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Archive for the ‘Wilco’ Category

An evening with Wilco (Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA, June 17, 2026)

Posted in Bethlehem, PA, Levitt Pavilion, Wilco on June 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: June 17, 2026] Wilco

This was my third time seeing Wilco.  I’ve been trying to see them again since 2021 but for some reason it never worked out.  In fact, I’ve been trying to see them a lot since 2016, but it never worked out until tonight.

SteelStacks outside is a fun venue and I grabbed a ticket for my wife and I.  The last time I saw Wilco it was a co-headlining tour with Sleater-Kinney, so their set was short.

But this time, it was just them, so they did two sets (although, somehow they played fewer songs than when I saw them ten years ago).

We arrived at SteelStacks wih plenty of time, but were kind of herded into the grassy area.  I didn’t even realize that they had a merch table.  I probably would have bough the poster (see below) so it’s probably for the best that I didn’t know about it.

This was my wife’s first time seeing them and I knew she’d enjoy the show, both for the songwriting and for the wildness (because Wilco may be dad-rock, but they absolutely crush thing live).

Wilco has been around forever, so they have a million songs to choose from.   It’s possible that you’re not going to hear your favorite song at any of their sets, but it’s pretty likely that you’re going to hear a bunch of your favorites–and some unexpected deep cuts.

I’m not a massive Wilco fan.  I enjoy most of their stuff, although I haven’t really listened to the two latest albums.  And, yea, I really start at around Summerteeth, but I could easily make an ideal setlist and this show covered most of it.

We got off to a great start with Handshake Drugs and If I Ever Was a Child.  Jeff was playing acoustic guitar and we were in front of Nels Cline (with a clear view of Glenn Kotche on drums).  They played a few newer songs that I didn’t know.  I was intrigued by the lyrics to Cruel Country, especially since the first line is cleanly stated–I love my country.  It’s hard to feel that way, but I guess it’s nice to be reminded that we could feel that way again.

It’s always interesting seeing what the crowd gets excited by.  I was really pleased to hear Evicted (I love that guitar melody); there was a huge reaction for I’m Always in Love, but an even huger reaction for Hummingbird.

I’d often wondered if Pat Sansone ever felt like Nels Cline gets all of the love (I didn’t realize they joined in the same year).  But at this show Pat had some absolutely stellar, showoffy guitar solos.  In fact, there were two extended jams in which he and Nels played off of each other.  It was really fun and the songs they chose to do them in were totally rocking so it just felt like a fantastic jam session.

Bassist John Stirratt has been with Wilco since the beginning and for this show, he sang a song that he wrote (and sang on) on the debut album.  The song was It’s Just That Simple, which I didn’t recognize, but it was fun to see Jeff on bass. (more…)

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Lucius: A History Worth Repeating: Songs and Stories (McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, March 27, 2026)

Posted in Bon Iver, Joni Mitchell, Lucius, McCarter Theatre, Pink Floyd, Princeton, NJ, Roger Waters, Wilco on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 27, 2026] Lucius

My wife and I saw Lucius 10 months ago and we really enjoyed the set (she didn’t really know them and became an instant fan after the show).  When they announced a show in Princeton, I grabbed a ticket immediately.  Even if it was going to be the same show,  I wanted to experience it again.

Bu it turned out that this was an entirely different show–a retrospective of songs and stories.  Just like Taylor Swift, or more in my orbit, just like Guster.  When Guster did their We Have Eras Too tour, they created a narrative, telling stories between the songs and acting out little skits.  Lucius did basically the same thing (with no skits and a bit more melancholy).

The stage was spare but interesting.  There were three sections–a couch, a piano and a microphone and behind the instruments was a series of (I assume) the various costumes that the woman wore over the years on mannequins.

The lights went dark and Holly and Jess began talking.  I assumed it was a recording because there were no lights but I was pretty sure I saw them walk to the piano.  The narration was done as diary entries (we wondered if they were the actual dairies or a cotemporary edited version (not that it matters)).  They told us about how they met (Berklee) and how they got the band name (Jess’ dog was called Lucius–which leaves out why the dog was name Lucius, of course).

They told about how a friend suggested they sing at the same time (their signature sound) and how they wrote an early EP called Songs from Bromley House.  They sang a song called Shenandoah (Not the traditional one) and played piano.  It was spare and lovely.

Then they introduced the two guys who would be playing with them that night.  Guitarist Peter Lalish and bassist Solomon Dorsey (that’s right, no drums).  They sat at a couch and played the Bon Iver song “Skinny Love” and talked about the apartment they were living in in NYC.  (more…)

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Jeff Tweedy / Sima Cunningham (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 20, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Finom, Jeff Tweedy, OHMME, Philadelphia, PA, Sima Cunningham, Union Transfer, Wilco on October 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 20, 2025] Jeff Tweedy / Sima Cunningham

I’ve seen Wilco twice and they are an amazing live band.  I would see them as often as I could.  I even bought a ticket for a show on Easter Sunday all the while realizing that I wasn’t going to go to a show on Easter Sunday.

I saw Jeff Tweedy solo in Princeton and he was great solo as well.  I would 100% have gone to this show, which I think was with a band.  But this day is the birthday of someone special, so I didn’t investigate this show any further so as not to feel like I should try to go.

Sima Cunningham is one half of the duo Ohmme who changed their name to Finom (which I like less).  Ohmme opened for Jeff when I saw him and they were great I bought their CD on the spot.  I didn’t know she put out a solo album.  It’s interesting.  It’s mostly her and an acoustic guitar but the songs start to meander and add more and more sounds.  I’m curious how she would have done this stuff live.

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An Evening with Wilco (The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, August 5, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia, Wilco on August 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: August 5, 2025] An Evening with Wilco

Nothing could have excited me more than an evening with Wilco.  They are an amazing live band and I would have been so excited to be in the pit for this one.

So why didn’t I go?

Because I already had tickets that night to see Modest Mouse and The Flaming Lips–in the pit at the Mann Center.  True I’d seen both bands seven times already, but never from the pit!

So it was a tough choice, but I couldn’t do both.

Sounds like it was a great night.  But so was mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2025
Islands of Men ©
Jesse ⊗
Tomorrow’s Crusades Ø
Cocaine ©
Half Real ©
2122 Ø (with Interstellar Overdrive” Pink Floyd)
Cowboy Nudes Ø
Taxes ©
4D Contry ⊗
St. Elmo Ø

© G3 (2025)
⊗ 4D Country
Ø 3D Country

 

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An Evening of Solo Projects from Wilco Members: Autumn Defense / Nels Cline Duo / Eucademix (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, December 8, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Chris Lightcap, Eucademix, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline, Nels Cline Duo, Wilco, Yuka Honda on December 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 8, 2022] Autumn Defense / Nels Cline Duo / Eucademix

When this show was first announced, I grabbed a ticket immediately.

Two of my favorite members of Wilco are Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche.

So to be able to see them do their work solo was incredible.

Then all of a sudden, when I looked at the show poster it looked like this —>
instead of the one at the bottom of the post.

Where was Glenn?

There was no word or information.  A day or so before the show I discovered that Glenn had hurt his arm (or something) and wasn’t going to be there. (more…)

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Wilco [we are touring to break your heart]–(United Palace, New York, NY, April 17, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in New York City, United Palace, Wilco on April 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 17, 2022] Wilco

When Wilco announced that they were going to play Yankee Hotel Foxtrot straight through–in Chicago and New York City–I knew I had to try to get a ticket.

Amazingly, I scored one–a fantastic seat–on Sunday April 17.  Which was, I later found out, Easter Sunday.  Easter is not a huge holiday for us, but it is a family gathering, and I didn’t feel right going out on the Sunday.  Especially to a place that i knew nothing about, location and parking-wise.  I tried to sell the ticket but wasn’t able to.  So I ate it along with my Easter ham.

A couple of days before hand, there was some grousing that the band (known for their long shows) only played the whole album an a few encores.  They played fourteen songs on the first night.  By my night (night three). they had bumped it up to 19 songs.  But it seems like maybe the band were annoyed that people wanted more…

I have a little regret for not going–it will certainly never be played like this again.  But it was not that big a deal to miss out.  Especially since I had been in a massive cancelling on shows streak. (more…)

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Wilco (The Mann Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 22, 2021) [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

Posted in Glenn Kotche, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Nels Cline, NNAMDÏ, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco on August 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 22, 2021] Wilco / Sleater-Kinney / NNAMDÏ [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

I saw Wilco five years ago and it was one of the best shows I’d ever been to.  The band was amazing.  The live versions of their songs were tremendous and they played thirty two songs (two encores).

They were top on my list of bands I wanted to see again.  But they didn’t come close to us until this double headline tour last year which became this year.

The bad thing about the double headline is that neither headlining band plays a full set,  I assume this is nice for the bands, but who knows.   What this mean logistically is that the band played twelve fewer songs at this show.

But those twenty songs were fantastic.

They started with the most appropriate song for a post-pandemic tour “A Shot in the Arm.” And yes, that was all we needed.  (more…)

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Sleater-Kinney (The Mann Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 22, 2021) [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

Posted in Fabi Reyna, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, NNAMDÏ, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Sleater-Kinney, Wilco on August 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 22, 2021] Wilco / Sleater-Kinney / NNAMDÏ [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

I saw Sleater-Kinney two years ago.  This was the tour where Janet Weiss had just left the band and I think there were some weird feelings floating around.  The show was odd since they weren’t a trio, but I came away thinking that they sounded amazing.

Last tour the had three additional players: Angie Boylan (drums), Katie Harkin (guitars/keyboards) and Toko Yasuda (keyboards).  This time, their backing band was entirely different.  Almost up front with Carrie and Corin was third guitarist Fabi Reyna (who started She Shreds magazine and was a major force on stage).  Then in the back row was Galen Clark on keys, Bill Athens on bass and Vincent Lirocchi on drums.

I saw S-K 21 years ago when they were a punky trio and while I would have loved to see one more set with Janet on drums, this new set up is really great live.  It allows them to explore in very different ways.  Having Fabi play a series of piercing high notes throughout most of the songs added a nice edge to all of the songs.  She also seemed to allow Carrie a little freedom to move around a bit more (something Carrie seems to be really enjoying).  Plus, now that they have a bassist (!) and a keyboardist, they can make all kinds of sounds.

I was surprised that they announced a tour with Wilco because they sound so different.  Although I know that Carrie and Jeff worked together on Portlandia, and that they are buds.  I feel like many of the Wilco fans had no idea who Sleater-Kinney were.  But there were plenty of S-K fans there to rock. (more…)

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NNAMDÏ (The Mann Center for Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, August 22, 2021) [rescheduled from August 23, 2020] [WILCO/SLEATER-KINNEY]

Posted in Coronavirus, Deftones, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, NNAMDÏ, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Sleater-Kinney, Thundercat, Wilco on August 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: August 22, 2021] Wilco / Sleater-Kinney / NNAMDÏ [rescheduled from August 23, 2020]

NNAMDÏ is Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, an American multi-instrumentalist born in California to Nigerian immigrants now based in Chicago.

I had not heard of him, but I was really intrigued to see what his set would be like.  I can honestly say it was nothing like I expected.

Earlier in the tour NNAMDÏ fell off a scooter or skateboard and broke his wrist.  He missed a few dates and then was back on the tour.  NNAMDÏ plays guitar but he had to get a replacement for the tour.  He told us the replacement learned all of his parts in like a day.  And the parts were all over the place.  Because NNAMDÏ’s music is about as unclassifiable as Thundercat’s.

I felt like he was digging into prog-rock territory and yet I guess it would be more accurately labelled as jazz with rapid time changes, incredibly fast parts and wicked jamming.   And yet the roots of most of his songs were a kind of pop/R&B vibe. (more…)

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Tom Gilligan–Irish Drummers Volume 1: Interviews with 32 Irish Drummers (2019)

Posted in 1990, An Emotional Fish, Bad Brains, Bitch Falcon, Blades Club, Cactus World News, Cro-Mags, Cypress, Dave Grohl, Deep Purple, Dream Theater, Fangclub, Fontaines D.C., Frank Zappa, Gemma Hayes, Glen Hansard, Glenn Kotche, Green Day, Guns n' Roses, Hothouse Flowers, Marianne Faithfull, Metronomy, Midnight Oil, Montauk Hotel, My Little Funhouse, Neil Peart, Overhead The Albatross, Picturehouse, Pillow Queens, Pugwash, Queens of the Stone Age, Sepultura, Sinéad O'Connor, Snarky Puppy, Snow Patrol, Soccer Mommy, Stella Mozgawa, Sultans of Ping, The Commitments, The Coronas, The Frames, The Redneck Manifesto, The Who, Therapy?, Thin Lizzy, THUMPER, Tim Finn, Touts, Unsane, Vulpynes, Walking on Cars, Warpaint, Wilco on February 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: MY LITTLE FUNHOUSE-Standunder (1991).

Drummer has a funny story about joining My Little Funhouse.  It’s especially funny given how young he was and how raunchy the band seems.

This album feels like a hair metal band whose second guitarist had just heard of grunge.  Lead singer Alan Lawlor sounds bratty and sleazy like an L.A. hair metal stud.

There’s some ripping guitar solos (“Destiny”) and big soaring ballads (“Wishing Well”) and there’s a dumb straight up rocker (“L.S.D.”).  There’s even the quiet intro (lighters up in the air) “sensitive” song (“breaks my heart/tears me apart”), “Anonymous.”

The one musical surprise is the summer guitar intro of “Been too Long” which sounds like it belongs to another song all together.  Although the bass/drum clap along is pretty apt.  “raintown” is another song that is a little unusual here–it feels like a B-side.  Lawlor’s vocals are toned way down and the production is much softer.

Perhaps the one thing that sets them apart from the West Coast metal is the song “Catholic Boy.”  Yup, it’s just as sexual/ist as a typical metal band, but the specificity of being Catholic seems very Irish to me.

My Little Funhouse opened for Guns N’ Roses when they toured Ireland.  And that makes perfect sense.  This album is completely of its time (or maybe a year too late).  With the right exposure, they would have been huge.  But this is the only thing they released before they broke up.

[READ: December 30, 2020] Irish Drummers Volume 1

I received this book at work and thought it would be interesting to look though.  I flipped through the names in the contents and was pretty sure I hadn’t heard of any of these drummers.  But it turns out I knew a lot of the bands they played in, just not their names.

Gilligan says that he created the website Irish Drummers several years ago.  It was an opportunity for him to interview Irish drummers and celebrate them.  Gilligan himself is a drummer but never really played with any bands.  Probably the most famous Irish drummer, U2’s Larry Mullen, Jr is not in this book, but he is on the website.

Gilligan thought it would be very cool to publish a book and here it is. The interviews are truncated for the book, you’ll get a lot more online.

Each interview has a picture (or two) and three to seven questions.

I have made some notes of interest from the drummers who had something unique to say. (more…)

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