Wilco — 16 October 2023, Portland, OR (Keller Auditorium)

[bböp]

Writing these show recaps over the course of a tour, I realize that it’s almost not fair to compare one place or one venue to another because for the vast majority of the audience of any given show, that’s the one they’re going to see — irrespective of where the band has been or where it’s going. So a Monday night at a seated theater is just that, and should be seen and evaluated through that lens. That said, it's hard not to compare different aspects of shows you’ve experienced.

While the 3,000-seat Keller Auditorium — where I’m told you’d be more likely to see a Broadway show than a rock concert — might not be quite as unique as some of the other venues on this run, Portland does have diverse facial hair, at least one bizarre dancer and Scott McCaughey…so take that!

By now, McCaughey appearing on stage with Jeff and/or Wilco in the Pacific Northwest shouldn’t really be a surprise, but the Young Fresh Fellows/Minus 5/etc., singer-songwriter was nonetheless decked out for the occasion in a white Nudie-type jacket and his trademark sunglasses when he emerged at the start of the encore and took a seat at one of Mike’s keyboards for the inevitable California Stars. I think Jeff might have introduced Scott as "our spiritual father," but the comment was kind of lost to the ether as the latter got all set up at the keys.

Actually, I had figured it would be support act Shara Nova of My Brightest Diamond who would join Jeff and Co. on backing vocals on the Woody Guthrie-penned crowd favorite since it was her final night on tour with the band and that has been a tradition of sorts when someone has opened a stretch of shows. But instead, Nova’s guest turn came on electric guitar on the show-closing Spiders (Kidsmoke) and it was a treat to behold. It’s pretty rare that a guest sits in on Spiders, at least to my memory, but watching the spunky Nova find her way on guitar between Nels and Jeff was really cool. And she more than held her own, adding some counterpoint lines and general shredding to the proceedings. (Incidentally, I haven't really mentioned her 30-minute opening set in other recaps, but while her brand of art rock might not be for everybody, I quite enjoyed it. Maybe she'll make an appearance at the Solid Sound Festival next summer, perhaps with a full band?)

As for the rest of the show, the band played more than half its set before Jeff said anything at all — and he made it pretty clear that there would be less action on Banter Corner than usual. "Not a lot of talking tonight," Jeff said. "We've got a lot of songs to get to, lots of music to play for you. You're not here to hear me yap. I'm not here to hear you yap, either. It's just a fact."

But of course that "warning" only went so far, especially when Jeff got a closer look at the audience toward the end of the main set. There had been some of the usual sitting vs. standing tensions earlier in the show and, actually, a good portion of the front row remained seated when Jeff called them out. It seemed as if he might make a comment on that (or toward the strange woman who periodically danced across the front of the stage at least three times, striking a brief contorted pose on a couple of occasions before going on her way), but apparently he was more intrigued by a more specific feature of the male-dominated front row, which he said "looks like if you went to a barber and they gave you a book of all the different facial hair you could have." And then, completely deadpan, he added, referring to the eccentric dancer, "Also, I'll have whatever she's having."

The only other noteworthy comment Jeff made came before Evicted, when he thanked the audience for "letting us play so much new music. It means so much to us." Then, introducing Evicted, he added, "We were informed earlier that this song is a huge hit. It's in the Top 5, (but) I don't know where."

Evicted came after a trio of songs — Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull, Cousin and Via Chicago — about which I jotted down that Glenn is a percussion machine (or something to that effect). But he really elevated that mid-set threesome with his dynamic and intense playing. I'm glad that the majority of the crowd seemed to be on its feet by then, having broken out of the annoying trend of sitting during unfamiliar songs and standing for known songs that often plagues reserved-seating audiences. Portland was simply too cool for those sorts of shenanigans to continue for long.

Or was it? During the show-closing Spiders (Kidsmoke), Jeff called upon that sense of cool once more during the clapping/riff-singing conclusion to try and encourage more people to participate. "Being cool is keeping you in a cage," Jeff quipped, while clapping. "Liberate yourselves." Spurred on by Jeff and his bandmates as well as special guest Nova, I have to say that — at least for that brief moment in time — the crowd in Portlandia managed to do that.

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

Infinite Surprise

Handshake Drugs

Pittsburgh

I Am My Mother

Cruel Country

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>

One Wing

Meant To Be

Hummingbird

Sunlight Ends

Whole Love

Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull

Cousin

Via Chicago

Evicted

Impossible Germany

Jesus, etc.

Heavy Metal Drummer

A Shot In The Arm

--------------------------------------------------

California Stars (with Scott McCaughey on keyboard)

Spiders (Kidsmoke) (with Shara Nova of My Brightest Diamond on electric guitar)

[Albert Tatlock]

Ta

[bböp]

2 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Ta

 

T'wasn't done yet...

[Albert Tatlock]

43 minutes ago, bböp said:

 

T'wasn't done yet...

Second cuppa of the day so I've read the top-up. Ta again.

[bböp]

24 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Second cuppa of the day so I've read the top-up. Ta again.

 

Still not done yet. Haven't you any other reading material?

[Albert Tatlock]

I soon lost interest in "Changes to the ABRDN PLC dividend reinvestment plan terms and conditions". It is now torn into squares and located in a strategic position in the bathroom.

 

It's only you that keeps me from sinking into the depraved dark recesses of the internet.

[theashtraysays]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:14 AM, bböp said:

Jeff said. "We've got a lot of songs to get to, lots of music to play for you. You're not here to hear me yap. I'm not here to hear you yap, either. It's just a fact."

So that bit of banter was my annual call out / shout down from Jeff, as I tend to overstep my enthusiasm a wee bit every now and then. In this case, after Jeff said “you’re not here to hear me yap”, I replied (from the second row in the pit, so well within earshot), “yap away!”.  That prompted the  last two lines above.  Point was taken, and it did settle the crowd for a bit - but not the whole evening as you noted. 
 

Beyond that, the highlight was indeed Spiders with MBD doing a little shredding of her own amongst the Wilco shred forest. 
 

[lost highway]

I keep waiting for Sunlight Ends live footage to surface but no such luck yet.

[Brian F.]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:14 AM, bböp said:

The only other noteworthy comment Jeff made came before Evicted, when he thanked the audience for "letting us play so much new music. It means so much to us." Then, introducing Evicted, he added, "We were informed earlier that this song is a huge hit. It's in the Top 5, (but) I don't know where."

Jeff, if you're reading this-- and we know you lurk-- you're No. 3 on Billboard's Adult Album Alternative chart. For more, see "Cousin on the charts" on the Just a Fan forum. Oh, also, Jeff, the only Wilco song that has ever hit No. 1 on any Billboard chart is "You Never Know"-- why don't you play that more?!

I'm glad that the majority of the crowd seemed to be on its feet by then, having broken out of the annoying trend of sitting during unfamiliar songs and standing for known songs that often plagues reserved-seating audiences.

Amen. SO annoying. 

 

1 hour ago, theashtraysays said:

So that bit of banter was my annual call out / shout down from Jeff, as I tend to overstep my enthusiasm a wee bit every now and then. In this case, after Jeff said “you’re not here to hear me yap”, I replied (from the second row in the pit, so well within earshot), “yap away!”.  That prompted the  last two lines above.  Point was taken, and it did settle the crowd for a bit - but not the whole evening as you noted. 
 

This reminds me of last week at the Bellwether. Jeff was making his stock comment about "Meant to Be" being something the crowd would want to hear in a year or three years, and was engaged in some banter about it with someone at stage right. As this was happening, standing right in front of him, I said something to the effect of "No, we want to hear it now!," and Jeff interrupted whatever he was saying to the person at stage right to look right at me and say, in a very serious tone, "Thank you, sir," and then went right back to engaging with the person at stage right. Now that''s service.

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

13 hours ago, lost highway said:

I keep waiting for Sunlight Ends live footage to surface but no such luck yet.

 

Not the best quality but . . 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnQWueKpWbM