Wilco — 6 December 2024, Austin, TX (ACL Live at the Moody Theater) [Night 2 of 3]

[bböp]

When you undertake a series of shows in which you promise not to repeat a song over the course of three nights and play some that you haven't in quite some time, I think it's safe to assume that a certain amount of planning has gone into the endeavor. There's picking the songs you want to play, then rehearsing the ones you don't know as well and of course dividing them up as evenly as possible over the course of the run, so that each show has its fair share of so-called "hits" as well as deep cuts that will satisfy both die-hard fans and more casual attendees alike — whether they are going to all three shows or just one.

 

And then there's the format of the shows, which was established on Night 1 and which Jeff once again noted were basically the first-ever Wilco shows in which the band has taken a mid-set break between two distinct sets. I'm not suggesting that these "Winterlude On The Road" shows are formulaic, but I would say that on Night 2, we had at least a better idea of what to expect.

 

Within that template, though, there was still room for Jeff and Co. to surprise, which to me was the highlight of Night 2. Exhibit A of that came just seven songs into the first set, when the band debuted an excellent rearrangement of the Ode To Joy cut Everyone Hides that kind of centered on that song's main guitar riff. Beginning with an almost-twangy lead-in, the song eventually expanded into a full-on jam with Pat leading the way with an energetic electric guitar part. Take it from me, as someone who's heard that song a fair bit since its live debut in 2019 (and who may or may not have a connection to its video), this performance of it was definitely something to behold. Is Wilco a jam band now? Well, let's not get carried away (speaking of which...wink wink).

 

Anyway, another surprise came a bit later in the first set when the sextet tackled another cut off Ode To Joy, Quiet Amplifier, for just the second time ever after performing it live for the first time at the Solid Sound Festival this past summer. That performance featured special appearances by a few guest percussionists, including Spencer Tweedy and Glenn's daughter, Vivian, but there were no special guests this time, making this the first time Wilco played the percussive track on its own and Glenn — as he always is, but particularly here — was a marvel to behold.

 

Other noteworthy moments during the first set included the deep cut Venus Stopped The Train performed hauntingly by just Jeff and Mikael — Jeff nearly flubbed the end of the first verse, but managed to save it and also not betray the almost-stumble as he often does in such instances — as well as Remember The Mountain Bed. Though Jeff has performed the Woody Guthrie tune fairly regularly during his solo and Tweedy band shows, Wilco somewhat amazingly hadn't played it live in more than nine years (unless I'm missing something...it was on the printed setlist at a show in 2017 but wasn't actually played that night, despite Wilcoworld reporting that it was).

 

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the near-bookends of Night 2, Set 1 — namely, Reservations and Less Than You Think. After the former, which concluded rather quickly without any of the long ambient section at the end, Jeff made one of his few visits to Banter Corner during the show when he asked the audience if it thought "we were gonna do the whole outro. We should have. We should've taken a break after the second song (of the show)." We did, however, get at least some of the drone following Less Than You Think, which was the perfect closer for Set 1. As the band left the stage one by one, the drone carried on and the house lights stayed down for about five more minutes before it finally faded out.

 

Following the template established on the first night, the second set turned much more electric, as in guitar focused. We got the fan-favorite Star Wars twofer of Cold Slope>King Of You followed by a frenetic Laminated Cat and the heavy, capital-C version of Camera all in a row. And then the Flying V that Jeff broke out on Night 1 reappeared on a loose rendition of Someone Else's Song that — dare I say it — harkened back to the Being There days in 1997 (or at least what I imagine it would have been like if I had actually been around back then). It was all pretty glorious, I must say. Even on another rarity from the early days, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pat twanged it up with some neat licks on his Telecaster, echoing what Brian Henneman presumably contributed as the lead guitarist on the A.M. studio version.

 

Things got a tad more conventional after that outburst in the second set, but it was still a fun way to bring it home with the set-closing trio of Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind) and I'm A Wheel. Jeff had his worst lyric flub of the night, unfortunately, on Monday when he blanked on the start of the second verse — the "Blister on a turnpike..." line — and just couldn't save it. Oh well, it was still fun and kind of in keeping with the freewheeling nature of the second set.

 

As I said earlier, there really wasn't much in the way of banter — Jeff did have a brief moment with Glenn after War On War when they sort of looked at each other quizzically as if maybe one of them had gone a measure or two too long during the concluding strum-and-drum-off, and Jeff also briefly pointed out one guy at the start of the encore who had apparently not been standing square up to the stage during the show (which Jeff has had some issues with during a couple of his solo shows) — but when you've got 30-plus songs to play over the course of two sets, I suppose you just let the songs do the talking for you.

 

Here was the complete setlist, as played, for Night 2 (I didn't get a look at a printed setlist, so can't say if there were any changes/omissions, but it didn't seem like it):

 

Set 1
Poor Places>
Reservations
Sky Blue Sky
Remember The Mountain Bed
I Am My Mother
Cruel Country
Everyone Hides
I’ll Fight
Love Is Everywhere (Beware)
War On War
If I Ever Was A Child
Hearts Hard To Find
Venus Stopped The Train (Jeff and Mikael only)
Quiet Amplifier
Less Than You Think

 

Set 2
The Late Greats
Blue-Eyed Soul
Whole Love
Cold Slope>
King Of You
Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)
Camera
Someone Else’s Song
One Wing
What Light
Jesus, etc.
Hate It Here
Monday>
Outtasite (Outta Mind)
I’m A Wheel
-------------------------------------
Falling Apart (Right Now)
California Stars

[Brian F.]

You can really see how the Deep Cuts set from Solid Sound is seeding these sets so far. It seems like if you missed Solid Sound, you might be able to catch up if you make it to all three shows at a Winterlude stand.

 

I can speak from experience that the band's performance was already pretty tight by 1997. Whether it was that they were playing a lot of shows, or rehearsing a lot, or some combination, there weren't many loose or shaggy renditions of songs on the Being There tour, at least it didn't feel that way in the room. To the extent things got loose (e.g., encores of "Monday"), they seemed purposefully loose.

[bböp]

17 minutes ago, Brian F. said:

I can speak from experience that the band's performance was already pretty tight by 1997. Whether it was that they were playing a lot of shows, or rehearsing a lot, or some combination, there weren't many loose or shaggy renditions of songs on the Being There tour, at least it didn't feel that way in the room. To the extent things got loose (e.g., encores of "Monday"), they seemed purposefully loose.

 

Yeah, I get your point. I guess what I was trying to suggest with what I wrote about Someone Else's Song and just sort of that Being There-era in general is not so much that the band wasn't playing well, but there seemed to be — at least listening to some of the recordings from that time — more of a sense of irreverence or something. And I guess that's sort of what I took from the version of SES from tonight's show in Austin.

[theashtraysays]

1 hour ago, bböp said:

Well, let's not get carried away (speaking of which...wink wink).

 

Did you happen to notice a gong lurking behind the stage? 

[bböp]

3 minutes ago, theashtraysays said:

Did you happen to notice a gong lurking behind the stage? 

 

If only! #GongShow

[wilcolovesyou]

These last two nights have been extraordinary shows and easily in my top 10 or even top 5 most mind blowing Wilco shows. I strongly recommend if you’re reading this and not currently in Austin, to get your ass to Tulsa or Minneapolis-whatever it takes to make that happen in your life. 
 

Highlights for me were definitely Remember the Mountain Bed and Venus Stopped the Train as both songs evoke the feeling of first falling in love, deep inside each time I hear them live. I’ve only heard RTMB once before— at The Edgefield in Portland, many years ago— and I’ve been chasing that high ever since. You could hear a pin drop during both songs and I dare say, the acoustics were so phenomenal it felt more like we were inside a cathedral rather than the Moody Theatre. 
 

My other notable observation is something bbop is too humble to mention, but being as my head was the only object in between the sight line of Jeff and bbop, I can attest to the sweet connection between those two. I love watching the times when Jeff seems to be unsure or shakey on a line and will look to our ATS leader, almost like a human teleprompter. There’s always a wink wink, nudge nudge kinda vibe between them and it’s one of the millions of little things at a typical Wilco show that brings me immense joy.  Bbop sings to every song and must have a photographic memory cause he’s never off, never wrong. Jeff’s lucky to have him so near, so often.
 

Other things to note are, for me at least, the amazing audience with very few talkers and people very excited to be there.  Can’t wait for night 3.  As my rail rider friend mentioned last night, Set 1 of N2 felt like we were caught in a dream and I, for one, will be having a hard time at the end of N3 when the dream ends. Wilco loves you, baby.
 

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

3 hours ago, bböp said:

who may or may not have a connection to its video

In the same way that Chevy Chase has a connection to the You Can Call Me Al video.

Good one and nice setlist.

Ta

[Brian F.]

14 hours ago, bböp said:

 

Yeah, I get your point. I guess what I was trying to suggest with what I wrote about Someone Else's Song and just sort of that Being There-era in general is not so much that the band wasn't playing well, but there seemed to be — at least listening to some of the recordings from that time — more of a sense of irreverence or something. And I guess that's sort of what I took from the version of SES from tonight's show in Austin.

 

I hear what you're saying. That sense of irreverence was definitely a thing back then. I think of things like the polka version of "Box Full of Letters" or having J.T. come out on vocals to do "Immigrant Song." And Jay always had a mad-scientist vibe on stage.

 

And then there was the ritual flinging of deli meats--- although that may have been more of a Summerteeth Tour thing.