Wilco — 4 September 2019, Trondheim, Norway (Tapperiet Scene)

[bböp]

Well, what else can I say about this tour kickoff show in the picturesque city of Trondheim, Norway, except that I think it might have been the second-furthest north that Wilco has ever played — trailing only Fairbanks, Alaska, where the band performed just over a decade ago and which is just a hair further north than Trondheim by latitude, according to good old Google. What, you thought I was going to lead with the dawn of the Ode To Joy era?

 

Oh, OK, I guess there was also that small matter of a new album on the horizon and the introduction and incorporation of a new batch of songs into the setlist...yada, yada.

 

With six songs from that aforementioned record included in the 26-song set in Trondheim, including the live debuts of four of them, suffice it to say that OTJ is officially upon us. And if you needed any further evidence, you need only have looked to Glenn's bass drum head, which has shed its all-too-brief recent display of Adam West as Batman holding a bomb over his head in favor of an abstract circular, vortex-like image with the OTJ cream-beige-and-black color scheme. (From a production standpoint, it remains to be seen if there will be any sort of distinctive lighting design or stage backdrop added as the OTJ tour really gets rolling; there wasn't really anything of note in that department at this first show, for what it's worth.)

 

A few brief words about the venue, Tapperiet Scene, which was essentially a warehouse-like structure that was part of an industrial complex of buildings that apparently houses a brewery. (I believe Tapperiet translates to "bottling plant" or something like that — thanks again, Google!) Anyway, when you entered and made your way through a couple of dimly lit corridors, you finally arrived at a decent-sized music room that could hold around 1,500 standing and filled in fairly well by the time Wilco took the stage. Though I think it's fairly new to hosting concerts and had the look of a concrete bunker, the room actually ended up sounding a lot better than it looked walking in.

 

As far as the show itself, the most interesting moments from a veteran fan perspective were obviously the OTJ songs. While I can't say I fully absorbed the lyrics on first listen, what struck me was how percussive almost all the songs seemed to be. Glenn was really doing something interesting on just about every song, whether holding two different sticks in one hand (or a maraca and a stick, or a shaker in one hand while drumming, etc.) or seemingly playing two different beats or otherwise adding textures. And he didn't even use the square wooden implement (InGlenntion?) that looks like it could be an approximation of a “marching machine” that I think Jeff mentioned in one interview in the context of what a foley artist might use on some radio or film productions to replicate the sound of soldiers marching. At any rate, that thing was on stage atop a snare drum, but Glenn didn't use it so it must be for one or more of the OTJ songs that haven't been played yet.

 

Meanwhile, Jeff seemed to complement that percussive element on the OTJ songs by playing a new (at least in terms of on-stage use) acoustic guitar that I immediately started calling Yankee Doodle Dandy in my own mind because it is decorated with various red, white and blue stickers or decals like a top hat and other images that call to mind classic Uncle Sam iconography. It is apparently a very inexpensive model whose manufacturer I couldn't even make out on the headstock, but which apparently has the sort of "dead" tone that Jeff wants on the OTJ songs that were played. I'll be interested to hear those songs again, obviously, and try to get a better grip on them and how the band is trying to convey them.

 

About the OTJ material, I can say that I think Everyone Hides will be one of the tracks that is an immediate favorite for many. It is a fun arrangement that sticks in your head right away. That, along with Love Is Everywhere (Beware), definitely stood out for me among the songs that were played for the first time. I think Jeff's characterization of OTJ as a collection of "big folk songs" is pretty spot on based on what I've heard so far.

 

Of the older songs, I think it's worth noting that the Bull Black Nova and Laminated Cat pairing has remained intact from the June comeback tour and remains a dynamic part of the current set. And Theologians, once Jeff got over his initial hesitation about remembering how it goes, also was a fun moment in the show (and even featured the rare "riff" ending, which I always enjoy). It must be an interesting process of crafting a setlist when you're playing a city for the first time a quarter-century after your band formed, but I think Jeff and Co. did as good a job as they could at giving folks a taste of some "classic Wilco," while also working in a decent amount of new material and even a deep cut or two.

 

As far as visiting Banter Corner, Jeff didn't say too much by way of introducing any of the new songs, except for labeling White Wooden Cross "a song about death" and making a brief joke about that, and later, before An Empty Corner, telling the story he has told a few times about his boss at the liquor store where he worked as a teenager once leaving him some lines of cocaine on the copy machine in the back of the store. Generally speaking, there wasn't a whole lot of chatter from Jeff at all, except to call Trondheim "a lovely, lovely place" and thank whomever had invited the band to come and play there. More than anything over the course of the just over two-hour set, the focus on this first night seemed to be primarily on the the music, both new and old.

 

So that's one show in the books out of approximately 50 this year as the OTJ album cycle kicks into full gear. It will be interesting to see how the new songs sound and evolve as live entities, of course, as well as to see how they fit in with the older songs. And also, to see how the setlist as a whole evolves from night to night. As I noted to myself in the moment and as others have pointed out, there were no songs from Summerteeth, The Whole Love or Schmilco played at this first gig, and it will be interesting to see how things shake out with regard to the band's catalog over the days and months ahead.

 

For now, here was the complete setlist for Trondheim as played (there were no changes from the printed setlist):

 

You Are My Face

Bright Leaves

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Kamera

Handshake Drugs

One and a Half Stars

Hummingbird

White Wooden Cross

Red-Eyed and Blue>

I Got You (At The End of the Century)

An Empty Corner

Bull Black Nova

Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)

Box Full Of Letters

Everyone Hides

Reservations

Impossible Germany

Theologians

Jesus, etc.

Random Name Generator

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Misunderstood

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

Love Is Everywhere (Beware)

California Stars

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

I'm A Wheel

[theashtraysays]

Thanks for checking in!! Gonna be a great tour.

SOOOOO glad to see NovaCat still on the setlist.

Cheers amigo!!

[bböp]

Thanks for checking in!! Gonna be a great tour.

SOOOOO glad to see NovaCat still on the setlist.

Cheers amigo!!

 

P.S. I met another Vincenzo!

[u2roolz]

Thanks so much for the report! I was checking here, setlist fm and the FB group and wasn’t sure if we’d get any news.

 

6 new songs is fantastic. Yes, I know that we’ve heard 2 of those. Hope to check back here on the thread for some brief descriptions of those new tunes.

[Magnetized]

Thanks, Paul! I’m thrilled they’re playing new songs. Looking forward to following along. Have a blast over there!

[theashtraysays]

P.S. I met another Vincenzo!

Vince’s Everywhere (Beware)

[DiamondClaw]

Love seeing these setlists and recaps, thanks bbop! It's going to be interesting to see how they juggle 10 albums worth of old material (plus MA stuff) in with the new songs. For example, looks like no Summerteeth, The Whole Love or Schmilco material last night.

[bböp]

Love seeing these setlists and recaps, thanks bbop! It's going to be interesting to see how they juggle 10 albums worth of old material (plus MA stuff) in with the new songs. For example, looks like no Summerteeth, The Whole Love or Schmilco material last night.

 

Yep, thanks for pointing that out. I noted the same thing to myself at the time (and also included that fact in my tardy, but finally completed, recap above). Thanks for reading!

[Albert Tatlock]

Ta (rdy)

 

I for one mourn the passing of the Adam West drum head in favour of the eminently forgettable cream splurge that is the new album cover (though if it were a Bugsy Malone tribute that would redeem it somewhat).

[kjelli]

Review of the show

 

 

Bad google translate version

 

The guitar rock is struggling, but it did not sound like Wilco inaugurated the Tapperiet Scene for an increasingly enthusiastic saddle on Wednesday night. The rough surroundings were well stocked with about 1300 (capacity 1700), as a kind of industrial Trondheim home variant of Rockefeller in Oslo, without bathing and with good sound.

14 years into his career and immediately ready with his 11th studio album, Jeff Tweedy & co opened. a European mini-tour ahead of the new album "Ode to Joy" coming in October. The first part of the concert was characterized by the band trying a bit forward, with no audience. One of the special features of Wilco is that it is shown and heard that they are just as committed to making the music interesting to them on stage as the people in the hall. When they make that dynamic work optimally, it produces formidable results.

Today's edition of Wilco has a lot to play with, with a diverse catalog that they shake so often and often that their evening to night concerts are more different in repertoire than most bands and artists are now. They opened nicely with the half-hidden 12-year-old gem "Your Are My Face", which starts out as a Simon & Garfunkel song, before going with the sharper edges.

In denim jacket and hat, without saying a word in the first songs, Jeff Tweedy looked like a sort of Chicago rocker variant of a garden gnome, but the more they played to a responsive audience, the tone between the stage and the concert lifted. Bassist and other original member John Stirratt stands for the warm harmonies, Pat Sansome on tangents and strings is the formidable all-man, tangent Mikael Jorgensen takes the role of backman, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche are in every way crucial to Wilco's extraordinary .

Today's edition of Wilco has a lot to play with, with a diverse catalog that they shake so often and often that their evening to night concerts are more different in repertoire than most bands and artists are now. They opened nicely with the half-hidden 12-year-old gem "Your Are My Face", which starts out as a Simon & Garfunkel song, before going with the sharper edges.

In denim jacket and hat, without saying a word in the first songs, Jeff Tweedy looked like a sort of Chicago rocker variant of a garden gnome, but the more they played to a responsive audience, the tone between the stage and the concert lifted. Bassist and other original member John Stirratt stands for the warm harmonies, Pat Sansome on tangents and strings is the formidable all-man, tangent Mikael Jorgensen takes the role of backman, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche are in every way crucial to Wilco's extraordinary .

International bands from the 1990s presenting new songs at a concert in small towns like Trondheim can be demanding for the patience of the audience. It helps in such a way that Wilco does not have big hitters, and that they also fill the concerts with songs from much of his career. Several of the new songs slid in nicely among older favorites such as "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" and gems from one of the band's most important early albums, the 96 classic "Being There".

In the last half of a two-hour concert, the two hottest tunes to Tweedy, "Jesus etc", as well as "California Stars" came from the collaboration album with Billy Bragg to lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The latter with banjo and much of the rural americana feel Tweedy cultivated in his previous band Uncle Tupelo.

The solid highlights, which for me made the concert an event, were extremes in slightly different directions. "Impossible Germany" with three guitars holds one of the finest guitar solos of our time and high-class chamber music, topped by Nels Cline's string work. His glossy number gives the old slogan "guitar guitar" new and good meaning. In an even more frenetic rock final, drummer Glenn Kotche propelled over 20-year-old "Misunderstood" to an intensity even the extras failed to top. Wilco is starting to become a good adult, but they still have abilities far beyond remembering the greatness of the past. The band and the scene met and so did it.

[Lotti]

I make confirmation from above that the concert with the bathing is the best concert. (There is assumption of own towel and schnapps for sure).

Welfare!

[bböp]

I make confirmation from above that the concert with the bathing is the best concert. (There is assumption of own towel and schnapps for sure).

Welfare!

You beat me to it, Lotti! Pure bathing culture, indeed.

[kjelli]

just to clarify, Rockefeller in Oslo used to be a old communal bath. But as stated bad google translate.

[calvino]

Jeff Tweedy looked like a sort of Chicago rocker variant of a garden gnome,

 

That's pretty funny...

[The Inside of Outside]

 

Review of the show

 

 

Bad google translate version

 

The guitar rock is struggling, but it did not sound like Wilco inaugurated the Tapperiet Scene for an increasingly enthusiastic saddle on Wednesday night. The rough surroundings were well stocked with about 1300 (capacity 1700), as a kind of industrial Trondheim home variant of Rockefeller in Oslo, without bathing and with good sound.

 

14 years into his career and immediately ready with his 11th studio album, Jeff Tweedy & co opened. a European mini-tour ahead of the new album "Ode to Joy" coming in October. The first part of the concert was characterized by the band trying a bit forward, with no audience. One of the special features of Wilco is that it is shown and heard that they are just as committed to making the music interesting to them on stage as the people in the hall. When they make that dynamic work optimally, it produces formidable results.

Today's edition of Wilco has a lot to play with, with a diverse catalog that they shake so often and often that their evening to night concerts are more different in repertoire than most bands and artists are now. They opened nicely with the half-hidden 12-year-old gem "Your Are My Face", which starts out as a Simon & Garfunkel song, before going with the sharper edges.

 

In denim jacket and hat, without saying a word in the first songs, Jeff Tweedy looked like a sort of Chicago rocker variant of a garden gnome, but the more they played to a responsive audience, the tone between the stage and the concert lifted. Bassist and other original member John Stirratt stands for the warm harmonies, Pat Sansome on tangents and strings is the formidable all-man, tangent Mikael Jorgensen takes the role of backman, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche are in every way crucial to Wilco's extraordinary .

Today's edition of Wilco has a lot to play with, with a diverse catalog that they shake so often and often that their evening to night concerts are more different in repertoire than most bands and artists are now. They opened nicely with the half-hidden 12-year-old gem "Your Are My Face", which starts out as a Simon & Garfunkel song, before going with the sharper edges.

 

In denim jacket and hat, without saying a word in the first songs, Jeff Tweedy looked like a sort of Chicago rocker variant of a garden gnome, but the more they played to a responsive audience, the tone between the stage and the concert lifted. Bassist and other original member John Stirratt stands for the warm harmonies, Pat Sansome on tangents and strings is the formidable all-man, tangent Mikael Jorgensen takes the role of backman, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche are in every way crucial to Wilco's extraordinary .

International bands from the 1990s presenting new songs at a concert in small towns like Trondheim can be demanding for the patience of the audience. It helps in such a way that Wilco does not have big hitters, and that they also fill the concerts with songs from much of his career. Several of the new songs slid in nicely among older favorites such as "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" and gems from one of the band's most important early albums, the 96 classic "Being There".

 

In the last half of a two-hour concert, the two hottest tunes to Tweedy, "Jesus etc", as well as "California Stars" came from the collaboration album with Billy Bragg to lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The latter with banjo and much of the rural americana feel Tweedy cultivated in his previous band Uncle Tupelo.

 

The solid highlights, which for me made the concert an event, were extremes in slightly different directions. "Impossible Germany" with three guitars holds one of the finest guitar solos of our time and high-class chamber music, topped by Nels Cline's string work. His glossy number gives the old slogan "guitar guitar" new and good meaning. In an even more frenetic rock final, drummer Glenn Kotche propelled over 20-year-old "Misunderstood" to an intensity even the extras failed to top. Wilco is starting to become a good adult, but they still have abilities far beyond remembering the greatness of the past. The band and the scene met and so did it.

 

Bad Google translation? Reads like Lotti to me!

 

Gems galore in this translation. Too many to single out a few, but I loved these:

 

"Bassist and other original member John Stirratt stands for the warm harmonies, Pat Sansome on tangents and strings is the formidable all-man, tangent Mikael Jorgensen takes the role of backman, while guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche are in every way crucial to Wilco's extraordinary ."

 

"'Impossible Germany' with three guitars holds one of the finest guitar solos of our time and high-class chamber music, topped by Nels Cline's string work. His glossy number gives the old slogan "guitar guitar" new and good meaning."

 

"Wilco is starting to become a good adult, but they still have abilities far beyond remembering the greatness of the past. The band and the scene met and so did it."

 

Hilarious.