Wilco — 19 June 2025, Dachau, Germany (Rathausplatz) [Dachauer Musiksommer]

[bböp]

For any student of history, at least of the 20^th century variety, the name Dachau evokes its tragic past as the site of the first and longest-operating Nazi concentration camp. Located approximately 12 miles northwest of Munich, in southern Germany, the town of Dachau today could be described as a bedroom community and a relatively sleepy but picturesque small burg that features several different waterways.

None of the past — or present — of Dachau, however, came up during Wilco’s tour stop here as part of the Dachauer Musiksommer series of outdoor concerts held in the plaza right outside the Rathaus (or City Hall). The closest thing to a downer might have been when Jeff was once again trying to urge the somewhat staid audience to sing along with the “ba-ba bada ba-ba-bada-dada…” part in Spiders (Kidsmoke) and he was saying the usual things about how he knew that there were a fair number of introverts and shy people in the crowd but that singing along would make them feel good and that singing with other people is one of the best things we can do. But then for his final point, he offered the idea that when you are in the hospital at the end of your life, dying, “You’re not gonna think, ‘Oh, I’m glad I didn’t sing along.’” If you thought, “Well, that took a turn,” I couldn’t really blame you (though it did actually end up working pretty well as a motivational speech to get the crowd going).

The other moment during the show when Jeff kind of “went dark” for a moment came much earlier on when he asked if people were having a good time. This came after a rousing version of Meant To Be. When the audience members generally answered in the affirmative, Jeff quipped, before starting Via Chicago, “We’ll see what we can do about that.”

Before I go any further, a few words about the setup for the show. As I mentioned, it took place in the Rathausplatz — a sort of town square — and basically it was like Dachau just decided to throw a block party. Except that the stage was set up in a corner of the space on a part of the plaza where the first row of the audience barely fit on one stone step and then the next few rows sloped down several more steps. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it definitely made for a weird standing situation. Add to that the fact there was no barricade at the front, but there were several big subwoofers set up so that there were little pockets in between them where one or two people could fit right up against the stage, which is what happened when everyone initially took their spots after the gates opened. But just before Wilco took the stage, a security guard came and put a piece of tape across all of the subwoofers to try and establish a de facto rail, pushing all the people who had been in the little gaps out. It just made for another bit of discomfort, especially for folks in the front few rows. (I will take credit for dubbing the security guard’s taping-off of the front as an example of “once in Germany someone said nein.”)

Anyway, despite the somewhat odd setup, there was nonetheless a sort of intimacy between band and audience. The sold-out crowd of maybe 1,000 or 1,200 never felt too far away at any point, and you could tell that Jeff and Co. were feeding off some of the energy from the onlookers. As one small example of just how close the first few rows were, after the one real setlist surprise of the night — the first full-band performance of You Never Know this year — Jeff assured the audience that despite the song’s repeated lyric about not caring any more, “We still care.” One member of the peanut gallery (ahem) questioned Jeff, with a slightly sarcastic “Do you?” Jeff of course heard the comment and quietly responded, “We do — too much.”

That was a subtle example of Jeff’s several amusing visits to Banter Corner over the course of the evening. Another came near the end of Set 1 when he was introducing the Ode To Joy two-fer of Love Is Everywhere (Beware) and Quiet Amplifier. “I know there was somebody from this country with something named that as well,” Jeff joked, referring to Beethoven’s Ode To Joy from his Ninth Symphony. “We don’t mind. Now we’re gonna play a couple (songs) off the real Ode To Joy.” A bit later, during Set 2, Jeff said, “All right, we’ve got a lot more songs to play if that’s all right. It’s been such a lovely, lovely night and Wilco sounded sooooo good earlier.” It wasn’t the first time Jeff joked about he and his bandmates opening for themselves, except that when he sensed the bit might be falling flat, he seemed to finally admit defeat. “All right, I’m gonna step away from that joke,” Jeff concluded.

As the night went on, things seemed to get progressively goofier — both from the band and the crowd. In the encore, for example, someone in the middle of the crowd apparently got up on someone else’s shoulders and it prompted Jeff to remark “that doesn’t happen to this band very often. I’m gonna go write in my diary.” Then someone else nearby must have done the same thing, which caused Pat to observe: “Different person, but same shoulders.” Jeff then poked fun at the rest of the crowd (the guys, specifically) for not being strong enough to lift their own person up on their shoulders, quipping in his best Chicagoese, “What’s the matter with youse guys?” Finally, though, Jeff had to admit that while it was nice to see the shoulder riding, “It’s dangerous. Please get down.”

For his part, Jeff’s goofiness manifested during the start of I’m The Man Who Loves You when he delayed the start of the song by holding the first note for so long that even his bandmates seemed to be wondering what he was doing. He glanced over at Pat, who was waiting for him to start the song in earnest and joked(?) that “this is how it was written, (with) a long note.” Glenn also got a little weirder as the show went on. At one point I think I caught him trying to scratch an itch on his back with one of his drumsticks.

It was that kind of night, I suppose. Jeff’s entreaty to the audience to sing the ba-bas during Spiders clearly paid dividends as this southern German block party finally kicked into high gear. As happened in Antwerp a couple of nights earlier, it seemed like the crowd just needed some sort of chant behind which to rally. (Apparently they don’t do the South American “Olé, olé, olé, Wheelco, Wheelco,” on this side of the pond?) So once the ba-bas took hold, then of course they extended into the encore break and beyond. And that caused the band to again goof around with it briefly at the start of the encore — Glenn hit his cymbal threateningly as if to trigger another Spiders breakdown, for example — before they got back to the task of sending the Dachauers into the night having been sufficiently rocked.

Here was the complete setlist, as played  (I glimpsed a printed setlist for Set 2 and the encore and there were no changes/omissions; can't say for sure about Set 1, but it didn't seem like it):

Set 1

Wishful Thinking

Company In My Back

Evicted

Handshake Drugs

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Meant To Be

Via Chicago

If I Ever Was A Child

You Never Know

Forget The Flowers

Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull

Cruel Country

Love Is Everywhere (Beware)

Quiet Amplifier

Either Way

 

Set 2

The Late Greats

Side With The Seeds

Whole Love

Hummingbird

Jesus, etc.

Impossible Germany

Box Full Of Letters

Annihilation

Heavy Metal Drummer>

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

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

Falling Apart (Right Now)

California Stars

Walken

I Got You (At The End Of The Century)

[jackpunch]

Well I was there and had a great time. Thought the band was on top form. Apparently the venue/square holds 1500 people 

[bböp]

10 minutes ago, jackpunch said:

Well I was there and had a great time. Thought the band was on top form. Apparently the venue/square holds 1500 people 

Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for the info on capacity!

[Albert Tatlock]

Ta. I must say it's a real pleasure to have you on Euro time so the review is there ready when I reach my natural tea break. The icing on the cake or biscuit, or whatever.

 

Also

 

 

[50footqueenie]

Not enough curmudgeonly content in this review. Hopefully the ‘peanut gallery’ Will provide more at the weekend.

[bböp]

1 hour ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Ta. I must say it's a real pleasure to have you on Euro time so the review is there ready when I reach my natural tea break. The icing on the cake or biscuit, or whatever.

 

Also

 

 

 

Glad I can be of service... 

From my perspective, it’s nice to receive the notification of your ta at a normal hour rather than at, say, 4 a.m., seconds after I’ve hit the post button. 
 

33 minutes ago, 50footqueenie said:

Not enough curmudgeonly content in this review. Hopefully the ‘peanut gallery’ Will provide more at the weekend.

 

What can I say? It’s the Era Of Good Feelings. We need some hooliganish behavior out of you British Isle — am I allowed to use that as a descriptor? — lot to maybe get Curmudgeonly Jeff back for a brief moment. 

 

That, or the the peanut gallery will have to be a lot more chirpy… 

 

[jackpunch]

We're heading back to London tomorrow. We'll be at the RAH and then head home on Monday.

 

I like these "concert holidays". Wilco in San Sebastian 2022, Calexico in Pistoia in 2024 and Wilco in Dachau 2025.

 

My budget wouldn't stretch to a European Calexico gig this year.