Tag: Wilco

Wilco Announce Winterlude Tour Dates

To beat the winter blues Wilco is doing a small residency tour to a few cities. Luckily they are coming to mine and I will definitely be buying tickets. I’ve seen them half a dozen times and they never disappoint.

Presales started yesterday and you can find out more on their website.

Thur. December 5 – Austin, TX @ The Moody Theater
Fri. December 6 – Austin, TX @ The Moody Theater
Sat. December 7 – Austin, TX @ The Moody Theater
Tue. December 10 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Wed. December 11 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s BallroomFri.
December 13 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
Sat. December 14 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
Sun. December 15 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre

Links of the Day: August 28, 2023

Nancy Pelosi on Dylan, the Grateful Dead, a wild night in Argentina — and the healing power of music: LA Times

Every cameo that Alfred Hitchcock made in his films: Yardbarker

Grateful Dead releases live track from upcoming ‘Wake of the Flood’ 50th anniversary edition: KSIX

NH filmmaker commemorates 1973 rock concert: NHBR

Revisiting Wilco & Bob Weir’s Masterful ‘Dark California Stars’ Performances: Jambase

Wilco Announce New Tour Dates

I alredy got my tickets to the Tulsa show.

Wilco Fall 2023 Tour

Mon. Sept. 25 – Wichita, KS @ Wave
Tue. Sep. 26 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Thu. Sep. 28 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
Fri. Sep. 29 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater @ Waterloo Park
Sun. Oct. 1 – Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
Tue. Oct. 3 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Civic Center East Bowl Stage
Wed. Oct. 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Thu. Oct. 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Fri. Oct. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Sun. Oct. 8 – Monterey, CA @ Rebels & Renegades Festival
Wed. Oct. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Fri. Oct. 13 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre
Sat. Oct. 14 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
Mon. Oct. 16 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
Tue. Oct. 17 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
Wed. Oct. 18 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
Fri. Oct. 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Eccles Theater
Sun. Oct. 22 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
Mon. Oct. 23 – Omaha, NE @ The Astro Theater
Wed. Oct. 25 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
Thu. Oct. 26 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
Fri. Oct. 27 – Bentonville, AR @ The Momentary

Links of the Day: April 26, 2023 – Wilco, Martin Scorsese, and Lucinda Williams

It has been a while since I’ve done one of these. Google changed the way they send me their alerts and it became a bit of a pain. But I’m trying to do lots of things to make this site interesting again just to see where I can take it. So hopefully I’ll do links posts more regularly.

Photo Gallery: Wilco at the Classic Center: Flagpole

Timothée Chalamet and Martin Scorsese Rode the Subway: Curbed

Lucinda Williams and her suitcase full of songs: NPR

Lucinda Williams on her soul-baring memoir: The Independent

See Faye Webster Join Wilco For Stirring ‘Jesus Etc.’ In Athens: Jambase

Lucinda Williams Bit Ryan Adams and Other Big Reveals in Her New Memoir: Rolling Stone

Links of the Day: February 17, 2023

Wilco Selling Guitars, Century-Old Organ, and Gear From Their Chicago Studio: Pitchfork

Martin Scorsese ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is Still Being Edited: World of Reel

New John Lennon and Yoko Ono Documentary Announced: Pitchfork

Listen to isolated vocals of Tom Petty on ‘I Won’t Back Down’: Far Out

‘Jeopardy!’ Stumped Contestants On A Bob Dylan Question, And Their Guesses Were Truly Disheartening: Uproxx

Neil Young Announces First Concert Since Before Pandemic: Pitchfork

Wilco Announce Tour of North America, Spring 2023

They aren’t coming anywhere near me, but if they come your way I always recommend catching Wilco live. They remain one of the best live bands out there.

You can get your tickets on their website.

Wilco:

03-23 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre *
03-25 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre *
03-26 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre *
03-30 Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre *
03-31 Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre *
04-01 Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre *
04-06 Reykjavík, Iceland – Eldborg Hall located at the Harpa Center
04-07 Reykjavík, Iceland – Eldborg Hall located at the Harpa Center
04-08 Reykjavík, Iceland – Eldborg Hall located at the Harpa Center
04-16 Charleston, SC – High Water Festival
04-18 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock %
04-19 St. Augustine, FL – St Augustine Amphitheater %
04-20 Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall %
04-22 Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing %
04-23 Athens, GA – Classic Center %
04-24 Huntsville, AL – Mark C. Smith Concert Hall %
04-25 Nashville, TN – The Ryman %
04-27 Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre %
04-28 Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe %
04-29 Greensboro, NC – White Oak Amphitheater %
04-30 Athens, OH – Ohio University Templeton Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
08-19 Taboão, Portugal – Festival Paredes De Coura
09-03 Birmingham, United Kingdom – Moseley Folk Festival

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    % with The A’s

Concert Review: Wilco – Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN (06/15/07)

We had three tickets to see Wilco and only two people to go. A friend who belonged to the other ticket had to cancel at the last moment. I had posted to message boards and asked friends to come, but no one responded.

Free tickets to see one of the greatest live bands playing today and no one responded. I think I need to find new friends.

So we arrived at the venue early, hoping we might find some hapless soul willing to buy the one ticket. Almost immediately we found some guys on bikes with signs saying they were buying tickets. There was a little haggling, and I found myself on the losing end of that. Ten bucks and I was free one ticket. That’s a lot less than I paid, but a little more than nothing.

The Murat is a beautiful old theatre in downtown Indianapolis. Having arrived early to unload the ticket and having already done such, we walked into the entryway of the theatre to await the doors to open. Many folks were already there. An odd thing this was to me as we had assigned seats so there was literally no reason to arrive so early, but there we were.

Our earliness was paid off as a young man came out stating that the band had asked him take fan requests. My mind went racing. I was dying to come up with something obscure and unique – something that the band would see and love and no doubt talk about from the stage. Maybe even ask me to come on down and sing it with them.

Instead, I came up with something off the new album, something they would undoubtedly play even without my request. “Hate it Here” is possibly my favorite song off of Sky Blue Sky, and I was most anxious to hear those Stones riffs live.

Sitting back down I encouraged my wife to choose something but she’s shy about these things, and couldn’t come up with anything. I suggested “Outtasite (Outta mind)” off of an older album, Being There, and she stood up to make the request.

“No, wait,” I said, “pick something off of the Woody Guthrie tribute.” “What’s the name of the one with the repeat? Oh yes, it’s ‘Walt Whitman’s Niece,’ choose that one.”

Yes, I know that’s one that Billy Bragg sang lead on, but Wilco played most of the music and they did the backup parts, which would be awesome live with all the audience singing the repeat.

The wife goes and makes the request coming back with a puzzled look. A few minutes later she begins cursing herself, when I ask why she says, “Walt Whitman’s Knees.”

What?” I ask.

“I wrote the song down as ‘Walt Whitman’s Knees.’ I knew that wasn’t right when I wrote it but I couldn’t think of the right name.”

We laughed and laughed at that. I hoped, I prayed Tweedy would see it and laugh with the band and say something about my silly wife from the stage.

We had quite literally the last seats in the house – upper balcony, last row, very last seats stage left. My view was a little obstructed by an archway, but overall the stage was quite visible.

A band I had never heard of, Low, opened. I won’t say they were bad, but I won’t deny it either. I normally do my best to dig an opening band. I usually get very angry at the crowd when they talk through the opening act. This time, I was kind of with them.

It isn’t that the music wasn’t any good, it was they were in the wrong venue, opening for the wrong band. They had a very relaxed, ethereal feel – think Mazzy Star or Luna and you’ll come close. For the wide-open acoustics of the Murat, they sounded too muddled. When we’re all jazzed to hear the loud, ruckus of Wilco, relaxed and ethereal is not what we want, or not what I wanted anyway.

Luckily their set was short and Wilco came out with a fury. I tried writing down their setlist, but it was so dark in my little corner that I quickly realized there is no way I would be able to read my scratchings. And looking at them now, they are all a mess.

This is the tightest band in show business. Even though half the members have only been with the band a few short years, they play like a well-oiled machine. Nells Cline, the guitarist, is especially amazingly awesome. The guy simply tore it up. The roof was on fire, let me tell you.

They stuck primarily to songs off of their last three albums. I don’t know if this was because Tweedy likes his newer stuff more, of that most of the band hasn’t been on board for longer than those albums, or these are just the songs the fans prefer to hear. This fan would have appreciated some more older stuff, but I take what I can get.

From our in-the-rafter seats the sound was a little less than spectacular and I struggled to differentiate between some of the instruments, but the band was playing like Moses on fire. Enthusiasm oozed from everybody as they jumped and shook and moved like a giant, twitching snake.

About mid-show they played “Hate It Here” and I had to poke my wife with a little “they’re playing this for me” even though most likely they would have played it without my request. Still, it added a fun element to the show, which I would guess is the very reason they do the requests.

It was a darn fine version too, what with the big sing-along chorus and the fun lyrics about washing clothes and what-not. The whole show was filled with a nice little moment and fun sing-alongs. Although, every time I see Wilco I am reminded of how few of their lyrics I actually know.

I’m just not a lyrics guy. I have a terrible short-term memory and as such, I have difficulty remembering lyrics past the moment they are sung. Instead, I concentrate on the music and turn into one of those flailing arms to the beat of the guitar riff guys.

There was a lot of arm pumping this night. After a double encore with the surprise old album shot of “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” we went home happy.

They never did play “Walt Whitman’s Niece” and no one but me made fun of my wife’s mistake, but even so it was a darn fine night of music.

Setlist:

1. A Shot In The Arm
2. Side With The Seeds
3. You Are My Face
4. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
5. Kamera
6. Handshake Drugs
7. War On War
8. Impossible Germany
9. Sky Blue Sky
10. Jesus, Etc.
11. Hate It Here
12. Walken
13. Shake It Off
14. I’m The Man Who Loves You
15. Hummingbird

Encore 1:
16. Sunken Treasure
17. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore 2:
18. Heavy Metal Drummer
19. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
20. California Stars

Thanks to Wilcobase for the setlist.

Random Shuffle: (08/08/06) – Neil Young, Wilco, George Jones, U2, & The Grateful Dead

“Rockin in the Free World” – Neil Young
From Freedom

The first time I ever heard this song was on an MTV awards show – I assume the VMAs, but I really don’t remember. It was an amazing performance with Pearl Jam as the backup band. It was really quite incredible watching the grandfather of grunge jamming like it was the rapture along with up-and-comers Pearl Jam (this was the early 90s so PJ was still fairly young as a band). It was, and is, one of my favorite all-time live television performances (Editor’s Note: You can watch that performance here.)

Eddie Vedder sang the verse about the addict mother putting her kid away to get a hit. The kid, as the song says will “never go to school/never get to fall in love/never get to be cool.” At the time I felt those lyrics were staunchly pro-abortion perhaps because the rest of the lyrics have a liberal tint and Eddie is quite outspoken on his pro-choice views. Over time I have come to feel that it isn’t as pro-abortion as it is a condemnation of a country that can allow its poor and downtrodden to live in such a way that they’d abandon their children.

This is not in any way meant as a means to debate the abortion issue. Believe me, I never intend to get political here. It’s just when I hear this song I always think of that performance and Eddie singing those lyrics so passionately.

This is a less fiery, acoustic version. I’ve heard Mr. Young perform this song acoustically much more than electric, which seems strange to me since it works so much better wired up.

Neil gives it his best shot, and the audience obviously digs it, out-blasting Neil on the final chorus.

“Pot Kettle Black” – Wilco
From Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Have I mentioned I completely adore this entire album? For ages and ages, I had heard about the album and the whole back story about their record label dropping the band because YHF wasn’t commercial enough.

Ultimately I didn’t actually listen to the album until several years later – last year to be precise. I got a copy of the album and listened to it pretty extensively while on a train through the north of France. Turns out YHF is the perfect album to listen to while on a train in France. Watching the picturesque landscape roll by as Jeff Tweedy and company gently rock is just about as perfect as it gets.

This is a great mid-tempo number that conjures up images of rolling hills, tiny towns with their high church towers, and lots of gorgeous French trees.

“White Lightning” – George Jones
From Super Hits

After listening to countless youngsters with their super-loud car stereos roll by, an old roommate, and good friend proclaimed that he too was going to buy a souped-up stereo, but instead of whatever hip-hop record that was currently a hit, he was going to play some George Jones. He never did buy that stereo, but the idea always brings a smile to my lips.

I know this ode to bootleg liquor because of an East Tennessee band Robinella and the CC String Band. They have a great version on their first album. Robinella’s beautiful, country-changed voice is much more appealing than old Georges, and I love George Jones. Maybe it is George’s rather embarrassing drunkenness over the past few years that makes me prefer this song sung by another. It’s kind of like listening to “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton, knowing he doesn’t play the song anymore since he’s drug-free.

Ah, it’s a good song, and George does a good job of making it fun and silly. But a smooth female voice will always win with me.

“New Year’s Day” – U2
From War

Does Epic Rock get better than this? From the thundering bass to the Edge’s screaming guitars to the haunting, mysteriously political lyrics this song single-handedly solidifies U2 as a great rock band, never mind their dozen or so other great songs. It also makes me forgive them for their excesses and rather suckiness of the last several albums.

One New Year’s Eve my brother swore up and down that VH1 would surely play this song as the clock struck 12. They didn’t, but we sat staring at the TV hoping to hear the song and prove him right. The clock kept ticking and we wondered if they had played it an hour earlier for Eastern time, or would play it later for Mountain and Pacific. I’ll never forget the awkwardness of not only wanting to hear a great song but to prove my brother right. He was so sure they would play it that I felt bad for him when they didn’t.

Funny how songs evoke such memories.

“Brown Eyed Woman” – Grateful Dead
From Dicks Picks 7

During my months in Abilene, TX a liquor store used this song in the background for their commercials on David Gans’ Grateful Dead Hour.

One of Robert Hunter’s great western lyrics. He has this amazing ability to represent the mythos of the old west, while still hitting on contemporary themes. This is a pretty straight-up live version, which is to say it’s rather great.