HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY, VIA CHICAGO!

[yermom]

HBD VC! Thanks to all my “internet friends”    for many years of interesting exchanges and sincere affections! -LL

I can’t believe I managed to log in on the first try! Now I’m going to run away - I don’t want to wade in too deeply because I was mostly in my 20s during my active VC days and I fear what embarrassing skeletons I might find if I dig around here for long now. 😆

 

 

 

 

[Magnetized]

Oh my, where to start? I remember when I first signed up, following a Wilco show at a place in Tallahassee called The Moon. I had seen them a couple of times sporadically over the years but in this case I had just moved to Tallahassee for a new job and didn’t know anyone there and could not manage to get any of my new work friends to come with me to the show, so I went by myself. (Not for the first time and definitely not the last.) I came home so inspired and emotional that I just had to share my enthusiasm somewhere, so I did an extensive search for some kind of a Wilco group. [As an aside, didn’t Wilcoworld.net used to include a direct link to this group? I’m thinking that’s how I found you.] So my first post was 3/14/2006 (thanks Wilcobase!) under a guest or anonymous name. I soon adopted the name Wilco Me (after the stupid Beer Me phrase) and kept that name until a few years ago after Star Wars was released. I figured by then I was ride or die with Jeff Tweedy so Magnetized seemed quite appropriate as a new username.

 

I’ve had my ups and downs with this group, including a bad period where one or more people—who shall remain nameless—decided I was a weird stalker for knowing too much about Spencer Tweedy, whose blog I’d been following for years, and Danny Miller, whose Jew Eat Yet blog was also active. I guess I’ve always been more of a fangirl than a purist, a quality I inherited from my mom. But this place used to be (maybe still is?) an intimidatingly brutal crowd for naive, uninformed new fans. I just put my helmet on.

 

I can think of a few things related to VC that have hugely furthered my relationship with this group and Wilco. First was JHamm sending me a huge stack of CDs with such wonderful, rare content. I watched every one of them and couldn’t gobble them up fast enough. This was followed by going to the first Solid Sound in 2010 with Kidsmoke and having her fill my giddy head with even more rarities and personal encounter anecdotes throughout the drive and weekend. I was HOOKED. So much gratitude for these wonderful folks.

 

Nowadays, I mainly come to VC for Bbop’s show recaps—never miss ‘em. And I shouldn’t be ashamed to say that I’ve mostly migrated over to the evil empire which is anathema to many in this group, as the moderator for A Shot in the Arm. It’s always been my position that these are not competing groups. Come to VC for structured, searchable, authoritative content to which you can contribute when you have something to say. Come to Facebook for fanboy/girl posts, posting videos and sillier discussions. I think they both have their place and I try to spread the word about VC to newer fans.

 

So, happy birthday to you, Via Chicago. You’ve enriched my life in untold ways. Long may you run.

[Lammycat]

MB: I was gonna report you (and myself, for that matter) just for old times sake.

 

Happy bday, VC.

[chisoxjtrain]

Had an account here when I was 13 years old that got deleted. When my dad found out he went ballistic because of all you weirdos on the internet. When I was a little older, the wind blew me back.

 

Happy birthday VC!!!

[nurfherder]

Happy birthday, VC! 

[50footqueenie]

Ye Gods! Happy bidet VC and all that sail in her!

I’ve  met some very good friends through here and on various Euro tours - you know who you are and I’ve got photographic evidence for future potential blackmail enterprise.

 

As they say in Mrs Queeny’s homeland: 

oxters aböin !!

[M Christine]

I don’t think I can make this. 
 

😋

[M Christine]

After kidsmoke invited me to help celebrate VC’s 20th birthday, I had to ponder a bit.

 

I became aware of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco in the early to mid 90s, after I got “cable” in my new house and started listening to the Americana station on my TV. Something about Tweedy’s voice tugged at a place I never knew existed in me.

 

It wasn’t until the late 90s I bought a computer, and in short order discovered the VC rabbit hole. I remember vividly the first time I posted. It seemed like magic.

 

Real life happened on these pages. People fell in love and married. Had affairs. Had babies. Died too young. I sought solace here after the death of my sister.

 

This virtual community was witness to so much. It was virtual, but inconceivably real.

 

All tied together by Tweedy.

 

It occurred to me several times in the past decade that our political discourse would have been far more informed, had some of the American populace cut their internet teeth on VC. A place where you better have facts straight before you get into a debate about music (or any other damn subject for that matter).

 

It is not hyperbole to say that this community changed the course of my life. My daughter Sarah played percussion on the Great Wall in China and in Carnegie Hall, because I started taking her to Wilco shows when she was 9, and she fell in love with the drummer.

 

Some people are nostalgic for high school or college. I was in my late 40s when I joined VC. I am nostalgic for those days.

 

Thank you Jeff. Thank you dear friends for all the fun and camaraderie. Thank you also to my birthday twin, Donna for keeping VC alive all these years.

[lizish]

19 hours ago, Sandoz said:

PS @lizish HI!!!

 

Judy!  hope family is well!

[Oil Can Boyd]

My profile says I joined June 17, 2003.  One the one hand I thought I joined earlier but on the other, that's a long time ago!

 

I've certainly picked up lots of great recommendations for music, books, and movies here.  And lived through the B+P era.  There were some very kind people who shared some great music with me. 

 

Happy birthday!

[Rooney]

Am I late?  Thanks for all the fun back in the day.  I miss the mixed-CD trades and all the swell folks I met trading live shows.  To another 20 years...

[Neuroglue]

1 hour ago, Oil Can Boyd said:

My profile says I joined June 17, 2003.  One the one hand I thought I joined earlier but on the other, that's a long time ago!

 

The current iteration of the board (that is, the one running on Invision software) came into existence around that time, and it looks like everyone had to rejoin at that point (even the oldest members like Narziss and kidsmoke have join dates of June 2003), so it's likely you were one of the first to join the new board. Before that, it was on phpBB software - here are a couple of the oldest captures I can find for that version:

http://web.archive.org/web/20020808114235/http://www.viachicago.org:80/phpBB2/index.php 

http://web.archive.org/web/20020409224109/http://www.viachicago.org/phpBB/index.php

(Sadly, none of the links there work anymore, but I'm sure that'll bring back some memories for some of you  ). 

 

Incidentally, for those so inclined, you might find it fun to go digging through VC's history with the wayback machine (http://web.archive.org/web/*/viachicago.org). There's some fun things to stumble across in there. For example, this interview Narziss and LLP conducted with Wilco's former manager, Tony Margherita: http://web.archive.org/web/20021122030036/http://www.viachicago.org/archives/TMInterview.html

 

*EDIT* For that matter, the phpBB board join dates only go back to Spring 2002 (http://web.archive.org/web/20020712191053/http://www.viachicago.org/phpBB2/memberlist.php?sid=cab30ebd6df270a8124775c9615df814), so there was probably yet ANOTHER board before that, which was apparently lost to history since the wayback captures don't go back any further. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me could probably find more with some digging though. 

[kidsmoke]

41 minutes ago, Oil Can Boyd said:

My profile says I joined June 17, 2003.  One the one hand I thought I joined earlier but on the other, that's a long time ago!

 

I've certainly picked up lots of great recommendations for music, books, and movies here.  And lived through the B+P era.  There were some very kind people who shared some great music with me. 

 

Happy birthday!

 

You almost certainly DID join earlier than the date your profile shows. My own says I joined June 12, 2003! And our founder, Narziss, shows that same date. Obviously he and I had joined much earlier! When the board went through an overhaul in 2003, it apparently lost the older information, because I know I joined in 2001, and Narz started us up in 2001.

[j4lackey]

Oh, man. Via Chicago. First saw Wilco in 1995, fell in love. Joined VC in '04 to find tix to Otto's shows in DeKalb, fell in love. So much good music I mighta never heard. So many good people I probably never would have met. Ended up doing posters for the band. Have had so many good shenanigans with all you highy messed up freaks. It has meant a lot to me over the years. A whole, whole lot. There are a lot of you I still see, there are a lot of you I miss. Thanks for the very real community. Happy Birthday, VC!!!

[j4lackey]

Also, I think the high point of all of this stuff wasn't Jeff hugging my kids, or seeing shows in somebody's cool basement, but seeing Paul pop up out of Jeff''s bathtub. That made my year. I couldn't have written that. Superb.

[u2roolz]

Happy Birthday, Via Chicago!! 
 

Wow!! I really had to think about how I stumbled upon this place. I noticed that I officially signed up on June 1, 2004. I’m almost positive that I was forced to sign up in order to download the 2 shows from Otto’s, but I most likely lurked as a “guest” for at least 6 months. I chose my screen name because I saw a few people using other band names around here. Almost as if to say I came over here from this other band, but Wilco is doing something special that needs me to sign up for their message board and mingle. I’m not on any other band’s message boards. 
 

A close friend of mine lent me his Wilco CDs in the fall of 2002, while I had a 45 minute commute to college. I was listening to The Strokes, The White Stripes, Starsailor, The Coral, Doves, Travis, Coldplay, Ash, The Music, Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn & Wilco. I saw almost all of them that fall of 2002. Wilco had a show at the Boston Orpheum that same fall that I forever regret not going to. I was a bit broke and all concerted out by that point, so I made a promise to see them the next time that they came around. I kept listening to them and the aforementioned bands kept falling out of my daily commute listens. 
 

I finally got to see Wilco play in June of 2003 and I was completely blown away, as was my friend who lent me his CDs. He had never seen them either. That summer we went to 6 Pearl Jam shows and I went solo to see Radiohead for the first time. Wilco’s show at the Pavillion in Boston in 2003 blew them all away. That’s probably when I went home right after and looked for some sort of message board.  
 

I remember a lot of the fun threads that people participated in. Paul’s top notch reportage. All of the music and film recommendations. The rumors about records on the way. Tour rumors. Setlist parties. The Random Thread. The guy that asked for advice about his fiancée that didn’t want to meet his family. It was all great fun. 
 

The first two Wilco fans that I remember meeting were Paul & MeDave. I met them after a solo Jeff show in Northampton in Nov 2005. I also met Donna at one of the Solid Sounds (2015?) and parked next to Diane at the 2017 iteration. 
 

I put these words together in a very special parking garage, while my dad went for his annual cardiologist visit in Boston. Unbeknownst to me, his cardiologist’s office is literally on top of the Wang Theater where I’ve seen Wilco 4 times. I had no idea. Here’s an exclusive look 🤪. The Wang  (phrasing) is below the skywalk to the right. 

 

Of course, this celebration  would not be complete without thanking Jeff and all of the band. It starts at the top and has spread to all of the fans…clients. 
 

edit: I also just remembered that I met Maudie in 2007. I was meeting up with her before  the Boston show to buy a ticket off of her for a friend of mine. My friends and I had no clue about the Silver Line bus shuttle to the Pavillion, so we had to walk what felt like forever. 
 

Kudos to Donna, Eric & Analogman for keeping this place going! 🙏🏻

[timbits]

Longtime lurker, first time poster 

[esel.the.reprise]

lies

[redjim]

Hi friends,

 

Happy Anniversary to this wonderful place. I think I joined up pre-9/11 as well.  I will tell you this message board got me through some insane times.  Life in NYC post 9/11, unbelievable panic about an impending marriage and very quick divorce, a job or two I did not care for and - to be really honest - sobriety.
 

I will forever be indebted to Jeff D. for giving me a safe space those many years ago.  It really saved me when I needed saving.  I really can’t put into words the gratitude I have.

 

I got to talk music with some wonderful people.  I got turned onto bands, I was the recipient of some super dope mixes. Music is life.

 

I have had the privilege of meeting a few of you.  I was at the Wilco/Sonic Youth show in Central Park and recommend the meet up bar afterwards - Becky’s! - but pulled a no show.

 

Then I got to meet a few of you dear ones at the Irving Plaza show and then hang for a bit after. 
 

jeff, Donna, Judy, Laura, Kristina, Uyen, Paul, drew, Mart, Fronk,MeDave, Selene, Lizzie, The Dead Captain, A-Man and so many more - I love you and thank you for sharing time with me lo these many years.  Here’s to another 20!

[Sandoz]

5 hours ago, timbits said:

Longtime lurker, first time poster 

you make me laugh

[Yaz Rock]

Happy Birthday VC! My stats say I've been here fifteen years, I may have lurked for a couple years before that. I am glad this place is still around, even if I don't post much besides about the singular shows I attend. For setlists and show reviews and recording archives, this place is far better than the Social Media Site Whose Name Shall Not Be Uttered and thus will remain an essential Wilco resource. Well actually it is better for anything and everything than the SMSWNSNBU, which,  I just found out this morning, has led to the demise of another (private, non-music) forum that once was the go-to forum for another one of my hobbies. So it is heartening to see that many people still check in here and keep this place vital.

 

Cheers to many more years of Via Chicago!

[bböp]

On 11/8/2021 at 6:58 PM, blueyedsoul said:

But I got a message today from my realtor that the offer I sent over to a property owner is being reviewed and all signs point to it being accepted. So, not to get ahead of myself, but thank you VC for the good vibes. 

 

Woo hoo! Being There Coffeehouse mugs 2.0 (fingers crossed)!

[bböp]

On 11/9/2021 at 11:54 AM, 50footqueenie said:

Ye Gods! Happy bidet VC and all that sail in her!

I’ve  met some very good friends through here and on various Euro tours - you know who you are and I’ve got photographic evidence for future potential blackmail enterprise.

 

As they say in Mrs Queeny’s homeland: 

oxters aböin !!

I eagerly await the Master of Culture’s alumni dissertation on the merits of Internet message boards. 

[bböp]

On 11/9/2021 at 5:12 PM, j4lackey said:

Also, I think the high point of all of this stuff wasn't Jeff hugging my kids, or seeing shows in somebody's cool basement, but seeing Paul pop up out of Jeff''s bathtub. That made my year. I couldn't have written that. Superb.

For that I can take no credit. That was all srmt…remember when she used to post on here? And I know Jeff lurked on here back in the day…

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Happy birthday, Via Chicago. Long may you run!