Wilco @ Palladium Ballroom - Sept 14

I have this tendency that I've noticed over the course of this year, as I attempt to see one show a month. I really like the opening acts.

Listening to Dr. Dog, the opening act on Wilco's tour this year, I felt the same way I did when I heard Vive Voce (who opened for The Shins) or Love of Diagrams (who opened for Ted Leo). I felt like I caught a rising store before they rose. I felt like I'd caught the Beatles in Liverpool or Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco. I just caught the band that I'll be telling all my friends that they HAVE to hear and I'll get credit among a small group of acquaintances for finding the band before anyone else (which is like currency to me, if only in my mind).

Then the headlining act comes out, and I realize why those bands are opening for them. Because the headliners are really fucking good.

Not that there was anything wrong with Dr. Dog (Wilco-light with a heavy Abbey Road influence and three-part harmonies) and I'm looking for some music right now because I definitely want to hear more. But Wilco... Wilco...

"That's your invitation... sorry that it sucks."

This is what a rock-show should be.  They played for solidly 2 1/2 hours with two encores (the first of which they played 6 songs, the second they played 4). Jeff Tweedy exceeded my expectations as a front man. He was letter perfect the whole night. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a moment where his voice wasn't spot on.

The lead guitar player was in-freaking-credible and Glen on the drums was great as well. Wilco excels in creating a sound of chaos but they are always controlling the chaos. They'll bring the chaos to a fever pitch and either just let it drop of the table, or they'll fade it into another hook that rocks harder than it normally would have because of their efforts.

Tweedy's banter is perfect too. You get the feeling seeing him (and through the documentary) that he's really kind of a shy guy who's pretty good with a lyric, really good with a melody and the combination has forced him to learn how to be comfortable in front of a crowded room ready to adore him. His reserved nature makes his good-natured joking with the audience seem that much more genuine.

"There's a rock cliche," he said, "where the band tells the audience to sing along. So, if you know the words, here's your chance. That's your invitation... sorry that it sucks."

Apparently there was an 8-year-old girl falling asleep up near the front (understandably... They'd been on stage for 2 hours by this point). Turns out it was her birthday and Tweedy gave her a Red Bull one of the crew gave him from off stage after leading the crowd in Happy Birthday.

They never let up. Even the slower-tempo numbers were intense. They played probably 5 tracks from the new album, Sky Blue Sky, about the same number from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but they also went back to AM and played some from that album. I thought about going through their discography and listing off as many tracks as I remember them playing, but it would be futile because they played so much.

In fact, I was driving home and listening to their double-live album, Kicking Television. As I was walking out of the show, I was thinking that it would be easier to list the songs they didn't play. Then I started listening to the first disc of the live album and of the 12 tracks on that first disc, maybe 4 of them got played in the show I saw. And that was in just half the recorded show. That's an impressive catalog.

Highlights of the night: Misunderstood (has to be their best live song), Jesus, Etc. (the song that made me a Wilco fan and the one he invited the crowd to sing), Either Way (from the new album and a song that sneaks up on you, even live), Impossible Germany (ibid, your honor), I Am Trying to Break Your Heart and a song from AM that I didn't recognize but that impressed me so much that it is now a priority to get that album (the only Wilco album I don't have).

I was a big Wilco fan going into this show. I'm a bigger fan now. Last night they turned me into a guy who will never, ever miss a show they put on when it comes to town. The best show I've seen this year in a landslide.

UPDATE: A commenter on my crosspost of this over at last.fm wrote this:            

      The Breakdown!!    

The last time It's Just That Simple was performed was 12 years ago in Nov. of '95 in St. Louis on the AM tour. It's NEVER been performed in Dallas before (though they did perform it twice in Austin that tour, both times at Liberty Lunch). To put that in perspective, there are kids who'd just been born and are now sixth-graders... you get the picture.

Too Far Apart from AM has been kind of a show regular of late, though they just added it to the setlist in August. They've done it in ten shows since then. But except for 4 shows in 2000, they hadn't really been doing that since the AM tour either. So for my money, yet another treat.

Song count by album - AM (2), Being There (Four! Count em! FOUR!), Summerteeth (Sadly, only 2), Mermaid Ave. (1), YHF (6), A Ghost is Born (3), Sky Blue Sky (7)

I've GOT to get AM.

UPDATE II: Here's the setlist and a couple of notes from another review.

   

Setlist

   

1. Shake It Off

2. A Shot In The Arm

3. Side With The Seeds

4. You Are My Face

5. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

6. Pot Kettle Black

7. Handshake Drugs

8. Impossible Germany

9. It's Just That Simple

10. Misunderstood

11. Jesus, Etc.

12. Too Far Apart

13. Walken

14. I'm The Man Who Loves You

15. Poor Places

16. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore 1:

17. Red-Eyed And Blue

18. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)

19. Hesitating Beauty

20. Hate It Here

21. I'm Always In Love

22. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Encore 2:

23. Heavy Metal Drummer

24. Hummingbird

25. On And On And On

 

A high point midway through the set was "It's Just That Simple," a tune from AM that the band hadn't played since 1995. It featured bassist John Stirratt on guitar and lead vocals, while frontman Jeff Tweedy took bass duties for the first time since the Uncle Tupelo days. The song came off like a lost track from The Band's The Last Waltz and was dedicated to John's father, who was in the audience.

 

                       

 

Comments

[Eric]

Abbey Road was my observation and it ended up being a root beer, not a red bull. I need my own blog, don't I?

Eric Callaway

[Dylan]

Yes, that is totally true... Eric is the one that mentioned Abbey Road in relation to Dr. Dog.

And I sure thought it was a red bull, but ok.