Jeff Tweedy — 19 March 2019, Asheville, NC (Orange Peel)

[bböp]

Let me know if you've heard this one before: A slightly rumpled singer-songwriter with just an acoustic guitar and a couple of microphones walks into a bar...and ends up plugging in. Not long into his set at the iconic Orange Peel, Jeff relented to the vibe in the room (and at least one call to "Turn it up!") and did something he rarely does when performing solo these days — that is, reached down, picked up a cable and attached himself to the PA system.

 

"Stan, I plugged in," Jeff said after Some Birds, alerting his longtime front-of-house engineer to the fact. "Because these animals can't handle an acoustic performance."

 

He was half joking, of course, but I did get the sense that Jeff was grasping a bit more than usual at the start of this show for an accurate read on the audience. It probably didn't help that during the "a man so drunk he could hardly stand" line in Bombs Above, there was a big burst of laughter from near one of the bars at the back of the room. Jeff didn't seem overly fazed by it, but he did eventually have to ask, again half-jokingly, "What's so fucking funny over there?" (Apparently somebody drunk might have "gone down" precisely at that moment, but I can't confirm.) He later made a joke about mapping out the crowd, gesturing toward the back section that had laughed during Bombs Above and labeling it "troublemakers" and then assigning similarly sarcastic labels to a couple of other areas.

 

Before the first half of the show was in the books, there would be at least a couple more slightly awkward interactions between Jeff and the audience. One came when yet another person yelled out for Jeff to be louder, which led him to joke, "Don't make me unplug. Because that's what my impulse is: 'If you can't hear it, then no one gets to hear it.'" A song later, someone else said something that sounded like, "Turn around," to which Jeff literally turned around and then replied, "Turn around? I feel a mixed energy in this crowd." A woman then yelled, "We love you!" Jeff replied, "I'm not sure we all feel the same way. Which is in keeping with my own internal dialogue: 'You suck. Nah, you're doing all right...'"

 

If I'm making this audience sound especially rowdy and/or impolite, I should clarify by saying that it wasn't any rowdier than you would expect a general-admission standing crowd to be — or that Jeff has performed before in the past. And eventually he would hit his stride in the back half of his set, which as has been the case on this tour, featured a run of crowd-pleasing singalongs that helped bring the crowd together and coalesce the performance.

 

Of course Jeff couldn't help but make light of the setting for this show once more, during his introduction to Let's Go Rain, about which he said, "I think I wrote this song on a night like this because it's a sweet plea for the relief of death. Because that's what happens when you walk on stage in a bar with an acoustic guitar. But we're doing OK." Jeff then elaborated a bit, joking that he hadn't moonwalked yet and admitting that was at least partly what had been on his mind — namely, "how do I entertain you?"

 

The answer to that, as it usually is, was to keep playing songs. And Jeff pretty much did just that for the rest of his time on stage, steamrolling to the finish line with some of his most beloved tunes — and almost no further visits to Banter Corner. It ended up being probably the longest set, time-wise, of the tour thus far since he played 25 songs, tying Orlando for the most on the run but also including Remember The Mountain Bed (which is the equivalent of at least two songs and which he didn't play in Orlando). Sorry if I made your head hurt there.

 

Along the way, as usual, there were a couple of setlist surprises such as Radio King and Born Alone (the tour debut for that one, I believe). And I'm not sure if The Late Greats was always a part of Jeff's plan, but it ended up fitting in quite well amongst the crowd-pleasers down the stretch.

 

On a personal note, I was just glad to have finally made it to a show at the Orange Peel. One of my biggest regrets ever in terms of missed shows was the Wilco show there in 2003, which by all accounts might've been the band's best show of that year. I had tried and failed to make it to a couple of other non-Wilco related gigs over the years as well, so it was nice to finally be able to attend a performance there. Even if it was kind of a weird one.

 

Here was the complete setlist, as played:

 

Via Chicago (w/harmonica)

Remember The Mountain Bed

Bombs Above

Some Birds

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Having Been Is No Way To Be

Radio King

New Madrid

Guaranteed

Born Alone

Jesus, etc.

Family Ghost

Hummingbird

Let's Go Rain

I Know What It's Like

California Stars

Heavy Metal Drummer

Evergreen

Passenger Side

The Late Greats

I'm The Man Who Loves You

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

Don't Forget

A Shot in the Arm

Misunderstood

Acuff-Rose

[SarahC]

The lady that yelled out “We love you” I think was trying to give me tinnitus. Jeepers.

[nalafej]

On a personal note, I was just glad to have finally made it to a show at the Orange Peel. One of my biggest regrets ever in terms of missed shows was the Wilco show there in 2003, which by all accounts might've been the show of that year. 

 

That 2003 setlist is bonkers!

[bböp]

That 2003 setlist is bonkers!

 

Don't remind me. Three encores!

[Kilgore Trout]

Don't remind me. Three encores!

Is it cruel that I was at that show? I was a late Wilco bloomer, and had really only been into them for a year or two and this was the first time seeing them live, and still my favorite. Really great show. Wish there was a recording of it somewhere.

 

As for last night, that was my first time seeing Tweedy solo, and I really enjoyed it. It is a testament to these songs that they can stand up so well with just Jeff and his guitar. Really enjoyed the newer stuff too. I found the interaction between Jeff and the crowd to be fun, and I think the crowd for the most part did a good job of being quiet. I do wish the actual mix was a little louder though. Also, it seems like the Orange Peel is overselling shows these days. That place was crowded.

 

Great write up by the way.

[Analogman]

If you people are talking about the May 1 2003 show - it is had been circulating for years. It was one of the first shows I was sent a long time ago I think. You can find it at The Wilco Live Show Archive. 

[Kilgore Trout]

If you people are talking about the May 1 2003 show - it is had been circulating for years. It was one of the first shows I was sent a long time ago I think. You can find it at The Wilco Live Show Archive. 

Thanks so much, will definitely check this out.

[Yaz Rock]

And it appears that Joseph Arthur was the opener at that 2003 gig. Must have been a hell of a night indeed. I'd love to see a show there someday too.

Thanks as always for your reviews bbop!

[bböp]

And it appears that Joseph Arthur was the opener at that 2003 gig. Must have been a hell of a night indeed. I'd love to see a show there someday too.

 

Thanks as always for your reviews bbop!

Oh, interesting. Didn’t realize (or had forgotten) that JA had opened for Wilco. You should definitely try to get to the Orange Peel someday!

 

And thanks for reading, man. And everyone.

[chaslor]

...from that 2003 show at Orange Peel..

 

[bböp]

...from that 2003 show at Orange Peel..

 

Wow, hard to believe Jeff ever had short hair (even though I saw him when he did). Thanks for sharing!