The signs after an A+ show are always the same.
Sound stops suddenly. You’re dazed. You’re not sure what to do. Chatter develops, but you don’t want to hear it. You speed walk, trying to get away from the mindless babblers as quickly as possible. Eventually, you separate; you find silence. Then you consider calling someone. The music was so dynamic, the experience was so profound that you need to share. No, you decide, not yet. That would break the spell. Minutes later, as you join the line of cars inching through the parking lot, you’re ready for the call. You fawn, gush, and try anything you can to recreate the concert for the person on the other line, but it never works. They don’t understand.
After you finish the call and inch up a few cars in line, you reach the final stage: you listen to the songs again. Any other concerts, even the good ones, you’d never listen to the songs again. After days of album preparation and two hours live, you’re maxxed out. You’re ready to move on. After A+ concerts, though, it takes longer to let go. The spell lasts through the night...
What made this Wilco concert special – what made it join the A+ elite? The same thing that brought the others to the top: it broke the rules. It was a followup concert that actually improved on the original! Thus far, over 43 concerts, every subsequent show was worse than the original. There was no question, though, that every aspect of the Wolftrap concert was better the Merriweather one. The instruments were loud this time, I could actually understand everything Jeff Tweedy was saying, and I could not have asked for a better setlist. The thing that made the setlist particularly memorable was that I knew every song. It took me a while to remember the name of some of the A.M. / Summerteeth tracks at first, but sure enough, I’d be able to scribble down the title in my notepad by the end of the song.
I am well aware that 99% of you reading this right now do not have that same familiarity with Wilco’s songs. Considering that, I’d advise you to skip over this track-by-track scribbled live blog and move on to the next show. If you happen to be a Wilco fanatic, though, enjoy…
Part One
o “Wilco (The Song).” Great sound! Strong volume and you can actually understand everything he’s saying.
o A much appreciated “Shot in the Arm” early. Rare that a band plays an early song at the start. Nice electronic addition in the last third.
o “At Least That’s What You Said”!!! Right before this song, a guy asked if I could move a few seats over so his friends could all sit together. The physical move enhanced the transition from two mediocre songs to a true performance. A total hush in the audience, who all take in the emotion. Take that, Death Cab!
o “Black Bull Super Nova.” Intro sounds just like “Spiders.” Blood lyrics, red background, fog effect, and fearsome beat make this quite scary.
o “She’s a Jar.” Whoa, tonal shift. They’re distributing tracks from different albums nicely so far. This is clearly from Summerteeth. I really thought this was going to a mediocre night. Love to be wrong!
(Note: there's a better tonal shift on the album: from "Black Bull Super Nova" to "You and I." Check it out.)
Part Two
o “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” Meh. Feedback in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot can get excessive at times. “One Wing,” on the other hang, is great. Fits “At Least That’s What You Said” well.
o Jeff Tweedy speaks! He explains that he will now play the most requested song on their website, “How to Fight Loneliness.” Says “36 of you are going to be very happy right now.” After the song, he adds, “Um, yeah, that sounded like about 36 people.” He then insists that he wasn’t ‘fishing’ for applause, but he might as well have been ‘cause the song was pretty bad.
o “Impossible Germany”!! The extended guitar rift is incredible.
o “Jesus Don’t Cry.” Such warmth.
o “Deeper Down” and “Sonny Feeling” are both lackluster. He hilariously makes up for messing up a “Sonny Feeling” lyric by explaining, “at that moment, I realized I’d written a song that mentioned Eminem, so I became afraid he’d come and kick my a--.” Nice recovery. Take that, Jack Johnson!
o An even funnier moment occurs in the transition to "Handshake Drugs.” Tweedy points to a group of people in the crowd who had letters written on their t-shirts and says, “Huh? There’s no ‘F’ in Wilco?” As soon as he said that the 14 people rearrange themselves and reveal W-I-L-C-O (T-H-E F-A-N-S). Heeeee! Quick as ever, Tweedy insists, “Man, this parenthetical stuff is getting out of hand.”
o I’m surprisingly happy to hear “Handshake Drugs.” The guitar battle is indulgent / awesome.
Part Three
o “Hate It Here,” that laundry song from Sky Blue Sky, is pretty funny. Nice lights-on effect during the chorus. Man, the volume at Wolftrap rocks.
o “Walken.’” Meh about the song, but their genial funk persuades me.
o “I’m the Man Who Loves You.” God, they’re so hip. They have so many styles; it’s seamless.
o “Hummingbird”! Starts off without no guitar, does some faux grandstanding. The audience joins in – aww. Mic flipping and electric guitar at the end – nice!
Encore
o “You Never Know” and "Heavy Metal Drummer” both pale in comparison to “Misunderstood.” I do not know “Misunderstood,” but hearing how appreciative diehard fans are, knowing they’re listening to a track from 14 years ago, from Being There, is touching.
o "Spiders" is even better than last time. And it’s DIFFERENT. They put the rhythm in a different key. :) I lose all self consciousness. My eyes are closed; I’m slapping my knees, my chest, the chair, anything that beat tells me to.
o They end on “I’m A Wheel”!!! “Spiders” is more profound, but ending on a simpler song, showing they’re not just showoffs, feels perfect.
Grade: A+
Sunday, September 27, 2009
43 -- TV on the Radio -- Monday, June 8, 2009 -- 9:30 Club – DC
My relationship with TV on the Radio is an unhappy one. I desperately hoped they would be another Unlikely Success Story, but they weren’t. They did not follow the Smashing Pumpkins model or the Arcade Fire model. (I initially hated Smashing Pumpkins’ albums, but grew to love the band when I saw them live. I thought I would hate Arcade Fire because I perceived them as a critically revered “homework” band, but I grew to love them more and more every time I listened.)
As it turned out, the model they actually did follow was Radiohead. This meant that they were a critically revered “homework” band that remained homework no matter how many times I listened. This makes sense, I suppose, considering TV’s first album is OK Calculator, a clear reference to Radiohead’s Ok Computer. Both groups have some songs I enjoy: "Karma Police" and “Fake Plastic Trees” for Radiohead; “Staring at the Sun” and “Wolf Like Me” for Tv on the Radio). Overall, though, I’d rather write a term paper.
Grade: B- Note: This grade could have been a lot lower, considering my distaste for most of the songs, but the lead singer was actually really good. I assumed that he would be a detached douche, like the New Rockers guy, but he brought energy and excitement to each of his songs. With more accessible material, he would make me want to see them again.
As it turned out, the model they actually did follow was Radiohead. This meant that they were a critically revered “homework” band that remained homework no matter how many times I listened. This makes sense, I suppose, considering TV’s first album is OK Calculator, a clear reference to Radiohead’s Ok Computer. Both groups have some songs I enjoy: "Karma Police" and “Fake Plastic Trees” for Radiohead; “Staring at the Sun” and “Wolf Like Me” for Tv on the Radio). Overall, though, I’d rather write a term paper.
Grade: B- Note: This grade could have been a lot lower, considering my distaste for most of the songs, but the lead singer was actually really good. I assumed that he would be a detached douche, like the New Rockers guy, but he brought energy and excitement to each of his songs. With more accessible material, he would make me want to see them again.
42 -- Bruce Springsteen -- Monday, May 18, 2009 -- Verizon Center – DC
I had the worst seat in the arena. I was in the back of the upper deck behind the stage. And it was still incredible. There are no bad Bruce shows.
For the second straight concert, I missed “Badlands.” This time I was stuck outside the arena, searching for a seat. There was no repeat of last year’s four-rows-from-the-stage miracle, but I was at least able to pay face value (less than $100) and get settled in after just two songs. The third song, “Outlaw Pete,” was perfect for where I was sitting because it’s a simmering epic – the type of song that lets you close your eyes, listen to it build, and ignore the mediocre non-fans sitting around you.
“Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” proved to be a top moment once again. My excitement had been building for a few songs (“Blinded by the Light,” “Little Latin Lupe Lu,” and, hilariously, “Hava Nagila”). Once “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” started, I decided to get up and leave the slugs I was sitting next to behind. In one of the unticketed rows below, I could move, breathe, and take in each shift in tone (i.e. from “The Promised Land” to “The Wrestler,” from “Radio Nowhere” to “Lonesome Day,” from “The Rising” to “Born to Run.”) When “The Rising” started, two other guys left their seats and joined me in the unticketed row. We spontaneously fist pumped and high fived all the way through “Born to Run.”
Remarkably, though, that was not THE top moment of night. The top moment was the last song. I assumed he would end with “This American Land,” as he had done at the Verizon Center last year. After “American Land,” however, he walked to the back of the stage, picked up one of the fan-made signs he’d taken earlier in the show, and showed it to the crowd: “Obama wants Rosie.” “By executive order!” he decried. He was going to end with “Rosalita”!!
“Rosalita” has never been my favorite song, but I had heard people clamor for it at every single concert and had never heard him do it, so when I saw the sign, I flipped out. The couple next to me, who’d also decided to leave their seats, flipped out as well. And for the remaining seven minutes of the show, we all proceeded to DANCE to the song. It was probably the most arrhythmic dancing imaginable, but no one cared.
Even I did not care. I have fewer dance steps than Stephen Hawking, and yet, there I was, throwing myself around half the upper deck. If a concert can get me to do that, there’s no way it doesn’t get a plus.
Grade: A+
For the second straight concert, I missed “Badlands.” This time I was stuck outside the arena, searching for a seat. There was no repeat of last year’s four-rows-from-the-stage miracle, but I was at least able to pay face value (less than $100) and get settled in after just two songs. The third song, “Outlaw Pete,” was perfect for where I was sitting because it’s a simmering epic – the type of song that lets you close your eyes, listen to it build, and ignore the mediocre non-fans sitting around you.
“Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” proved to be a top moment once again. My excitement had been building for a few songs (“Blinded by the Light,” “Little Latin Lupe Lu,” and, hilariously, “Hava Nagila”). Once “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” started, I decided to get up and leave the slugs I was sitting next to behind. In one of the unticketed rows below, I could move, breathe, and take in each shift in tone (i.e. from “The Promised Land” to “The Wrestler,” from “Radio Nowhere” to “Lonesome Day,” from “The Rising” to “Born to Run.”) When “The Rising” started, two other guys left their seats and joined me in the unticketed row. We spontaneously fist pumped and high fived all the way through “Born to Run.”
Remarkably, though, that was not THE top moment of night. The top moment was the last song. I assumed he would end with “This American Land,” as he had done at the Verizon Center last year. After “American Land,” however, he walked to the back of the stage, picked up one of the fan-made signs he’d taken earlier in the show, and showed it to the crowd: “Obama wants Rosie.” “By executive order!” he decried. He was going to end with “Rosalita”!!
“Rosalita” has never been my favorite song, but I had heard people clamor for it at every single concert and had never heard him do it, so when I saw the sign, I flipped out. The couple next to me, who’d also decided to leave their seats, flipped out as well. And for the remaining seven minutes of the show, we all proceeded to DANCE to the song. It was probably the most arrhythmic dancing imaginable, but no one cared.
Even I did not care. I have fewer dance steps than Stephen Hawking, and yet, there I was, throwing myself around half the upper deck. If a concert can get me to do that, there’s no way it doesn’t get a plus.
Grade: A+
Sunday, September 6, 2009
41 -- Bruce Springsteen -- Tuesday, May 5, 2009 -- John Paul Jones Arena -- Charlottesville, VA
I had a nice dinner with Ben Marzouk before the concert. Unfortunately that meant I missed the first five songs! He usually starts earlier than other performers, but I was shocked he did all that before 8:45. I was especially disappointed to have missed “Badlands.” I hoped he’d make up for it with “Jungleland” later, but he didn’t.
The quiet highlight of the night was “The Wrestler.” As I was writing my Death Cab and Jack Johnson reviews, I started to believe that low key songs were not meant to be heard live – that they will always pale in comparison to the version on the album. Bruce proved me wrong. The live “Wrestler” was even better than the album version, given greater poignancy by the fact he was sharing Mickey Rourke’s story with 16,000 people – who never said a word.
The exuberant highlight of the night was “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day.” Outside of a concert, it’s not a song I particularly like to listen to. Like “Workin’ on a Dream,” it’s too straightforward to capture my attention – to make me want to listen again. In concert, though, it was a joy. He turned on the lights well before “Born to Run,” believably connected it to the economy, and had this adorable little girl sing along. Similarly, he allowed Max Weinberg’s son Jay to play the drums for “Promised Land” and the remaining ten songs. What a guy…
Grade:A-
The quiet highlight of the night was “The Wrestler.” As I was writing my Death Cab and Jack Johnson reviews, I started to believe that low key songs were not meant to be heard live – that they will always pale in comparison to the version on the album. Bruce proved me wrong. The live “Wrestler” was even better than the album version, given greater poignancy by the fact he was sharing Mickey Rourke’s story with 16,000 people – who never said a word.
The exuberant highlight of the night was “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day.” Outside of a concert, it’s not a song I particularly like to listen to. Like “Workin’ on a Dream,” it’s too straightforward to capture my attention – to make me want to listen again. In concert, though, it was a joy. He turned on the lights well before “Born to Run,” believably connected it to the economy, and had this adorable little girl sing along. Similarly, he allowed Max Weinberg’s son Jay to play the drums for “Promised Land” and the remaining ten songs. What a guy…
Grade:A-
40 -- Alkaline Trio -- Thursday, April 30, 2009 -- The Trocadero -- Philadelphia, PA
They didn’t play “Mercy Me” OR “Armageddon.” That was disappointing. I also held out hope that they’d end with something other than “Radio.” From now on, I’ll just embrace its fixed placement. I’ll approach it as a ritual, as a comfort, not a letdown.
Other than that, it was gratifying to be back at a full Trio show, with rabid Trio fans. It had been six months since I last saw them – almost a year if you don’t count the painful, six-song Rise Against show. Man, did I miss it. You could choose to stay back and jump, move to the middle and get thrown, or press in right up front and sway five feet from the actual performers. No matter where you were, you were guaranteed a spot next to someone who knew every word. You would have no breathing room, they wouldn’t, and neither of you cared.
Liked the nod to the Ramones with “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” Loved that they played so many early, dark, obscure tracks: “My Friend Peter,” “Tuck Me In,” “Cooking Wine,” and “100 Stories.” In that context, I was even able to embrace “Calling All Skeletons” as mindless fun.
Grade: A
Unexplained Endnotes: Trekking to aSoho gym before the concert, trekking to a Delaware Williamsburg
Other than that, it was gratifying to be back at a full Trio show, with rabid Trio fans. It had been six months since I last saw them – almost a year if you don’t count the painful, six-song Rise Against show. Man, did I miss it. You could choose to stay back and jump, move to the middle and get thrown, or press in right up front and sway five feet from the actual performers. No matter where you were, you were guaranteed a spot next to someone who knew every word. You would have no breathing room, they wouldn’t, and neither of you cared.
Liked the nod to the Ramones with “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” Loved that they played so many early, dark, obscure tracks: “My Friend Peter,” “Tuck Me In,” “Cooking Wine,” and “100 Stories.” In that context, I was even able to embrace “Calling All Skeletons” as mindless fun.
Grade: A
Unexplained Endnotes: Trekking to a
Kings of Leon / Sister Hazel / The Decemberists
Kings of
Sister Hazel [redux] -- Fri, May 1, 2009 -- The
The Decemberists -- Fri, June 5, 2009 -- The National --
Again with the cancellations? This has to stop.
39 -- Death Cab for Cutie -- Wednesday, April 8, 2009 -- DAR Constitution Hall – DC
DAR Constitution Hall ROCKS! James and a bunch of others may hate it, insisting that it drowns out vocals, but I don’t care. Whatever it loses in vocals, it gains tenfold in acoustics. Pianos, drums, harps, guitars – all sounds are enhanced at Constitution Hall. It made Ben Folds’ encore successful, Smashing Pumpkins’ entire set euphoric, and moved Death Cab from the Merriweather “C” to a far more respectable “B+.” Now if I could only get Arcade Fire to play there...
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