Wilco (kinda!) — 12 August 2021, Kansas City, MO (Grinders KC)

[bböp]

Well, that was a first b/w I don't ever have to attend any more Wilco shows in person because I can just watch live streams...

 

Anyway, I don't know where this falls in the pantheon of shows I've attended (or didn't attend, as it were), but I can't remember another instance when Wilco was due to take the stage after the support bands had played and the band was never able to actually take said stage. I know there have been some shows cut short due to weather — a Winnipeg Folk Festival appearance is coming to mind, as well as a show in Lowell, Mass., and I'm sure probably a few others — but as far as a Wilco set being scrapped before it even began, I don't recall one. Yet that was the unfortunate fate that befell the band and its fans tonight in Kansas City.

 

After Nnamdi and Sleater-Kinney both performed abbreviated opening sets, the gathered audience members at the Grinders (neé Crossroads) KC outdoor venue — where the show had been switched at the last minute from the indoor Arvest Bank Theater at the Midland after the recent Delta variant surge — was told to clear the concert area because of a storm cell rolling through and either go out and wait in their cars or seek indoor shelter. At some point, when the likelihood of Wilco actually making it on stage started to seem unlikely, Jeff and his bandmates decided to start performing live on Wilco’s Instagram account from their backstage jam room as a sort of consolation. Like I said before, that's a first.

 

Unfortunately it took a while for a lot of the folks at the actual show to realize what was happening (though understandably the thousands who watched at home were delighted because they didn’t have to get wet or stand around with a bunch of strangers in a bar or restaurant). Still, provided you were actually able to watch on your phone, it was kind of a fun change of pace from the usual — albeit no substitute for the real thing. I personally watched from the adjoining Grinders pizza and sub shop whilst watching vats of used hot grease being carried out the door and grills being cleaned, among other exciting activities. We weren't permitted to even go outside, at least not within the confines of the concert venue.

 

Anyway, the band wound up performing for the better part of an hour on the IG Live with Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and later Fabi Reyna from Sleater-Kinney joining them in the room — which anyone can go watch and review for themselves! (Why venture off your couch, right?)

 

It was a pretty fun little session, as these things go, and I'm sure Jeff and Co. will get back to KC sooner than later and put on a bonafide live performance. It will be interesting whether the band offer refunds for this show or not, though I think there will be a more than a few annoyed-KCians if they don’t. Either way (maybe the sun will shine today…not), onward!

 

Here was Wilco's IG Live set, as played:

A Shot In The Arm (w/Carrie and Corin from Sleater-Kinney on backing vocals)

Impossible Germany

Either Way

Theologians

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Everyone Hides

Ashes Of American Flags

I'm Always In Love

 

And for those who care, Sleater-Kinney's real live, on-stage mini-set:

High In The Grass

Hurry On Home

A New Wave

Shadow Town

Jumpers

The Fox

[Albert Tatlock]

Sorry to hear you lost out.

Still, good to know that even after the enforced layoff, Wilco are still more entertaining than a vat of used hot grease (which I have always said so myself).

Ta (kinda)

[bböp]

8 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Sorry to hear you lost out.

Still, good to know that even after the enforced layoff, Wilco are still more entertaining than a vat of used hot grease (which I have always said so myself).

Ta (kinda)

All I could think of was the Hampton Grease Band’s Music To Eat album, which was said to be the second-lowest selling album ever in Columbia Records history (but I think gets a slightly more favorable reception now).

[bböp]

Since no one but Herr Tatlock and maybe a certain Brazilian ex-pat on here probably cares about this thread any longer, I’ll just continue responding to my own posts. 

 

Basically just a few notes from the S-K set that I meant to throw into my initial post last night after the “show” and forgot:

 

—From the start of S-K’s, we knew it was probably gonna be a tumultuous evening. Carrie came out and told us that “there’s been a lot of changes” and that she and her bandmates only had 30 minutes to play so that there would be enough time for Wilco to also do a set. S-K has been playing about 75 minutes elsewhere on the tour, so it was always going to be a pretty abbreviated set. She joked that “if this show was in Portland, it probably would have been cancelled three days ago,” and complimented the heartiness of the Kansas City crowd. There was also a bit of a funny moment when she initially said something about being in the South and then reconsidered and corrected herself, perhaps, with some prompting from the audience, to say that they were actually in the Midwest. I’ve always thought that KC has that kind of foot in both worlds. It’s an interesting place!

 

—The rain, which had started to fall for a bit about an hour before doors, returned with a vengeance toward the end of S-K’s set, leading to the storm cell that ultimately forced the cancellation of the Wilco set. For their part, it seemed like S-K was really enjoying their time on stage, though. Perhaps because of the conditions and just the WTF-ness of it all, they appeared let loose a bit more than I’d seen them previously on this run and there were a lot of smiles between Carrie and Corin, which was nice to see.

 

—When it came time to play their last song, even though they had promised two more, Carrie sort off glanced over at Corin, shrugged her shoulders and said, “Let’s play a rocker.” Quickly Carrie decided it would be The Fox, the opening track from arguably S-K’s best overall album The Woods. She said it would be the first time they were playing it with this lineup and apologized if they fucked it up.

 

—It was noteworthy to me that a decent amount of the folks in line early were younger women who were clearly there to see S-K first and foremost. I don’t know if this will be the case elsewhere, but it reminded me that it’s been a little while since Wilco has toured with an act that has brought out its own distinct fanbase. Wilco still has a bigger overall fanbase, I would say, and that’s almost certainly why they’re playing last at every show even though it’s technically a co-headlining situation. But you can definitely see the influence S-K has had on a generation (or two) of young women.

 

—I do wonder if we’ll actually start to see any collaborations between the two bands as the tour goes on. Clearly from the IG stream and since they covered the song on the tour split single that is being sold at shows (except KC, apparently), S-K seems most comfortable on A Shot In The Arm. But since Wilco has been opening their sets with that song, it would seem like they would have to switch their set order around to have the S-K ladies come out and join on backing vocals. Or perhaps they all still have something up their sleeves that remains to be seen. I don’t personally see S-K coming out to do backing vox on, like, California Stars, for example. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of weeks…12 shows left!

[nalafej]

3 minutes ago, bböp said:

 

 

—I do wonder if we’ll actually start to see any collaborations between the two bands as the tour goes on. Clearly from the IG stream and since they covered the song on the tour split single that is being sold at shows (except KC, apparently), S-K seems most comfortable on A Shot In The Arm. But since Wilco has been opening their sets with that song, it would seem like they would have to switch their set order around to have the S-K ladies come out and join on backing vocals. Or perhaps they all still have something up their sleeves that remains to be seen. I don’t personally see S-K coming out to do backing vox on, like, California Stars, for example. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of weeks…12 shows left!

 

Hope so too! Looked like they were singing along to Theologians. That could be another option.

[Passenger Sid]

Sleater-Kinney was GREAT. They really did make the most of their short set & their outward joy & enthusiasm in how they played was the highlight of the night. Love the guitar riff, drumming, and vocals of "Jumpers". Fun song.

 

Credit for Wilco for the mini show on Instagram. It was noisy inside where we were, so really couldn't hear much from our phones, but 'A' for effort to the guys.

 

At the end of S-K's set, soaked head to toe, I rushed to the merchandise table to buy a dry shirt, but for whatever reason the 2 workers said they weren't selling any longer.

 

Not being able to see Wilco take the stage stinks, but I think even more frustrating....knowing the whole reason we were all gathered outside was because the show got moved from the Midland Theater....was the feeling that Covid is calling the shots again. 

 

REFUNDS? Haven't been able to get a response from AXS. Any word from Wilco headquarters?

 

Honestly, I'm kinda "whatevs" about it. Just a freaking bizarro weather event for mid-August in KC.

 

I've gotta think Wilco will do KC right, and tack us on to whatever tour they hopefully string together in '22.

[Urge13]

Disappointing not to see a show for 22 or 23 for Kansas City.