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When Wilco first toured after the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002, though it seems even longer ago), they'd joke around on stage about how they were trying to popularize the word "snoozin'." Jeff Tweedy would say, "You know how when people started saying 'bad' when something was really good? It's the same thing. 'Snoozin' is the new 'rockin'."
It's an ethos that, while not uniformly descriptive of the band's output since then, is certainly indicative of their past three albums, and certainly was true of the band's opening selections during the second of a two day stand at the 9:30 Club last night. Starting out with Tweedy solo staple "Sunken Treasure", Wilco jumped around in their catalog (from Mermaid Avenue Vol. II's "Remember the Mountain Bed" to Sky Blue Sky's "Side with the Seeds") but kept things relatively mellow. Of course, that's the luxury you're afforded when you sell out two shows in fifteen minutes — you get a patient audience ready for anything you have in store for them.
But if Wilco are becoming the grizzled veterans — let's not call them elder statesmen just yet — of indie rock, they're still above resting on their laurels, and even their most-played tunes seem to be treated with new, intricate arrangements each tour. Where previously "A Shot in the Arm" had prominently featured John Stiratt's melodic bass line and swooning strings, this time it was more about guitarist Nels Cline coaxing pure noise out his amps. On "Handshake Drugs", Tweedy swapped an acoustic for an electric halfway and, together with Cline, more feedback-laced mayhem ensued. And on "Pieholden Suite", the band's six man lineup wasn't enough: they brought in the Total Pros horn section to play the wonderful brassy outro.
Photos by marshin13
The set's lesser moments — a lackadaisical vocal on "Pot Kettle Black", a sludgy mix on the rarely-played "When the Roses Bloom Again" — were minor bumps in the road. Any real Wilco fan surely found something to love in last night's loose-limbed performance, whether it was the plaintive, brooding set closer "On and On and On" or the crowd-pleasing second encore that included "Casino Queen" and the nearly-obligatory "I'm a Wheel". Whatever it was, it's hard to not agree that all of Tweedy's widdling and augmenting to his band's lineup over the years has finally created a true powerhouse. No band gives melodic pop songs such diverse arrangements, and, skill-wise, they're as adept at the spare, electric piano groove of "Jesus, etc." as they are the snarling guitar attack of "I'm the Man That Loves You" (that's still a love song, right?). Which is to say, both snoozin' and rockin'.
Stream the show from NPR.org here.
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I was lucky enough to catch the NPR stream...sounded like a helluva good show. I would have killed to see the horn section going at.
Did anyone actually go? About 2/3's in, Tweedy asks this woman what she had stuck in her cleavage...turns out it was a doll of some kind. When prompted further for an explanation, the woman just replied she (the doll) was a Wilco fan. Anyone know what that was all about?
Snoozin: what I was doing the last time I saw Wilco.
Don't get me wrong. I think they are pioneers of a genre, and great songwriters. I love Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Seeing them live the first time was fun. The second time, a year later, was, well, kinda ho hum. The third time, another year later, I was looking at my watch.
Wilco spends way too much time in concert in some kind of "jam" -- and I use that term loosely, since these breaks actually sound more a human being doing a perfect imitation of a digital delay loop. While interesting on an album, this is boring as hell in concert. They aren't a jam band. They shouldn't act like one in concert. Or if they want to be a jam band, then they should actually try jamming.
I couldn't see it from where I was, but Tweedy sure was having a good time giving explanations to the listeners at home of what was going on at the club.
I thought it was a fantastic show. Definitely the best one of theirs that I have been to (of about 3 in total).
Maybe it's just their style now, or the venue, or the anticipation of the crowd (or all of these combined) but I've never heard the music and vocals so clearly at the 9:30 Club before last night. Also, the crowd was definitely a bit shorter than the average at 9:30. Are Wilco fans below average height? For a change, I had such a clear view of the stage when standing down below.
Nels Cline is an amazing guitarist. He's the reason I love Sky Blue Sky ("Impossible Germany" is my 2007 song of the year), and I think he makes most of the songs on YHF even better than they already are (last night's show is a great example of this, but if you need an even better example, listen to their live album Kicking Television).
Pat Sansone is also fun to watch on stage. Wikipedia tells me he's almost 40, but he looks like a kid up there, just having fun imitating his favorite rock stars.
And Glenn Kotche, the drummer...You're right, this really is a "powerhouse" lineup.
Wilco fans -- short?
I reviewed the first of the two 9:30 shows, and I had to spend a lot of it on my tiptoes. And I'm 6'1"!
I forgot to mention that I was wearing my platform shoes with the fishbowls for heels with little goldfish swimming around inside. That adds a good 5" probably. But still!
The woman had some barbie-looking doll that she held in her cleavage. It was... special.
I'd strangely agree with the short comment. At 5'6" I had no problem seeing the stage from the middle of the main room, which is a rarity!
The woman had some barbie-looking doll that she held in her cleavage. It was... special.
I'd strangely agree with the short comment. At 5'6" I had no problem seeing the stage from the middle of the main room, which is a rarity!
I wouldn't say shorter since the guy in front of me (Happy Birthday Brian! Whoo!, yeah your friend is a drunk a'hole)was about 6'5"
But they were also an older crowd, and in that sense, maybe they've started shrinking?
I was just bummed that they played heavy metal drummer Tuesday and not Wednesday.
(Oh yeah, and that girl was just waving like a Barbie doll or whatever, but she was in the front row, so her weirdness was obvious.)
double posting for points kmcneill? shameless.
Barbie must have been from Maryland. Way to do the District proud, freakshow.
Tweedy Bird is slowly turning into John Popper.
I must have been the unluckiest person there... there were three dudes that were at least 6'3" directly in front of me.
She's not a Barbie, she's Red Velvet and she enjoys concerts, Wilco in particular. She normally makes people smile. Too bad the stiffs in DC can't appreciate a little whimsy.
Girl, you're nuts. If you're going to post that comment at least change your avatar to from panda to the doll.
Seems to me that guys getting their BVDs in a bunch over a doll are the ones who are nuts.