Wilco — 5 November 2019, Ann Arbor, MI (Hill Auditorium)

[bböp]

And then there was one...songs from Ode To Joy left to be performed live, that is, after Wilco finally debuted Citizens tonight before a crowd that probably didn't deserve that honor — or, frankly, as good a show as it got. But c'est la vie, I guess. And you could also make the point that this was the first OTJ audience, I believe, to miss out on Everyone Hides...

 

One does wonder why Jeff decided this would be the night to finally play a song I heard the band has been soundchecking since at least the Boston shows nearly a month ago. I guess I’m just glad I was there to hear it, since you never know if it might be the only time it ever gets played by the full band — as is the case with two songs off Schmilco (Common Sense and Just Say Goodbye). Indeed, Citizens could easily fall into that same category of songs that are played only a handful of times. It seems to fit the profile of “album track,” and the live rendition — with Jeff using one of his Kel Kroydons and Nels his silver Jaguar — didn’t stray too far from the album version.

 

“That was the first time we played that song live,” Jeff said afterward. Then, before starting Via Chicago, he quipped, “This is the 1,236^th time we’ve played this one.”

 

As to the question of why debut Citizens in Ann Arbor, who knows? Maybe Hill Auditorium, a staid 3,500-seat theater with two balconies at the University of Michigan, seemed like the right venue. The wide room is known for its excellent acoustics, which I certainly enjoyed from my seat in the 14^th row. But from there, I could also clearly see that it didn’t foster a particularly energetic audience. As Jeff suggested toward the end of the show, perhaps some of relatively few people up front who stood and lent some energy to the performance were the same folks who had managed to sneak alcohol in.

 

Jeff had informed said audience during his first check-in that he didn’t plan on “doing a whole lot of talking tonight, so we can fit in as many songs as we feel like fitting in.” But that lasted all of one song when, during If I Ever Was A Child, he could see a majority of the front section collectively sink back into their seats. Maybe Jeff also saw or heard some people grappling with the usual sit-stand dilemma when he chimed in, “We’re not gonna have this debate. You made your choice.” (He even told one lone holdout right in front of him who refused to sit that he should go ahead.) Jeff added, “It is a mind fuck when you’re playing a song and everybody sits down. Like, ‘Wow, what a great song.’ I think some things are gonna change your minds at some point, so go ahead and rest up.”

 

Of course that spurred a brief bout of ‘We’ll show him’ standing, but by the time the band had played back-to-back OTJ songs, most of the front section had sat back down again. And of course Jeff couldn’t resist one more dig at them. “I’d just like to point out we’ve knocked (most of the) people back into their seats,” he said before Impossible Germany. “It’s OK. I’m sure they’re faculty.” That drew a nice chuckle, but Jeff continued, “We’re playing not only for you, but with you. And these people up front are doing a hell of a job contributing to the show that you’re getting.”

 

Along with his aforementioned ending joke about those folks in the front having been the ones who had snuck alcohol in, that was about the extent of Jeff’s visits to Banter Corner. The snooziness of most of the audience up front, though, clearly had gotten into his head a bit and maybe even contributed to his flubbing the same line in The Late Greats (he forgot to sing the “they never even played a show” part) for the second night in a row.

 

Sitting back by the soundboard and getting a perspective I don’t usually get, even I was a bit taken aback by just how still virtually everyone in front of me was. Either they were sitting, or just standing there and hardly moving at all. Like not a single person, it seemed like. It’s hard to describe, but I just can’t remember seeing many crowds more static during a song like Impossible Germany.

 

The irony, I suppose, was that the setlist was actually quite a solid one for this tour. Along with the Citizens debut, there were also a few other nuggets that don’t get played every night such as Either Way, Dawned On Me or even I’m Always In Love. For a group of Wilco’s stature and experience, I don’t necessarily think that an audience affects what Jeff and his bandmates play but it definitely can affect how they play it. And for whatever reason, on this occasion, a Tuesday night crowd in Ann Arbor was pretty much what you would expect a Tuesday night crowd in Ann Arbor to be.

 

Here was the complete setlist, as played (didn't get a look at a printed list tonight, so can't say if there were any changes):

Bright Leaves
Before Us
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
War On War
One and a Half Stars
If I Ever Was A Child
Handshake Drugs
At Least That's What You Said
Either Way
Hummingbird
Citizens (live debut)
Via Chicago
Bull Black Nova
Random Name Generator
Reservations
We Were Lucky
Love Is Everywhere (Beware)
Impossible Germany
Box Full Of Letters
Dawned On Me
I'm Always In Love
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Hold Me Anyway
The Late Greats
----------------------------------
Jesus, etc.
Red-Eyed and Blue>
I Got You (At The End of the Century)>
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

[lost highway]

And then there was one...songs from Ode To Joy left to be performed live, that is,

 

The best one!!! I really hope they get that one going before they make it to my town in a few weeks.

[augurus]

Yeah, this Hill Auditorium crowd is by far the drowsiest I have ever seen.  I had a bad feeling when barely anyone was sang "hello" or "I am trying to break your heart."  Hell, even Jesus, Etc. didn't feel the same.  Pretty disappointed in my home state today.

It also doesn't help that this tour's tickets presale went live on the Monday immediately following Solid Sound Festival when people were traveling home.

[nalafej]

Wilco finally debuted Citizens tonight before a crowd that probably didn't deserve that honor.

 

Well, consulting the VC historical record as original reported by one bbop, at the last Wilco Hill Auditorium show (2015), Wilco didn't deserve the crowd, per Jeff Tweedy. So maybe things are even now?

 

Earlier Jeff had also said something about how the crowd was so nice and how he felt like "we don't deserve you. I wanted to ask if everyone was having a good time, but that seemed too desperate." As I mentioned, I didn't really have much of a sense of the crowd but if I had to guess, it just felt very respectful. 

[Magnetized]

Well, consulting the VC historical record as original reported by one bbop, at the last Wilco Hill Auditorium show (2015), Wilco didn't deserve the crowd, per Jeff Tweedy. So maybe things are even now?

 

Earlier Jeff had also said something about how the crowd was so nice and how he felt like "we don't deserve you. I wanted to ask if everyone was having a good time, but that seemed too desperate." As I mentioned, I didn't really have much of a sense of the crowd but if I had to guess, it just felt very respectful. 

Hmm, I don’t know. That sounds very much like that well-honed Midwest sarcasm Jeff has alluded to. I don’t think anybody really enjoys a super “respectful” crowd, either the fans or the band.

[bböp]

Well, consulting the VC historical record as original reported by one bbop, at the last Wilco Hill Auditorium show (2015), Wilco didn't deserve the crowd, per Jeff Tweedy. So maybe things are even now?

 

Earlier Jeff had also said something about how the crowd was so nice and how he felt like "we don't deserve you. I wanted to ask if everyone was having a good time, but that seemed too desperate." As I mentioned, I didn't really have much of a sense of the crowd but if I had to guess, it just felt very respectful. 

 

Haha, that is weird! Well, as evidenced by my full report (now updated above), I'd say that the crowd was definitely on the wrong end of the deserving this time. If I might ask, what pray tell prompted you to go back and seek out that old recap?

[nalafej]

 If I might ask, what pray tell prompted you to go back and seek out that old recap?

 

I grew up in Detroit suburbs (My first Wilco show was HORDE tour, 1995 in MI) and pay extra attention to MI reviews. I had recalled poor audience reports on many recent shows in Detroit Metro area (includes Ann Arbor). I found my memory to only be slightly off. 

[Suki]

I don't have the perspective of seeing shows outside of the greater Detroit area (just once) to know about other audiences but from where I was sitting (near the front and to the right) it was fun.  Once Jeff made his remarks about sitting/standing (which had everybody around me laughing) several people, including me, stood for the whole show.  A bunch around us would sit for a while and then stand up again.  I do think it was an older audience than I'm used to seeing which might have been part of the reason for the sitting!  Also, when the band started playing Either Way there were quite a few people clapping and it made me think that there were many Wilco fans who were happy to hear some of the less played music.  My only complaint was the guy behind us who sang along with lots of gusto but totally off-key, even to the new songs.  It was somewhat annoying but he seemed so enthusiastic about being there that I didn't say anything. 

 

We were right near Pat, who seemed pretty quiet and didn't interact with the rest of the band for most of the time, except when he was playing guitar for the high-energy songs, like RNG, and then he was striking lots of guitar god poses and going quite crazy. 

 

Anyway we've been lucky to have Wilco play many times in our area and I hope we were a good enough audience to have them return often!