izzo]

Low Key*

Friendship^ [Pops Staples]

Only The Lord Knows*

The Losing End (When You're On)*  [Neil Young]

California Stars#>

Give Back The Key To My Heart# [Doug Sahm]

 

* — with Sima Cunningham on backing vocals

^ — with Justin Vernon, Phil Cook and Anais Mitchell on vocals

# — with Justin Vernon, Phil Cook, Anais Mitchell and Sima Cunningham on backing vocals and John Stirratt on backing vocals and/or electric guitar

[bböp]

As previously mentioned, the Autumn Defense sets were in an acoustic trio format with James Haggerty on upright bass. The setting — a little wooden stage in the middle of a grove of trees — was perfect for such an AD outing and Pat thanked those who attended for being cool with their extreme mellowness.

 

For anyone interested in the Autumn Defense setlists, here they were:

 

First set—

The Sun In California

This Thing I Found

Huntington Fair

Everyday

Iowa City Adieu

The Answer

Swallows Of London Town

It's Just That Simple

Tuesday Morning

Sentimental Lady [bob Welch]

 

Second set—

Silence

The Sun In California

This Thing I Found

Huntington Fair

Everyday

The Answer

Swallows Of London Town

[Albert Tatlock]

Love Like A Wire* [Diane Izzo]

-  Very glad they're keeping that in their repertoire

[bböp]

 

Love Like A Wire* [Diane Izzo]

- Very glad they're keeping that in their repertoire

They probably will for posterity. As Jeff told the crowd yesterday, Izzo never got to record the song before she passed away and they felt like it wasn't fair that it wasn't out there for people to hear so that's why they continue to play it. I'm glad they do as well.

[nalafej]

Great reviews. Looks like a nice set. I was wondering how Jeff was juggling the music and lyrics of Wilco with Tweedy in the middle of a Wilco tour...

[Cold as Gasoline]

I would love to see "Love Like a Wire" on any kind of formal release (b-side, EP, anything really) so I could have it in my music library. I love the song and the way they play it.

[The Inside of Outside]

^^^My sentiments exactly.

[choo-choo-charlie]

I would love to see "Love Like a Wire" on any kind of formal release (b-side, EP, anything really) so I could have it in my music library. I love the song and the way they play it.

I want to say it's possibly on one of the Tweedy shows in the Roadcase. Might be worth double checking.

[Cold as Gasoline]

I want to say it's possibly on one of the Tweedy shows in the Roadcase. Might be worth double checking.

Yes, good point! I have to think it is on more than one of them, given the frequency with which they play it. Some homework for me when I get back from Solid Sound.