bböp Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Well, I guess we now know how far Jeff Tweedy's word goes in Utrecht. After he once again outed me for being in the Everyone Hides video, he said something to the effect that someone should buy me a drink after the show and yet I received nary an offer of a free beverage. So Utrecht, I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all... The thing was I really could've used a thirst quencher of some sort after a show that was pretty intense in its own way. While I wouldn't say it was the best show that Wilco has played on this opening leg of the Ode To Joy tour, it was a memorable one for a number of reasons. Being back in the relatively familiar confines of the Grote Zaal at the TivoliVredenburg complex, where Wilco and/or Jeff have played a few times in recent years seemed to put everyone a little more at ease and that made for a loose, fun vibe throughout tonight's set. For those standing on the floor, there was even an added level of intimacy with no barricade and a relatively low stage. "It's good to be back for the Galactic Council once again," Jeff joked early on in the show, referring to the Grote Zaal's unique appearance with wood paneling and steep, stadium-style rows of seats laid out in a hexagonal pattern. "We've got lots of issues to get to." One of the main ones, of course, was promoting Ode To Joy, whose release date is creeping ever and ever closer now. I'm sure the band will be happy to finally have the record out in the world. Personally it's been interesting to me how some of the new songs that I initially liked best have given way to others as I've heard them regularly over the past few weeks. Anyway, Jeff introduced White Wooden Cross as being a song off the forthcoming album and then added, "You all have to buy it. I don't make the rules." And later, he made a brief comment about having recently heard that Love Is Everywhere (Beware) had been getting "a lot of airplay in Iceland." But Jeff saved his lengthiest visit to Banter Corner for an introduction of sorts to I'm Always In Love (which capped a nice trio of setlist surprises tonight, along with One Wing and Either Way). He mentioned how Wilco had played in the Netherlands so many times and how he had always wanted to mention "one of my favorite fucking bands of all time," the Dutch garage rockers Q65. "They're from here, right?" Jeff said. "Are any of them here tonight?" Jeff proceeded to joke that they wouldn't come to a Wilco show and that they were probably all dead, before asking if a version of Q65 was still playing live shows. "Well, please give them a message from me and Wilco that they rule," Jeff said, adding that that I'm Always In Love "owes a big debt to Q65." Another quip from Jeff came after Impossible Germany when he looked over at Nels, who was receiving his usual post-song round of applause: "Sometimes he plays so good that we have to hand him a guitar from Sears (for the next song, California Stars)." That might have been somewhat lost on the Dutch audience, but when a mini-whistling contest somehow broke out during the encore, Jeff joined in and declared himself the winner because he had a microphone. And then, of course, there was another slightly embarrassing digression concerning yours truly's role as the "star" of the Everyone Hides video. First of all, I'd like to reiterate that I'm in the video for maybe one second total so there's nothing particularly starry about it. But that didn't stop Jeff from again announcing my presence in the front row and remarking that I hadn't been paid anything for my participation, so someone should buy me a drink after the show. There might have also been a comment about drinking free for the rest of the night, but you'll have to go to the tape for that one. At any rate, I'm still waiting for dat drankje... As I mentioned earlier, I can't say that this was the best pure performance Wilco has put on during this month's tour of Europe — Jeff transposed a couplet during Bull Black Nova and later he and John somehow got out of sync during California Stars — but it might arguably have been the most enjoyable from a fan perspective. Aside from the intimacy and the acoustics in the Grote Zaal, this show also featured probably the most developed set of abstract art projections behind the band to date. The height of the room allowed for quite a sizable white backdrop on which the various projections, many of them 3-D, could be presented and they added a lot to the look of the show. We even got the image of the word "Wilco" painted on glass during the encore break, which hadn't been seen since its debut in Norway a couple of weeks ago if I'm not mistaken. Here was the complete setlist for Utrecht, as played (only got a glimpse of the printed setlist, but there didn't appear to be any changes/omissions): Bright LeavesBefore UsI Am Trying To Break Your Heart>One WingOne and a Half StarsIf I Ever Was A ChildHandshake DrugsAt Least That's What You SaidHummingbirdEither WayWhite Wooden CrossVia ChicagoHow To Fight LonelinessBull Black NovaI'm Always In LoveReservationsLove Is Everywhere (Beware)Impossible GermanyCalifornia StarsBox Full Of LettersEveryone HidesRandom Name GeneratorJesus, etc.Heavy Metal DrummerI'm The Man Who Loves You---------------------------------Hold Me AnywayMisunderstoodThe Late Greats Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Fame costs ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
50footqueenie Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 "he said something to the effect that someone should buy me a drink after the show and yet I received nary an offer of a free beverage. So Utrecht, I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all..." You can forget Glasgow as well FFS. Maybe Manchester tho'... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 "he said something to the effect that someone should buy me a drink after the show and yet I received nary an offer of a free beverage. So Utrecht, I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all..." You can forget Glasgow as well FFS. Maybe Manchester tho'...Surely a Scotsman or a Welshman would help a thirsty brother out... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Surely a Scotsman or a Welshman would help a thirsty brother out...In my haste to purchase for Hammersmith I dived in for the Standing option thinking that they were having a GA area on the floor. That looks like a schoolboy error since it seems clear now that there are the usual seated stalls and just a couple of lines of standing behind all of them under the edge of the circle. So I will have to console myself with the view of the back of your head. On the plus side it means there’s no point arriving early to queue and I might be able to shake a leg from time to time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 In my haste to purchase for Hammersmith I dived in for the Standing option thinking that they were having a GA area on the floor. That looks like a schoolboy error since it seems clear now that there are the usual seated stalls and just a couple of lines of standing behind all of them under the edge of the circle. So I will have to console myself with the view of the back of your head. On the plus side it means there’s no point arriving early to queue and I might be able to shake a leg from time to time.No, I saw that seating plan as well when I was buying tickets because I initially bought a reserved seat for that very reason. Only to learn that the entire floor would be standing, which caused me to buy another general admission ticket. So unless I’m mistaken, that’s what I’m counting on... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbray Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>One Wing I've missed this combo since they dropped it for >Art of Almost (not that that combo doesn't also work really well). Glad to see somebody got to hear it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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