Wilco @ The Fillmore in Denver: A fireworks display raining down on me

“Jeff Tweedy is some sort of crazy genius,” I found myself thinking as I watched my first Wilco show from front and center, pressed up against the barricade on Saturday night at The Fillmore. I had prepared myself for a really good show, but I was completely blown away by this band. There was the warm and rich display of the alt-country sound I’d expected, but also raw, real, fantastic rock blended with intelligent melodies and retro pop sensibilities. I’ve listened to them casually before last night, and holy cow now I understand what I’ve been missing out on. Their catalog is so much better than I had ever imagined, even just the two hour glimpse we got last night. I stand 100% converted.

They opened with a blue and gorgeous “You Are My Face,” and then launched right into this, which literally left me standing there with my mouth agape in wordless pleasure by the time it was over:

WILCO: I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART
(watch out for the unavoidable loud fuzzy spots in the audio)

[direct link]

I took several videos from my prime real estate location (Nels’ relentless pogoing in a snippet of “Shot in The Arm” and the engagingly playful sound of “Hummingbird“) and drank in the set that ran a full two hours.

Tweedy has an ineffable charisma, and makes something inside of me wince with recognition when he chisels out his best icy aching lyrics. I wasn’t expecting the power and range of his voice. He was letting it fly, with a soulful edge that to be completely honest brought to mind something like Black Crowes on a couple of occasions, which surprised me. I love this man.

I resolutely held my place on the railing so I had a clear view between the monitors of drummer Glenn Kotche, who is insanely good on drums — inventive and exacting, possessing a true joy in his playing. He was absolutely drenched in sweat by the third song (maybe also because it was twelve million degrees in the venue).

Nels Cline is face-meltingly amazing on the guitar — that man needs to be added to my pantheon of best guitar players. He plays with a class and a dignity of some middle-aged British duke (he had jaunty red pants on) but then absolutely shreds it. Check this video of him and Tweedy doing the dueling guitars on “I’m The Man Who Loves You.” The band was a full six people strong, lush and potent and shattering. It was a sheer delight to behold.

For me the most visceral song of the night was “Via Chicago” — it kicked me in the gut. It starts out with the casually sung lyrics, “I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it felt alright to me.” What a way to catch your attention, with those stabbing lyrics that aren’t afraid to speak out loud your deepest and ugliest thoughts. But the melody is fairly typical, a rustic and warm ballad-type. I’d like it well enough the way you think it’s going to go.

But about hafway through the live performance, the back end of it completely falls out, things fall apart. The drums go all dischordant, the backing melody splinters off, I had bright lights shining directly in my eyes — except Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt kept on with the regular melody, the regular harmonies as if nothing was happening. I thought something went wrong, I was confused – did the post-show music sound system come on or something?

Then the overpowering craziness stopped and the song continued. I realized it was intentional, and it truthfully made a weird hot burning come to my chest just because of the power of a song to do that to me. It’s brilliant — Tweedy works out (what I understand as) his feelings about “coming home” through these bursts within the song of crazy, deceptive, controlled anarchy. It was so unexpected, and therein lay the power and the genius.

Some artists do stuff like that all the time to shock you – or their world is so chaotic that it is a part of every song, that experimentalism, that avant garde chaos. But precisely since I would never have expected to have that happen, the performance of the song becomes a wonderful two-faced illustration of deception and conflicting feelings through singing one thing and half the band playing a complete other. He stands there, being the troubadour, oblivious in his deception.

* * * * * *

I told several friends today about the show with the hushed and breathless wonder usually reserved for religious pilgrimages or transcendental journeys. Everyone kind of shrugged and was like, “Yeah, Wilco’s cool.” I pressed them, “Yes, but have you ever seen them live?” None of them had, which explains why they could be so casual about it. If any of them had seen Wilco like I saw them last night, they’d be radiantly glowing too. The people standing on either side of me on the barricade were from Iowa and California, respectively, and had followed Tweedy like he was their prophet. I was kind of chuckling at them at the beginning of my night (“wilco has crazy fans!” I texted a friend). But by the time the band ripped out a thirteen minute version of Spiders (Kidsmoke), I was ready to pack up and follow them too.

Full setlist, Wilco in Denver 9/1/07
You Are My Face
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Pot Kettle Black
Handshake Drugs
A Shot in the Arm
Radio Cure
War on War
Side With The Seeds
Shake It Off
Too Far Apart
Jesus, etc.
Walken
I’m The Man Who Loves You
Hummingbird
On and On and On
———————————-
Impossible Germany
How To Fight Loneliness
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
———————————-
Via Chicago
Hate It Here
Heavy Metal Drummer
I’m Always in Love
Outtamind (Outtasite)

Remaining Wilco tour dates here
All my photos from last night here

Jeff Tweedy swings by your living room

Okay, I’ve cast my lot and I am in for Wilco tomorrow night at the Fillmore up in Denver. I have been hearing phenomenal show reviews from folks up and down the West Coast who have caught the Wilco revue in recent weeks, some saying it’s one of the best shows they’ve ever seen, so I am really excited. I was going to pose as a security guard to get in (I’m not lying, friend works there) but thankfully that idea is past. Although I was totally already practicing my cross-arm stance, daring people to mess with me.

A potpourri of bonus tunes from Wilco

I was reading Weiss’ entertaining piece on how to avoid hippies at Bonnaroo when they start forest dancing (yeah . . . good luck with that, Weiss) and saw Wilco on his list of top 10 bands he plans to check out later this month in the Tennessee wilderness. I did not realize all the fantastic bands coming through the ‘Roo, including Wilco — which reminded me of this post that I’ve had knocking around in my head for awhile now.

I am just fairly recently getting into Wilco — and I honestly don’t know why it took me so long. I think Sky Blue Sky is understated, subtle, and solidly enjoyable, one of the strongest releases of 2007 thus far. So much of Wilco’s music has an intangibly rich and bittersweet quality to it that invites you to delve deeper. That’s rare for me to find to this degree.

For your enjoyment, here are some Wilco b-sides and demos from this album and before. Lots of gems here (to add to the fine tunes on the More Like The Moon EP which I re-upped). All run fairly melancholy except for “Student Loan Stereo” which has a bit of an agitated/defiant edge to it — kind of the way I feel each month when I pay down my student loans. It must be universal sentiment.

One True Vine
(Sky Blue Sky b-side)

Let’s Fight
(unreleased, Sky Blue Sky sessions I think)

Venus Stopped The Train (demo)
(Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions demo)

Student Loan Stereo
(Can’t Stand It single, CD1)

Tried & True
(Can’t Stand It single, CD1)

ELT (King Size demo version)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD1)

True Love Will Find You In The End (Daniel Johnston cover)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD2)

She’s A Jar (Austin demo)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD2)

Sunken Treasure (solo acoustic)
(Can’t Stand It single, CD2)

I’m Always In Love (solo acoustic)
(Can’t Stand It single, CD2)

Blasting Fonda
(Outtasight Outta Mind b-side)

I Am Not Willing
(Box Full Of Letters single)

XYZ: I forgot to ZIP IT UP!

So . . . I am adding I Am Trying To Break Your Heart to my Netflix.

[thx and thx for some of the tunes]

Wilco: More Like The Moon EP

Wilco has a nice little EP available for free download (with cover art) called More Like The Moon (or Australia EP, or Bridge EP) on the WilcoWorld site.

Thanks to a special correspondent, I was pointed in this direction yesterday and have been particularly enjoying the “Magazine Called Sunset” tune ever since (and that quiet folksy one about Dylan), although the whole EP is first-rate.

This was originally released a bonus disc to the Australian version of 2002′s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. According to the ever-helpful Wiki: The EP was comprised of six songs that were recorded but not released during the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions. On the one-year anniversary of the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco made the EP available through their website. Hurrah! Check out this fine little collection:

Camera
Handshake Drugs
Woodgrain
Magazine Called Sunset (borderline kitschy with that tropical lounge feel, but hot dang, it works!)
Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard
More Like The Moon

ZIP: MORE LIKE THE MOON EP

Also, news out of Nashville last night; Jeff Tweedy announced that the title of the new Wilco album will be Sky-Blue Sky (not to be confused with Ryan Adams’ song Blue Sky Blues), and will be out May 15.

Monday Music Roundup

A crystalline and lovely dream last night involving me slow-waltzing with Ryan Adams in a high school gym with paper streamers all about (yeah, have no idea where that one came from but I ain’t complainin’) reminded me of an interesting effort I read about called The Dream Project.

It involves people calling in and leaving scratchy, half-coherent messages on a dedicated voicemail line (often right after waking), and then a cadre of artists works to visually represent those dreams as part of a larger project. The only catch is that they ask for dreams with “a strong narrative flow and clear landmarks so that others may follow the trail.” So that summarily eliminates me, unfortunately. My midnight brain is too random to make most of my sojourns followable by anyone else except me.

And actually, this project also reminds me of one of my favorite Dilbert comic strips.

. . . Here are five songs on my playlists this week that you may enjoy.

Deep Water
Ryan Auffenberg
This new demo song from San Francisco’s Ryan Auffenberg (“One To Watch“) is first in the lineup this week because it reminds me of a soundtrack to a dream, from the opening lyrics about some moments staying with you, to the soporific feel of the chorus, “deep water grows cold the further down you swim.” Perfect. Ryan’s put this new song up on his MySpace page, he’s got a few tour dates this month on the West coast and was recently picked up for a little featurette on San Francisco’s KFOG. I still recommend checking out all of his work, and think we’ll be hearing good things from him in the future.

Is That The Thanks I Get
(live on Conan)
Wilco
Ahhh, Wilco. You Tweedy fans are a passionate bunch, and trying so hard to convert me. I am only not a hardcore fan yet because of benign neglect. Reader Chuck recently sent me a 10-song “Wilco Starter Kit” to try, once again, to transform me into a rabid fan, and so far he has been fairly successful. I recently came across this new song, a fantastic soulful Memphis piano romp performed several months ago on Conan. This (and other new songs) are potential inclusions on the upcoming Wilco album (May 2007, Nonesuch Records), and I like what I hear so far.

I Will Wander
The Features
Tennessee’s The Features are guys that I love to root for; you may recall a mention a few months back on this blog about how they were dropped from their label for refusing to cover a Beatles song for a credit card commercial? Well, the same sound that drew me to madly adore their 2004 track “Blow It Out” is still alive and kicking on their recent Contrast EP. I am digging the marching cadence of this song — the feel reminds me of a sort of Modest-Mouse-meets-Devo.

Children of December
The SLIP
Been listening to The SLIP‘s Eisenhower CD (on Bar/None Records) for a few months now and always meant to write something but somehow it kept getting passed over — but no longer. This is simply a fantastic song from the opening vibrating notes. I think the first thing I read about Boston’s The SLIP came from a quote I read from Jim James of My Morning Jacket who raved about them, saying, “‘Children of December’ is the song that hit me hardest – the way the guitar and the melody interlace, it’s incredible…It could even appeal to some kid who really likes punk rock. It’s really challenging.” Their Eisenhower album sounds fresh to these ears, and was co-produced by the band and Matthew Ellard (Elliott Smith, Billy Bragg & Wilco, Morphine).

After The War
Sleep Station
Here’s a random tune that popped into my inbox after my recent Cotton Mather post. Reader Barry from NYC writes, “I suspect you’re a big power pop fan who loves those pronounced Beatles influences with jangly guitars, close harmonies, all the good stuff. Seeing that’s the case, I thought I would attach a song by a band you may not know called Sleep Station. I love this song, and the album it comes from, After the War (their strongest record), generally sounds like a cross between the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Good stuff.” I agree and think I am going to get this CD for further listening (an $8 bargain!). I find this particular tune to be a pleasant modern-day update on “Golden Slumbers.” Thanks, Barry!

Oh, and if perchance you are looking for some good books for 2007, Scatter O’ Light is doing a great series on music-related reading, and yours truly just scribbled together a few suggestions off the top of my head for her part 3 (part 1 on U2-related tomes is here and part 2 on best rock bios is here). Happy reading!

Happy birthday John Lennon

John Lennon would have been 66 today (had he not been shot by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman in 1980). He was only 40 when he died, and I’ve sometimes wondered what other wonderful music he had still within him.

I figure the occasion of his entrance into this world (with a bang – he was born during a German aid raid over Liverpool the night of October 9-10, 1940) is a fine reason to post some covers off the Working Class Hero: A Tribute To John Lennon album (1995, Hollywood Records). It’s an eclectic little snapshot of the musical environment of the mid-90s, with some spiffy covers & interesting interpretations.

Also speaking of covers, Coverville has a John Lennon covers podcast for free download as well.

Instant Karma! – Toad The Wet Sprocket

Nobody Told Me – The Flaming Lips

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier – Mad Season
(featuring Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, and Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees)

Power To The People – The Minus 5
(Scott McCaughey with members of R.E.M., The Posies, and Wilco & The Decemberists – in various incarnations)

Also, you may be interested in reading my post on the 25th anniversary of his death last year, which has an active download link to a demo version of my favorite Lennon solo song — one of the most gorgeous recordings you will ever hear: earnest and yearning and raw and perfect.

Monday Music Roundup

Hey there tiger, happy Monday. Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you.

So you think you know your rock history? Or do you just want to see how little you actually know? Newsweek has a wicked hard Rock ‘n’ Roll Quiz. It’s probably the worst that this nerd has ever done on a test (52% score), but it is extremely entertaining if you like the minutiae of musical history. Fun sound clips throughout, too, so turn down those speakers at work before you start the quiz — I mean, before you start working on that, uh, important spreadsheet, boss.

And as usual, here are 5 songs that have kept me company this past week:

“Your Touch“
The Black Keys
The boys of The Black Keys have parted with the Fat Possum label (but not before leaving them with a nice ‘lil EP of Junior Kimbrough covers) and joined Nonesuch Records, thrashing through their unique Hendrixesque garage-blues sound for a new disc, Magic Potion, due out in September. It’s heavy and wonderful, with a casual, loose, calling-out-key-changes-across-the-garage feel to it. They just finished a short tour opening for Radiohead — I guess their job was to exhaust the Radiohead fans before Thom Yorke and crew come and sing them into relaxed & hazy happy-land. The Black Keys also have more tour dates coming up, those are some I would check out.

“Cemetery Row“
The Minus 5
There is a jangly, shimmery, indie-bluegrass-rock sound to this track, with more than a passing resemblance to the wavering honesty of The Shins or Band of Horses. The Minus 5 is helmed by songwriter Scott McCaughey (The Young Fresh Fellows), who is joined here by friends such as Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies), among others. From the self-titled 2006 disc (so-called “The Gun Album“) on Yep Roc Records.

“05-22-02“
Golden Smog
A friend and I spent some time re-dissecting the Clerks soundtrack last year, and one of the best efforts on that disc is by Golden Smog (a cover of Bad Company’s “Shooting Star”). I don’t recall us knowing then who, exactly, was in Golden Smog but now I know that it is a mixed blend of Gary Louris & Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, again!). This offering is a warm mid-tempo song from their upcoming album Another Fine Day (out on Lost Highway Records, July 18th).

“Supermassive Black Hole“
Muse
I just had not had the time to listen to Muse (even though they were running an ad over there, stage right). Then my cousin Alan posted an uber-enthusiastic status update on Facebook (I know, why doth the Facebook have such power over me?) wherein he raved about Muse. He recommended I check out several of their tracks while he tries in vain to contain his excitement before their concert in San Francisco tomorrow night. I completely love this song – a heavy arse-shakin’ blend of interesting sonic electronica and superfun stadium rock (a la the falsetto swagger of Eagles of Death Metal). From Black Holes and Revelations, released last week.

“A Lifetime in Heat“
Guggenheim Grotto
A very persistent reader kept sending me little blurbs about this band. I finally got a chance to listen to them – and I am glad she was so tireless! (Takes a while sometimes with me). Guggenheim Grotto is an Irish trio reminiscent of a blend of the intelligent composition of Badly Drawn Boy with the loveliness of Damien Rice or the backyard-hammock drifting of Iron & Wine. Their 2005 album Waltzing Alone is available on eMusic, and their Lifetime In Heat EP is downloadable in full from their website. Nic Harcourt from KCRW called this “one of the most beautiful records of the year,” and my peeps over at NPR’s World Cafe/WXPN have been spinning them as one of their “Artists of the Week.”

Enjoy.

Monday Music Roundup

My heart is still pounding and my hands are shaking from the intensity of the Italy v. Australia match that Italy just won on a penalty kick (during which my ability to breathe momentarily left me). FORZA ITALIA! That was gorgeous.

And as of this very moment I am #1 all by myself in the World Cup Bloggers Pool. That is a feat unto itself, since, as we have discussed, I am no kind of soccer superstar. I just have a way of predicting what glistening, lovely European men will do next.

It’s a gift, really.

Diventa Blu
Arizona
Translated from Italian, this song title means “Become Blue,” and is my salute to Gli Azzurri, the beautiful Italian national calcio (soccer) team in their blue jerseys. According to Connor over at iGIF, this band Arizona is going to be huge, but the fact that this song is sung in a breathy, ethereal Italian (almost Radiohead-esque), combined with the layered and interesting low-key electronica is enough to get me to listen. From their debut album Welcome Back Dear Children (coming out in August).

Thirteen
Wilco
This song, this whole tribute album is amazingly good. As I mentioned before, and as you have probably read on assorted other music sites, the Big Star tribute album (Big Star, Small World) has finally been released, after being recorded and then shelved for several years. Wilco‘s turn is sad and rich, nostalgic and truly lovely. I’ve listened to it over and over, but this whole CD is great, with contributions by Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, Whiskeytown, Juliana Hatfield and more. Highly recommended and available on eMusic.

Dancing On The Highway
Elliott Smith
Chad over at Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands has pointed me in the direction of this unearthed studio recording, a lost “new” song, courtesy of the Elliott Smith fans over at B-Sides And Other Songs. It’s a lyrically rich love song, known also as “Still Here” — a rough mix demo from either the Figure 8 era, or the Basement Sessions. Take a listen. Thanks, Chad!

Eleanor
The Low Millions
I have been meaning to post this for months, but somehow forgot. Fronted by Leonard Cohen’s son Adam Cohen (who has released French-language albums in his native Canada), California’s Low Millions were named an Artist To Watch by Filter Magazine. This track, which did get some radio play, is yet another upbeat song about a breakup (!) with catchy hooks and a fabulous beat that kicks in at about 20 seconds. From their 2004 debut album Ex-Girlfriends (Manhattan Records).

Notice The Ring
Chris Isaak
This one is in honor of Mr. Chris Isaak‘s 50th (!!) birthday today. I tell ya, that man does not look a day over handsome to me. For his special day, his hometown of Stockton, CA dedicated today as “Chris Isaak Day.” This song celebrates all that is rogue, feisty, and wonderful about Isaak. A retro-rocker from 2002′s Always Got Tonight.