Wilco -- 2009.06.12, Aronoff Center, Cincinnati, OH

[Florox]

The Aronoff is just not a rock venue. The sound was way too muddy for starters. I guess Wilco has grown out of the Taft but come on...Music Hall has to sound better....maybe....the new Riverbend venue. Also the comment about being court ordered to be there and then playing California Stars was pretty lame. Maybe opening with Wilco (the song) is the problem. And closing with Wheel isn't the solution.

[suites]

Nice first post.....Setlist?

[DAngerer09]

although that was a pretty bitchy first post, i do agree with your point about the aronoff not being a good rock venue (unless you are in the first few rows)

[Gobias Industries]

Hate-free

 

1. Wilco (the Song)

2. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

3. Company In My Back

4. Bull Black Nova

5. You Are My Face

6. One Wing

7. Handshake Drugs

8. Side With the Seeds

9. A Shot In the Arm

10. At Least That's What You Said

11. Sonny Feeling

12. Jesus, etc.

13. Impossible Germany

14. California Stars

15. You Never Know

16. Hummingbird

17. Misunderstood >>>

18. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

 

Encore 1:

19. The Late Greats

20. Hate It Here

21. Walken

22. I'm the Man Who Loves You

23. I'm A Wheel

 

By the calculations of my Twitter that is how it went down. Misunderstood "nothin'" count was around 29, though I could be inaccurate, and Hummingbird was great, especially with Tweedy's rock frontsmanship (i.e. the running in place routine with the Daltrey mic whirl). This was my favorite Wilco show (of two, albeit) thanks to the setlist which was beefy with Wilco (the Album) entries. Bull Black Nova was a beast live. My natural assumption is that they were cut short by an 11:00 curfew, which entailed minimal commentary (Jeff only spoke for more than 10-15 seconds once, if my memory serves me) and only one encore, which was the only stinky thing, but it's hard to get everything, right?

 

I'm also mad sorry that I didn't get to stop by Nicholson's before the show; my sister and I were actually running really late (got there pretty much at the start), and we did want to catch the opener. Next time they play in Ohio then, perhaps?

 

For now, I'm going to go to sleep, rest my voice which has passed on thanks to tonight's event. While I didn't get my requested song on my birthday ("Say You Miss Me"), this was still a fantastic show, naysayers be damned.

[RainDogToo]

Awesome...Thanks! Seems like a great time!! How were the Heartless Bastards and do you happen to know their set by any chance?

[ditty]

Wilco 6.12.09 Cincinnati, OH – PROPER START!

 

On stage 9 p.m.

 

Wilco (the song)

IATTBYH

Company In My Back

Bull Black Nova

You Are My Face

One Wing

Handshake Drugs

Side With The Seeds

A Shot In The Arm

ALTWYS

Sonny Feeling

Jesus, Etc.

Impossible Germany

California Stars

You Never Know

Hummingbird

Misunderstood (28 nothings)

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

 

------

 

The Late Greats

Hate It Hear

Walken

ITMWLY

I'm A Wheel

 

(On the set list but not played after ITMWLY and before I'm A Wheel - Kingpin, Casino Queen and Hoodoo Voodoo)

 

Off stage 11 p.m.

 

Very little banter, you could tell right off they were trying to fit as many songs into the set as possible. Jeff was in great spirits. During Hummingbird he took the mic off the stand and for the entire song made multiple poses while singing. The comment about "court ordered" was to the older gentlemen in the first row that didn't look to be having a good time. His lady friend sat for a large portion of the show. Jeff made the comment "sir are you here on a court order?" or something close to that, then made a comment to another guy in the front row having a great time about how he might get ordered to court then they played California Stars. Later during Spiders Jeff gave the older guy his pick and had him strum as Jeff played the notes. Together they did a good job. All in all the new songs sounded good and will continue to get even better. I was happy with the sound in the 3rd row.

[bleedorange]

How was "Sonny Feeling"?

[H.Stone]

Wilco 6.12.09 Cincinnati, OH – PROPER START!

 

On stage 9 p.m.

 

Wilco (the song)

IATTBYH

Company In My Back

Bull Black Nova

You Are My Face

One Wing

Handshake Drugs

Side With The Seeds

A Shot In The Arm

ALTWYS

Sonny Feeling

Jesus, Etc.

Impossible Germany

California Stars

You Never Know

Hummingbird

Misunderstood (28 nothings)

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

 

------

 

The Late Greats

Hate It Hear

Walken

ITMWLY

I'm A Wheel

 

(On the set list but not played after ITMWLY and before I'm A Wheel - Kingpin, Casino Queen and Hoodoo Voodoo)

 

Off stage 11 p.m.

 

 

Five new songs--nice! Also, You Are My Face --> One Wing: I hope I get to hear that progression.

 

The more seated/theatre shows I attend, the more I appreciate GA venues. I know they can't play them all the time and sometimes there is a sacrifice of sound quality in some of the GA venues/barns, but the trade-off in vibe is well worth it in my opinion.

[theashtraysays]

There's another thread with the review stuff, etc here. Ditty, you might want to copy yours over there.

 

As for the venue, it was a really nice theater, and I thought it was fine for a rock show except for the curfew which apparently shortened the set list considerably. Not sure if that's a venue thing or a city thing, but that was the only sucky part. Jeff's vocals were pretty low in the mix, but I was in the pit so I figured it was just because of that.

 

And no, I was not "Mr. Community Service". That was mighty funny, though.

Here's a shot of his arm... proof that it's not me.

 

[ditty]

More Aronoff info http://forums.viachicago.org/topic/40335-cincinnati-show-stop-playing-the-aronoff/

[theashtraysays]

Dunder, sorry you missed the meetup. I would say that we had a lousy time to make you feel better, but that's not true. I saw Wilco on my birthday last year.. nice way to spend that.

 

Wendy, thanks for herding us cats and setting that up. It was great meeting everyone, as always.

 

The "VC 3rd row" had a grand time, and the energy level in the trampoline pit was good. Ditty, did you get a pic of us all? Johnny's time in the witness protection program has expired, so you can post that if you have it.

 

The Community Service comments went down something like this :

 

Old balding guy (not me) was front row, dead center, and stood looking bored for much of the set. I think his wife was next to him, maybe sitting for a while. Also in the front row on the Nels end was a Beck-looking stoner (no offense) who was having the time of his life and seemed pretty fried (think "party of one"). I actually had bumped into him in the lobby, and he told me all about his front row ticket, how awesome Jeff was, etc. He won't remember that discussion or much else from the night, but that's cool.

 

Jeff to old guy: "You were told to be here right? You're here on some kind of community service, aren't you sir?"

 

Jeff to stoner: "And you are going to be getting some community service soon."

 

Then in Spiders Jeff let (made) the old guy strum the guitar from the front row.

 

 

Really, really a fun show. Too short, and I am quite bummed that Hoodoo Voodoo got cut out of the setlist apparently due to the curfew. That was the song I requested. Alas.

 

Vince

 

 

 

[theashtraysays]

How was "Sonny Feeling"?

 

Good, but not terribly different / livelier / greater than the album version.

Bull Black Nova, on the other hand, which is already great on the album, was amazingly incredible live.

[remraf]

Great show! I really enjoyed it after I came to terms with the fact that I participated in the presale and didn't even make it onto the floor/orchestra. My wife and I were in the "Loge", which apparently is a euphemism for "lower balcony." It's quite the difference from being 4th row last time at Aronoff, and 4th row at Taft before that.

 

Anyway, I have some random impressions:

 

• The mix on the new songs was not as good as the mix on the classics
  
• I have only streamed the album once on tiny computer speakers with the sound down low a work, so I'm not familiar with the new songs. But the new stuff all sounded good to me, with Bull Black Nova standing out.
  
• Jeff did keep the banter to a minimum, but his stage presence is stronger than ever. Quite the difference from the guy I first saw at Bogarts on the Summerteeth tour in 1999. His uber frontman schtick during Hummingbird - microphone swinging, rockstar posing, etc - was very tongue in cheek, funny, and awesome all at the same time.
  
• Jeff's guitar was too loud in the mix, and Nels' was too low. During Impossible Germany, when they are both playing, I had to concentrate to hear Nels.
  
• Besides being louder, Jeff played more prominent guitar parts than I remember from last time.
  
• Not trying to sound negative here, but Jeff didn't have much interaction with Nels at all during the show. In fact, his stance while singing was one where he was moderately turned away from Nels.
  

 

I realize this is the hater free thread, but I mention this Nels stuff because I did not have a good vibe with what I was hearing and watching. Trust me, I hope I'm full of shit.

 

Still, I had a great time and they put on a helluva show overall. The crowd was totally into it, and maybe I was just fortunate with the seating, but I didn't hear any "talkers". Lots of "yellers" mind you - you know, the ones that just HAVE to holler during ALTWYS - but noone in my section came to converse all night. That is a first in 5 times seeing them for me.

 

I snapped some shots from way up where I was. No flash, little 7 point something megapixel, but a few turned out decent.

 

[ditty]

10 Pictures. http://img526.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0399v.jpg It was great meeting everyone last night! Can't wait to meet up again.

[Tweedys_Neckard]

I took my 11 year old to the show, his first concert ever, so no matter what it was a win. If I am going to be critical though, I would have liked to have heard one or two more from Being There, which has a really strong bunch of live tunes, but it sounds like they had to wrap up by 11. More stage banter is also part of what makes seeing Wilco live, it was to a minimum.

 

On the positive side, Nels burned up the stage on Impossible Germany, and although he looked like he was in severe pain during Misunderstood, Glenn was brilliant. The new stuff sounded great to me, the red lights and general build of Bull Black Nova was a standout, and Sonny Feeling was fun. After Sonny Feeling Jeff remarked "We'll be back here in a year and you will really wanna hear that one".... I guess because it was one of the few songs that everyone did not know all the words to already.

 

I will have a full live review with pictures from my photographer up early next week and will be sure to post em here.....

[dondoboy]

That is effing brilliant!

[bedbug]

Great show. My 11th and one of my favorites. Great energy.

 

Did anyone notice they played the Heartless Bastards guitars on Wilco the Song. Either that of Jeff got a goldtop LP, and Nels got a J Mascis signature Jazzmaster.

[bböp]

Did anyone notice they played the Heartless Bastards guitars on Wilco the Song. Either that of Jeff got a goldtop LP, and Nels got a J Mascis signature Jazzmaster.

 

Wasn't there, but I can say with a fair amount of authority that they didn't play the Heartless Bastards' guitars. I'm no guitar expert, but I know Jeff did acquire a goldtop Les Paul (a vintage copy, I believe) fairly recently. Not sure about the J Mascis Jazzmaster, but it appears Nels has brought back that double neck Danelectro (?) he used once or twice last year.

[Preferred B]

Wasn't there, but I can say with a fair amount of authority that they didn't play the Heartless Bastards' guitars. I'm no guitar expert, but I know Jeff did acquire a goldtop Les Paul (a vintage copy, I believe) fairly recently.

 

The Gibson reissue of one of the late '50s models, I think? And I've never seen that double neck guitar. Rock and roll.

 

Thank you for the reports. I'm glad to hear they played Sonny Feeling - another one that's now fair game for the upcoming shows.

[remraf]

 

On the positive side, Nels burned up the stage on Impossible Germany, and although he looked like he was in severe pain during Misunderstood, Glenn was brilliant.

 

OH! I hadn't realized anything was wrong with Nels...being as far away as I was. Is this the same problems he talks about in the Ashes DVD, or something new?

[ditty]

local review

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090613/ENT03/306130009/Wilco+(the+band)+rocks+Aronoff+

 

Wilco (the band) rocks Aronoff (the venue)

 

Wilco (the band) kicked off Wilco (the concert) Friday night at the Aronoff center with “Wilco (the song)” from its upcoming record “Wilco (the album).”

 

Put the parentheses away: Jeff Tweedy and his collection of virtuoso cohorts are at the top of their game, staking a claim as one of America’s most innovative and entertaining bands.

 

For more than two hours, the six players showed what standout musicians can do with outstanding material. The performance featured five songs from the new record, all of which stood strong beside favorites from the band’s six studio albums, plus a fine reading of “California Stars” from the “Mermaid Avenue” project.

 

Tweedy stands front and center, literally as the lead singer, and figuratively as the main songwriter. Although the group has never had a radio hit, many in the packed house of more than 3,000 knew every word to each of the 23 songs played, an impressive tribute to a band that is a critical favorite but not a big commercial success.

 

No matter. The folks showed up to watch Tweedy orchestrate a variety of tunes that featured John Stirratt, the other original member, on bass, guitar guru Nels Cline, drummer extraordinaire Glenn Kotche, and keyboardists Mikael Jorgensen and Pat Sansone, who also played guitar on occasion.

 

From softly strummed acoustic guitars to electronic bombast of dueling keyboards and guitars, all of which is impeccably propelled by Kotche, the band has mastered the Tweedy songbook.

 

“Handshake Drugs” from “A Ghost Is Born” is the quintessential Wilco song. At the start, Tweedy sings accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, but after a couple of verses, the others turn up the volume and the tempo. By the time Tweedy trades acoustic for electric to join Cline and Sansone with their six-strings, the song takes a different tack, becoming a squall of guitar noise guaranteed to make hair stand and feet move.

 

The set list seemed to be designed to group like-minded songs: “Drugs” was followed by more intensive guitar work on “Some Side With the Seeds” and “Shot in the Arm,” while a bit later, the gentler tempo of “Jesus, etc.,” “Impossible Germany” and “California Stars” gave the audience a chance to catch its collective breath.

 

That set the stage for the march to the finale that featured “You Never Know,” one of the highlights from the new album, and longtime crowd-pleasers “Misunderstood” and “Spiders.”

 

After the first goodbye, the players reappeared for energetic versions of “The Late Greats,” “I Hate It,” “Walken” and “I’m the Man Who Loves You.”

 

The show was the band’s first since returning from Europe last week, and might have been scheduled as a tune-up for its Bonnaroo appearance Saturday. If that’s the case, let’s hope the future holds more dates sandwiched between foreign travel and festival showcases.

 

Fans had another reason to thank Wilco Friday: Putting the Heartless Bastards on the bill. The hometown favorites, who headlined the Madison Theater last winter, have become full-fledged rock stars with the success of “The Mountain.”

 

Singer-guitarist Erika Wennerstrom and comrades played a tight six-song set, and she took time to tell her old friends how nice it was to be back in town.

 

It was nice to have them back. And it was nice that they brought their new friends with them, too.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

So, Jeff is moving away from wearing all denim, all the time?

[jcarlile1]

Just got home from the show....we had a great time! We were in center section row J on the floor and the sound was very good from there, sounded pretty much like all the other Wilco shows I've been to..... The Cincy crowd was very much into this show, minimal talking around us and folks were pretty familiar with the new songs as there was a lot of singing along and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

 

I really loved the new songs, especially Bull Black Nova (rocked) and You Never Know (really gorgeous). I did miss hearing Via Chicago. Didn't really thing the show was shortchanged on time. I'd say 2 hrs is pretty normal. Also, where were you Paul? I thing it's the first Wilco show I've not seen you at!

 

One thing I'd add to Jeff's banter.....I had noticed someone to the left of us and closer to the stage put up a sign for the band to read....Jeff finally acknowledged it, saying something like, "I see this sign they keep holding up, saying 'we drove all the way here from Chicago', Jeff says so what? so did we...we drive all over the place" It was pretty funny the way Jeff said it as only he can....plus we too had driven from near Chicago to be at the show so it was no big deal...

 

Another thing, I know there's been a thread about bringing your kids to Wilco shows and I think it's fine most of the time because Jeff appreciates having kids in the audience, but in the row in front of us to the right side were a guy and 2 woman with a very small child that they kept taking turns holding. The child was no older than 2 yrs ago I'd say. Poor little thing was trying to sleep most of the time, however, there was no visible signs of ear protection, nothing, not even a hat to cover his little ears. I worried about this little child so much that it was distracting me from the show. I sure hope he doesn't have damage to his little ears....

[wilcogirl]

Just got home from the show....we had a great time! We were in center section row J on the floor but in the row in front of us to the right side were a guy and 2 woman with a very small child that they kept taking turns holding.

 

Hi jcarlile1, you must have been right near my friend and I. We sat to the right of the couple with the child (it was only the guy and one woman, as the other woman was my friend, and we did not know them). The little boy was very sweet and very relaxed, and his parents very friendly, but I agree, I worried about his ears without protection as well.

 

We came in from the Cleveland area and it was my friend's second Wilco outting, and I have converted her to a Wilco fan. It is so exciting to watch someone really starting to love Wilco. We both had a fantastic time at the show, before the show (it was really nice meeting some VCers before hand!), and even today after the show in town. Great experience all they way around, and I loved that the audience was so loud and into the show. Everyone around us were singing and dancing and just really into it. Wilco Season has officially begun!

[jcarlile1]

10 Pictures. http://img526.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0399v.jpg It was great meeting everyone last night! Can't wait to meet up again.

 

Thanks so much....These are fantastic pics! My camera isn't suited for low light concert shots..didn't get a thing as usual..