bböp Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 As he made one final bid at the climax of Spiders (Kidsmoke) to get the sold-out crowd of about 1,200 at the cozy OLT Rivierenhof amphitheater to let go of its inhibitions a little bit, Jeff told the members of said crowd that he knew there were probably a fair number of introverts among them and he understood their generally reserved natures. Despite that, Jeff continued, they should nevertheless try to sing the “ba-ba bada ba-ba-bada-dada…” part at least one time through because it was good for them and they would feel better for doing it. I don’t know how many people joined in right away, but much to my surprise (and maybe the band’s), the collective effort slowly picked up steam and turned into quite an admirable singalong by the end. It worked so well that another round of singing that riff even picked up after Jeff and Co. left the stage and continued as they came back on for their encore. Call it Belgian bellowing. It might not have been Brazilian-level crowd participation or enthusiasm, but the Antwerp audience certainly seemed to make an impression on Wilco and the band responded with an amusing, albeit brief, lounge-ish take on Spiders before Jeff finally put a halt to things and got the train back on the tracks. Still, the energy that developed from that singalong at the end of the second set and continued into the encore definitely helped elevate tonight’s second of two “Evening With…” performances to another level that will make for a fun memory as this European tour rolls on. As you would expect, there was a healthy amount of variation between what was played on Night 2 versus Night 1. By my count, more than half of the setlist from the second night — 16 of 31 songs — consisted of tunes that hadn’t been played during the previous show. That number included the rousing, show-closing two-fer of Casino Queen and Outtasite (Outta Mind); the former, Jeff shared, had been a request made by someone Pat ran into on the street earlier in the day. “That’s all it takes,” he quipped. Then speaking to Pat directly, Jeff added, “That guy’s probably not even here.” From the outset, when the band came out promptly at 8 p.m. and launched into One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend), it felt like this show was going to be a memorable one. It was the first full-band performance of the song this year, and it seemed like Jeff got so mesmerized that he actually repeated the coda. I could be wrong on that, and Jeff’s bandmates all just seemed to go with the flow, but I’m reasonably certain I heard the outro part twice. One song Jeff definitely had a flub (or three) on was Hate It Here. He simply couldn’t find his lyrical footing on either the first or second verse, though ultimately he shrugged it off and managed to get through the rest of it relatively unscathed. And Jeff had plenty of strong moments, too, including the Ode To Joy duo of Love Is Everywhere (Beware) and Quiet Amplifier near the end of the first set and the cool coupling of Less Than You Think segue-ing into Spiders to close out the second. For the second night in a row, friend of the band and Finom co-founder Macie Stewart joined Wilco on violin on more than a few numbers (including that Less Than You Think-Spiders pairing). She got a chance to correct a minor hiccup from the night before on California Stars when she accidentally came in on her solo just a little early. Tonight Macie hit her mark perfectly and contributed a twangy little burst, while also joining forces with Nels just before the song’s conclusion. It was great to see the positive energy she brought every time she stepped foot on stage. Perhaps the only downside to such a full show — I clocked it at 2 hours, 46 minutes with a 24-minute interval — was that there really wasn’t much in the way of visits to Banter Corner. Jeff uttered a couple of his usual quips about Wilco opening for itself and it being close to the end, but I think one of the few noteworthy moments came a couple of songs after the excellent Cold Slope-King Of You suite when Jeff introduced Random Name Generator. Saying it was another cut off Star Wars, Jeff then caught himself and asked no one in particular, “Did we do any songs off Star Wars?” At that point, a VCer in the front row with a sign that read “Bring back You Satellite” — who could that be? — flashed it in Jeff’s line of sight. “Not that one,” Jeff said, with a smirk. “Put the sign down, Vince. Yes, I know all your names. Wait, we just played two from Star Wars. And here’s another. That’s like all of Star Wars…you’re in luck.” Anyway, I’ve probably droned on too long already, but I guess I should just reiterate what a fun show this one ended up being. It’s not always easy, I imagine, to break through to some audiences in some parts of the world, whether due to a language barrier, a lack of familiarity or cultural behaviors, but I’m glad that Jeff and his bandmates managed to get this Belgian crowd out of its shell if only for a short time. I understand that different people appreciate music in different ways, but I think it always makes for a better show when there’s some genuine exchange between performers and those who are receiving that performance. So kudos to those in Antwerp who took a chance and let their proverbial hair down for a bit. Here was the complete setlist, as played, for Night 2 (didn't get a look at the printed setlist, so can't say if there were any changes/omissions ): Set 1 One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) Company In My Back Evicted Handshake Drugs Muzzle Of Bees I Am Trying To Break Your Heart Meant To Be Via Chicago If I Ever Was A Child Forget The Flowers Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull Pot Kettle Black Love Is Everywhere (Beware) Quiet Amplifier* Either Way* Set 2 At Least That's What You Said Cold Slope> King Of You Side With The Seeds Random Name Generator Hummingbird* Jesus, etc.* Impossible Germany Hate It Here Walken Less Than You Think*> Spiders (Kidsmoke)* -------------------------------------- Falling Apart (Right Now) California Stars* Casino Queen*> Outtasite (Outta Mind)* * — with Macie Stewart on violin 5 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 As I missed night one in the forest in Antwerp, I can’t compare the two but I can say that this show was entirely delightful. Such a gorgeous evening and setting, a few nice setlist surprises, and a warm crowd who packed out the cozy little amphitheater to the far corners. In addition to the “sign decline” mentioned above (not that I’ll be deterred of course), I’ll add one bit of banter that I came across. Just before Via Chicago, in the quiet moment as the band was settling into the instrument change, someone (a woman I think) in the rail area in front of Nels let out a good solid “WOOO”. Jeff happened to be looking right at her at the time and apologetically said something like “I’m sorry- I was looking right at you just now”, and then proceeded to maintain direct eye contact with her for the opening lyric of “I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it felt alright to me” before giving a grin and continuing on as normal. And for sure the lyric flub on Hate it Here was a hoot - I for one was quite nervous that the floor was NEVER gonna get swept, but he came around at the end. Macie on Quiet Amplifier was beautiful, as was her addition to the abbreviated drone on LTYT and segue into Spiders. Quiet Amplifier is the highlight of the show for me these days. Well, at least till we bring back You Satellite… Happy to have made the show, see friends old and new, and spend a delightful evening in the park with Wilco. 2 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 15 minutes ago, theashtraysays said: I’ll add one bit of banter that I came across. Just before Via Chicago, in the quiet moment as the band was settling into the instrument change, someone (a woman I think) in the rail area in front of Nels let out a good solid “WOOO”. Jeff happened to be looking right at her at the time and apologetically said something like “I’m sorry- I was looking right at you just now”, and then proceeded to maintain direct eye contact with her for the opening lyric of “I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it felt alright to me” before giving a grin and continuing on as normal. Thanks for clarifying what happened there. I jotted down Jeff’s comment, but I had no idea what he saw. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Ta. Next stop Dachau. Not a phrase I imagine has been said in a positive light too often. https://destinationwwii.com/visiting-dachau-concentration-camp/ 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Philippe De Cleen Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 anybody know where I might find audio for this show? thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oecourt Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 look into this https://viachicago.org/forum/29-in-a-future-age/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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