theashtraysays Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 For a lot of folks the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, aka Harrah's Cherokee Center per the street signage, isn't a bucket list kind of venue. With the Orange Peel not far away, and the quirky but memorable outdoor "salvage station" former-junkyard-now-venue nearby, the rather sterile Wolfe Auditorium could be seen as a skippable location. The long, narrow floor section with long side balconies and a sloping rear balcony in a windowless room without adornment feels a bit boxy. The pit section actually being a few inches HIGHER than the front row of the regular seats is odd. But those side balconies have seats that are angled a bit toward the stage which is a nice touch, and the pit height is not a big deal once everyone is standing. And hey, when our "friends" at TicketMaster drop those platinum pit seats down to regular floor seat prices the day of the show, well I know I'm not complaining about an upgrade. The set was along the lines of the Birmingham show, which seems to be one of three of four general outlines they're rotating in this leg of the tour, drawing songs largely from the 3-night stints over the past few weeks. For me anyway, it's great to see that kind of variety in shows night after night, with a lot more swaps than some recent outings. One Wing AND a Nova? Yes please. Pot Kettle Black with a 9-string teardrop shaped electric guitar (Hello Mark Greenberg - have we seen that beauty on Gear Talkin yet???) was a blast. Via Chicago / Many Worlds coda can become a new staple if you ask me. Old and new but seems like they were separated at birth. Banter corner was pretty modest overall. To be completely honest, I didn't realize (or had forgotten) that Bbop wasn't at the show till afterwards, so I didn't take notes. Hopefully some others will chime in (this plea rarely works for our usual correspondent, but worth a shot). But if you are looking for lyric flubs, this was a pretty good night. The first one was probably noticed by exactly two people in the building - those be myself and the singer. In the first verse of Bull Black Nova, Jeff put the "hanging on the hood of my car" line ahead of the "shining down my angry star" line, which put a scrunched up look on his face but was not really picked up by the rest of the band. Later in the set during Everyone Hides, he added an "Oh-ohhho" at the wrong place, which DID get a couple of "way to go boss" grins from his harmony singers who were nowhere near their mics for that one, and brought a sheepish grin from our hero. After the song Jeff did acknowledge that he really butchered that one and apologized. The Best Behaved fan award went to a fine young man (age 10 maybe?) in the pit named Dylan. Jeff encouraged him to stand on his chair so everyone could see him, and led the crowd in a "Dill-Lon Dill-Lon" chant which seemed to please and maybe overwhelm the little guy just a bit. Overall the crowd was really good, with minimal shout-outs or disruptions. The floor was standing the whole time, so no drama (at least that I could see). But the bombshell of the evening came at the end of the encore. Jeff said he was dedicating the next song to Ashley, aka PK or Pocketknife, who as one of the Wilcrew members has been stage manager and assistant tour manager for quite a few years now. Her favorite song (per Jeff) is I'm a Wheel. Jeff dedicated it to her as she was "moving on" from the Wilco team and thanked her for all she's done for the band and crew. He brought her onstage for a big hug and a tear or two was shed by the usually all-business PK. During the song she could be seen sidestage with lotsa hugs from the rest of the crew, including Ashwin (Glenn's drum tech and general sidekick), who I believe PK brought into the Wilcrew when Glenn's previous tech left the group. Sure hate to see her go, but she'll undoubtedly do great things for some other band or whatever she winds up doing. Here's the setlist per the Wilcoworld page. I didn't see a printed setlist (I MISS STAN!!) for this one. Handshake Drugs I Am My Mother Cruel Country I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Hints One Wing If I Ever Was A Child Pot Kettle Black Muzzle Of Bees Bull Black Nova Tired of Taking It Out On You What Light Shouldn't Be Ashamed I'm the Man Who Loves You Impossible Germany Passenger Side Box Full of Letters Everyone Hides Falling Apart Right Now Encore: Via Chicago / Many Worlds coda Can't Stand It A Shot in the Arm I'm A Wheel (Dedicated to Ashley "PK" Pocketknife of the Wilcrew) 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Great recap theashtraysays! Looks like some big changes are happening with the Wilcrew these days. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 Ta Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lotti Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 20 hours ago, theashtraysays said: if you are looking for lyric flubs Mostly I look for underboob of Mr Pat, but thanking for report all in same. Welfare! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chaslor Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 10 hours ago, Lotti said: Mostly I look for underboob of Mr Pat, but thanking for report all in same. Welfare! Here's a good look at the underboob you so wish to see 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lotti Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 9 hours ago, chaslor said: Here's a good look at the underboob you so wish to see I send much appreciation. I just spend 8 happy minutes! I shall return to this pic later. Believe! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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