Jeff Tweedy — 26 September 2018, Spokane, WA (Bing Crosby Theater)

[bböp]

Well, that was something. I usually say that about at least one show on a given tour, and this might be the one. After a pair of shows in Montana in which he had to deal with audiences that were alternatively rowdy and sedate, Jeff took the stage at the lovely Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane and encountered a crowd that was, I don't know...confusing? And he reacted in some unforeseen (at least by me) ways.

 

Let me preface this by saying that even though I've been fortunate to have seen Jeff perform solo numerous times, I never feel like I truly can relate to how he must feel out there, alone in the spotlight, looking out at a dark sea of strangers with whom he is trying to forge some sort of connection. I think he tries his best to get a read on an audience as quickly as he can, but I sometimes wonder what is going through his mind at various points during a show. Is he thinking about the political news of the day? His family? A new project? What he's going to eat after the show? I suppose this is true of any performer to a certain extent, but it feels especially pertinent with Jeff during a solo outing.

 

At any rate, despite some sporadic mid-song whoos and claps early on, Jeff actually said next to nothing through first third of his set. For some reason he decided to dust off the rarely played More Like The Moon at this point and it was a delight, with some extended classical guitar interludes between verses accentuating the haunting lyrics. "I'm doing the deep cuts tonight," Jeff said. "A lot of them will be unfamiliar, I'm afraid." Then Jeff continued, saying he has been "trying to find a balance between playing music for people and talking and being a clown up here. Because when I start talking, I lose control over what comes out."

 

Sure enough, the first awkward moment of the night ensued shortly thereafter. I was sitting in the balcony, so I couldn't hear exactly what was said that set Jeff off, but apparently a man on the orchestra level made a comment about the Me Too movement that Jeff perceived to be inappropriate. Jeff, in part, sternly told him as much, saying that he was "afraid" of him and that he couldn't see him, "but I'm picturing dirty little Chiclet teeth." He continued, "I'm sure you're a nice guy...but don't yell Me Too in a crowded room. That's not a good idea. It's not a fucking joke." He definitely lost his temper for a moment, before backing off slightly, apologizing and saying, "I didn't mean to be so forceful, sir, but I think it's a good moment in history for us to talk to each other."

 

So that established a slightly tense rapport between performer and audience that was only exacerbated a few songs later after Jeff played New Madrid. Another guy on the orchestra level decided it would be a good idea to yell out — actually, the acoustics in the theater were so good that he didn't even really have to yell to be heard — "How's Jay?" Which I guess caught Jeff a bit off guard, though he initially seemed to take it in stride. After playing it off as a misheard comment, he finally replied, "Jay? I don't know. I guess he's OK. Which Jay are you talking about, because as you might not know, one of them's dead" Whether he was upset by the initial comment, or his own reaction to it, Jeff briefly lost his temper again. "What the fuck, man? Are you trying to antagonize me? This place sounds so good. I'm just so confused. I can't see any of you. I'm getting a Hieronymous Bosch-type of thing." Then he continued, saying that he likes talking to an audience and likes feeling close to people who listen to his music but that people “really gotta remember there are other people here. I'll have a conversation with you, but not all night long."

 

After playing a couple more songs, including Laminated Cat when he got another mid-song burst of applause, Jeff commented that this had been "an envigorating performance. I've had some bursts of adrenaline. I don't feel like there's a consensus in the room. People keep saying, 'Welcome to Spokane,' but they don't mean that in a positive way. Are you all from Spokane?" At this point, I think Jeff asked one of his pseudo-hecklers where he was from, and I couldn't hear the answer but I think it was either Idaho (and/or Coeur d'Alene, which is across the state line, about 30 miles away). Most of the Spokanites(?) booed lustily at the mention of Idaho, and Jeff said, "OK, let's get this show back on track. You shush, and you shush," (pointing at his hecklers), "and you're a perfectly wonderful human," (pointing at a woman who was apparently being supportive and trying to help).

 

Perhaps the ultimate indication of Jeff’s off-balance state of mind vis a vis the audience came just as he was trying to figure out how to wrap up his main set. He looked over at a second piece of paper on his side table that apparently was the list of top-requested songs for the show and told the show attendees that he wasn’t going to play any of their requests but that he wanted them to know that he had received them. That drew a chuckle, then Jeff confided that “everyone requests a different song and it’s very hard to perform when there’s no consensus on what your ‘good’ song is.” They’re all good, someone said, and Jeff used the old line about how he looked like someone who needed encouragement. Someone else asked what his favorite song was, and Jeff replied by saying it was usually the most recent song (or songs) he had written and he felt like he played a few of those already by playing the new songs he had played over the course of the evening.

 

I’m not quite sure how it got from there to Jeff suddenly deciding to play a song that wasn’t even done yet — I think he mentioned something about how he had been working on a song downstairs in the dressing room — but then he did just that. And it’s something I can’t remember ever seeing him do before during an actual show. “This is what a song sounds like that probably isn’t quite finished,” Jeff said. “Isn’t that fun?” In some ways the song sounded like it could have been an outtake from WARM, just in the tempo and tone. But anyway, I jotted down some lyrics as quickly as I could. It starts like this, “The silver black boot/it cracked my front tooth/There’s a new kind of truth/I’m getting used to/When power lines are down/whipping sparks around/like angels touching down/and fading.” And then, “My troubles/some days I don’t know/by the time I let go/the shadows start at my feet.” And part of the chorus seems to be, “I’m troubled, but the trouble’s still me.”

 

I suppose it was just a bit surprising to me that Jeff would share something like that, in Spokane of all places and just generally during this YouTube age when artists are usually so sensitive about playing unreleased songs lest someone take a video on their phone and put it out into the world before they’re ready. Still, maybe it just speaks to Jeff’s state of mind as he tried to find a way to connect with this particular audience.

 

Anyway, he quickly snapped back into Jeff mode and closed out the show. I can’t even fully say the last three songs were a true encore. He had previously announced that he wasn’t even going to pretend to go off stage and come back tonight, but he did leave for a few seconds after I’m The Man Who Loves You. Instead of ending the song as usual, he just sort of strolled off stage for a few seconds, giving the song a sort of fadeout conclusion. Then he quickly reappeared for the familiar trilogy of Misunderstood, California Stars and Acuff-Rose before departing once again, this time for good.

 

It wasn’t the best show I’ve even seen Jeff play, and it wasn’t the worst. But it certainly might have been one of the weirdest in recent memory, so take heart Spokane!

 

Here was the complete setlist, as played (new songs indicated, with proper titles as known):

 

new song-Bombs Above

new song-Some Birds

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

One Wing

new song-I Know What It's Like

Hummingbird

More Like The Moon

new song-Having Been Is No Way To Be

New Madrid

Jesus, etc.

new song-Evergreen

Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)

new song-Let's Go Rain

Radio King

Impossible Germany

new song-I'm Troubled (But The Trouble's Still Me) (live debut)

Dawned On Me

I'm The Man Who Loves You

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

Misunderstood

California Stars

Acuff-Rose

[Albert Tatlock]

[50footqueenie]

YOU CAN'T LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[bböp]

YOU CAN'T LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s nothing like Jeff had a fit and stormed off stage or anything like that. It takes some time to write these damn things, and transit and internet connections that don’t care! Apparently only people in the British Isles (which are like 10 hours ahead of where we are now) even bother to read these things...✌️

[Sun Caught Fire]

I also could not tell if it was for the better or worse when noting about a once a tour occurrence. Patience is a virtue i suppose in part because it is difficult to achieve. 

[nalafej]

I'm appreciating the suspense building for this one.

[bböp]

I'm appreciating the suspense building for this one.

Don’t worry, there’s no way it’ll live up to the hype.

[theashtraysays]

Apparently only people in the British Isles (which are like 10 hours ahead of where we are now) even bother to read these things...✌️

untrue sir. 

oh, and hope to see you tomorrow on a sidewalk somewhere in Canada!

 

 

Don’t worry, there’s no way it’ll live up to the hype.

you never know.  slow news day today, right?

[mpolak21]

Not as good as a bbop report but here’s an overview — https://m.inlander.com/spokane/concert-review-jeff-tweedy-show-nearly-devolves-into-disaster-despite-his-best-efforts/Content?oid=13075773

[kidsmoke]

Good lord.

[nalafej]

-When Tweedy heard "How's Jay?" from the crowd, first, he shrugged comically. Then he asked, "Which one? 'Cause one of them's dead."-

 

Sounds pretty awful

 

[bböp]

Not as good as a bbop report but here’s an overview — https://m.inlander.com/spokane/concert-review-jeff-tweedy-show-nearly-devolves-into-disaster-despite-his-best-efforts/Content?oid=13075773

That guy actually did an OK job! Thanks for digging that up, Michael, to placate the masses. My full account of the Spokane show is now posted above. Sorry for the delays, faithful readers. To be completely honest, I was trying to finish writing earlier this morning but then like most everyone, I got caught up in watching Dr. Blasey Ford's testimony, started feeling a little sheepish about writing about something so trivial as a show recap when such important stuff was going on and then didn't get a chance to finish before I had to leave to go catch my flight. Obviously I didn't want to post a half-written review, not knowing when I'd have a chance to get back to it. So I apologize for the delay, and also for unintentionally (unnecessarily?) stoking the hype machine.

 

Also, hello from Canada.

[Albert Tatlock]

My mass has been placated, and any excuse to post a Monkee pic of Mike looking intrigued is welcome. Thank you.

[Magnetized]

Don’t worry, there’s no way it’ll live up to the hype.

Boy, did it ever. Thank you for all of these details. I would love to have been at the this show, and now I almost feel like I was.

[Sun Caught Fire]

Boy, did it ever. Thank you for all of these details. I would love to have been at the this show, and now I almost feel like I was.

Glad I was not there. I always feel so bad for Jeff when this level of disrespect rears its ugly head.

[nalafej]

Boy, did it ever. Thank you for all of these details. I would love to have been at the this show, and now I almost feel like I was.

 

I too I am pleased  Very well done Feel like I was there