SOUNDTRACK: TWEEDY-Tiny Desk Concert #391 (September 22, 2014).
I’ve recently become a major fan of Wilco and Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting. This band is Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer (on drums). They usually perform with a full band, but here it’s just father and son.
The songs sound very much like Wilco (Tweedy’s voice is unmistakable), but there is a different, almost patient feel to these songs that makes them seem not-Wilco. Spencer’s drumming is not flashy (that wouldn’t work here anyway), but it is right on the beat with occasional flourishes.
“Wait for Love” is a sweet ballad. “New Moon” is a bit more upbeat. There are 20 songs on the record. After the second song, Jeff says he doesn’t know how many songs they’re supposed. Bob says they’re supposed to play til 6″ (it appears to be early afternoon).
Jeff says they can stay till six, There’s nothing happening in the world, right? Bob states, “There is no news today.” Jeff smiles and says that later “Spencer and I are going to reveal our strategy for ISIS, so it’s a good thing you’re here.”
“Low Key” is more rocking with some cool chord change progressions in the middle (ans a little drums-only section).
Before the final song, he says he wrote it for Mavis Staples (She didn’t sing it when I saw her…bummer). He says that “Spencer didn’t play on that record… but we know how to play it together.” He pauses and says, “We know how to play all of our songs together.” Pause “I’m such a good front man” (to much applause from everyone).
Jeff laughs and says that Spencer is gonna get a microphone and “you’ll have to talk to people.”
“You’re Not Alone” is a bit more complex and powerful than the others and that repeated refrain of “open up this is a raid” is really great.
The Wilco Tiny Desk Concerts have been raucous and fun. This one is much more low-key and shows off a different side of Tweedy.
There’s a sweet moment at the end of the set where Spencer give his dad a hug.
[READ: April 20, 2016] The Nameless City
Faith Erin Hicks has been consistently excellent with her graphic novels. I was pretty excited to see that she had a new book coming out. And I was even more excited to go to the library and see that Sarah had requested it already.
I dove right in to this story.
It begins with some unnamed people riding down the River of Lives and going into a city. They ask several different people what the name of the city is and they get several different titles. They determine that this is the nameless city.
It turns out that every civilization that has conquered the city (which happens every thirty years or so) renames the city. And, depending on which invaders you like best, that would be the name you would choose to call the place. We later learn that most of the conquerors only conquer the main walled city proper and that the houses and markets on the other side of the wall pretty much just go with the flow. The people who live outside hate everyone who is in charge and just try to keep their heads down to survive. (more…)
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Back in 1998, I won a radio contest (not through luck, I knew the name of a song and couldn’t believe no one else did!) and scored a ticket to the Newport Folk Festival. It was in a lull back then and also, I believe there was only one stage (it’s hard to remember). Now it is at full power, selling out before artists are even announced.
I Just Read About That... 