Wilco — 5 December 2023, Riviera Maya, México (Hard Rock Hotel) [Sky Blue Sky Festival; Day 4 of 4]

[bböp]

If that was indeed the last time Wilco participates in the Sky Blue Sky Festival in its current location and/or format, as some rumors have suggested, then the band certainly left the Hard Rock Hotel with a performance that touched on just about every corner of its catalog and showed why it has such wide-ranging appeal. And not only that, but a familiar face for so long at the front of house/sound desk console at Wilco shows made an appearance on stage to receive an award and some long-overdue public recognition, allowing me to finally use the line that I've been wanting to deploy for a long time: Tonight we are all Stan stans.

 

Yes that's right, as Jeff and his bandmates returned to the stage for an encore, Jeff was carrying a trophy in one hand. He explained to the audience that the band was presenting recently retired sound engineer Stan Doty with Wilco's first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award, noting that he was at Sky Blue Sky as a guest of the band and if anyone had seen Wilco play in the last 25-plus years, Stan had likely mixed the show. A beaming Stan joined the band on stage to accept both his trophy and hugs all around. Truly a touching moment.

 

As for the show itself, we got a little of everything — some deep cuts (maybe a couple too deep for this crowd?), some nostalgic old favorites, a few collaborations/guest appearances and a rocking encore. I personally lost my you-know-what a little bit when the band started A Magazine Called Sunset, which hadn't been performed live since the run of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 20th anniversary shows in April 2022 and before that not since 2017. "Is that song always that short?" Jeff subsequently asked. I felt like replying, 'Uh, that's why it was a B-side,' but held my tongue.

 

We also got Star Wars rarity The Joke Explained, on which highly regarded jazz drummer Makaya McCraven came out to, uh, contribute some percussion via shakers. Jeff prefaced McCraven's guest turn by acknowledging that the cameo was "under utilizing his talent." Afterward Jeff remarked that the last time the band had played the song was at Sky Blue Sky — though I think maybe he thought it was the one in 2022 when it was actually at the first edition back in 2020 — and joked that maybe it would just be a song for SBS. (At that point, I'm not sure if an audience member yelled out a request for Shake It Off or was just saying something else that got misheard as that, but Jeff got wind of it and joked about the prospect of playing that song right then seeming to give Pat "a panic attack." Of course Glenn and the rest of the band started to try and piece the song together and gave an amusing little tease of the song that Pat even eventually contributed to for a second or two. Maybe you had to be there, but I found it pretty entertaining.)

 

Other delightful collaborations during tonight's show came with Kevin Morby on vocals and Macie Stewart on violin on Jesus, etc., as well as Cate Le Bon on another Cousin track, this time Soldier Child. On the former, Morby didn't just provide backing vocals but took the second verse on his own and I guess the only other thing I could have asked for would have been for him to be joined by his significant other Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee, whose band had the early 8 p.m. slot on the Main Stage and featured drumming by Spencer Tweedy.

 

More to come, but tomorrow is transit day and so some shut eye is required.

 

For now, here was the complete setlist as played for the third and final Wilco set at Sky Blue Sky 2023 (there were no changes/omissions from the printed setlist):

 

Handshake Drugs

Pittsburgh

Company In My Back

One Wing

Pot Kettle Black

Side With The Seeds

How To Fight Loneliness

Soldier Child (with Cate Le Bon on vocals)

Whole Love

The Joke Explained (with Makaya McCraven on shakers)

Everyone Hides

Heavy Metal Drummer

Random Name Generator

Jesus, etc. (with Kevin Morby on vocals and Macie Stewart on violin)

Theologians

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Hate It Here

A Magazine Called Sunset

The Late Greats

A Shot In The Arm

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

Monday>

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

[50footqueenie]

First third of that set: 

Second third: 

Third third: 

[Albert Tatlock]

4 hours ago, bböp said:

we are all Stan stans

Ta. I count myself one of the blessed who once had a small interaction with Stan the man.

As an aside, it is a damned close run choice between Albert Tatlock and his compadre Stan Ogden. 

 

Incidentally, Stan and Hilda's lodger voiced Paul McCartney in Yellow Submarine. Now don't tell me that reading my responses is a waste of your time! 

[Albert Tatlock]

 

Since you're asking, the lodger character was Eddie Yates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urisnmO3NdY

Except for a dabble with Angie and Den I don't think I've watched a soap opera since Stan/Hilda/Eddie left Coronation Street.

[bböp]

55 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

 

Since you're asking, the lodger character was Eddie Yates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urisnmO3NdY

Except for a dabble with Angie and Den I don't think I've watched a soap opera since Stan/Hilda/Eddie left Coronation Street.

 
This is the kind of content people come to Via Chicago to be mystified by. Certainly not any of my idiotic ramblings…

 

I never upload photos, but I shall try to add one of our Stan from last night since I am indeed a Stan stan:

 

 

[theashtraysays]

Love seeing that pic. Totally a Stan stan myself. (Did I mention we share a birthday? Tis true!)

Interesting that of the zillion FB/IG posts, nobody mentioned this MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT but you.

#VCForever

[kidsmoke]

4 hours ago, bböp said:

 
This is the kind of content people come to Via Chicago to be mystified by. Certainly not any of my idiotic ramblings…

 

I never upload photos, but I shall try to add one of our Stan from last night since I am indeed a Stan stan:

 

 

 

This makes me happy. Who doesn't love Stan?! He deserves that trophy and all that love.