Capitol city

 
Last week I saw Wilco in two capitol cities: Nashville, and my own city of Madison. The Nashville shows over the weekend comprised my second Ryman experience, every bit as good as the first. The old church sounds amazing, even from up front, and soul can be felt in every inch of the room. The Overture is a beautiful theater - downright formal compared to the Ryman, though I've warmed to it as a concert setting in recent months.

Seeing Wilco for the first time since Solid Sound back in June, I was eager to hear songs from the new album in person. Although I've seen a few performed before - solo, duo, and six-piece - that was before I really knew them. Over the course of these three shows I was lucky enough to see all but one. ("Sunloathe," I'll get you eventually.) "Capitol City," which opened the Madison show, was a fun and fitting beginning. "Open Mind" was debuted by a full band on the Ryman stage, also a fitting locale for the most traditional of the Whole Love songs. "Born Alone" soared, and "Art of Almost" fractured and built itself up again.

Then again, it wasn't all about the new songs. The second Ryman show began with "Less Than You Think," one of the most beautiful lyrics Jeff has ever written (in my humble opinion). I think Sunday was the first time I'd seen it played since early 2008, and it gave me goosebumps. "Shouldn't Be Ashamed" and "Box Full of Letters" were also welcome inclusions from A.M. I admit to missing songs from Summerteeth - only "Via Chicago" and "Shot in the Arm" were played over the three shows - but I have faith that they're not gone for good.

Wilco shows wouldn't be complete without the requisite stage banter. In Nashville Jeff's talk mostly centered around the crowds both nights, with a jab or two at the zealous security guards. In Madison, there were sports metaphors and some talk about the Brew Crew, though I can only assume Jeff is sending the team fewer good wishes at the moment against the Cardinals. He also brandished the actual proposal from last year declaring the members of Wilco to be honorary citizens of Madison. "We are home," Jeff proclaimed, reading the following passage:

WHEREAS, Wilco has visited Madison and played concerts here at least thirteen times since 1995 (including a show at Club DeWash in February of 1995); and,

WHEREAS, Jeff Tweedy says of Madison: ‘We really like it here’; and,

WHEREAS, Wisconsinites generally have a love/hate relationship with all things from Illinois but the sold-out show at the Overture Center on February 21, 2010 (sic) had only love for this band from Chicago; and,

WHEREAS, at least one member of the Common Council attended the show and can attest to its excellence; and,

WHEREAS, The Isthmus called Wilco ‘America’s shiniest rock object’; and,

WHEREAS, Duluth, MN may be cool, but we would not want it said that either that fine city or its mayor are cooler than Madison and our mayor (even if Mayor Dave is not sure who Jeff Tweedy is); and...

"I can't wait to whip this out when we get arrested later," Jeff joked.

Neither the Nashville shows nor Madison would have been the same without "36 Inches" and "I Love My Label," which saw the legendary Nick Lowe joining Wilco on stage. Nick's opening sets were terrific, and the happiness of everyone on stage during the collaborations was a joy to behold. Nick will be along again for Wilco's shows in December, including a stop in Milwaukee. I'm looking forward to seeing what else they might have up their sleeves. Seven-man cover of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," anyone?

The raincoat that you wore when it rained today

In case you hadn't noticed, I like to select my concert recap titles from the lyrics of songs played at the show in question. Typically, I don't think about what line I might use until afterward. I'll admit, though, that as soon as the Decemberists announced their April 19th show in Madison, just days after I saw them in Milwaukee on February 5th, it occurred to me that I'd have plenty of fitting lyrics to choose from. "Raise your glass to turnings of the season." "To cold climes comes springtime." "Summer swells anon."

Well, the weather on Tuesday certainly put the kibosh on that. Rainy, sleety, sometimes snowy, it was not a pleasant spring day by any stretch of the imagination. Judging from the pockets of empty seats at the Overture Center (and the number of cars I saw off the road on my way downtown), the kibosh was put on the plans of more than a few people. However, those of us who attended saw a very good show - and likely the last one Wisconsin will see from the Decemberists for awhile.

Justin Townes Earle opened the show, accompanied for most songs by a violin player/second vocalist. I'd never seen Justin before, but I'd heard tales. Some were about his offstage antics, but more were about his skill as a performer. At the Overture, the only allusion to non-musical activities came when Justin mentioned he'd been kicked out of thirteen schools ... before leaving in the ninth grade. Impressive? His performance skills, however, were readily apparent. Justin has a great voice, and seems to go off into his own world during songs. My favorite tune of his set was a blues number whose name I can't recall, but it nearly got a standing ovation from the crowd.

When the Decemberists took the stage, there were actually only two of them to begin with: Colin and John. Together they performed a lovely, fitting rendition of "The Raincoat Song." The rest of the band joined in for "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect," a song I hadn't seen live in a long time. It reminded me of the Intonation Festival in Chicago, and summer in general.

The Overture sounds terrific, but it can be a somewhat sterile place for a rock show. Last time I saw the Decemberists there, in 2009, it was a general admission show that had been moved from the Orpheum. The crowd behaved accordingly, jumping over seats in some cases after the show began to get closer to the front. On Tuesday, by contrast, the vibe during the first few songs was very polite. That is, until someone from the balcony called out between songs for Colin to "tell everybody to stand up and dance!" Colin noted that there did seem to be some open seats on the floor, if anyone wanted to come down from the various balcony levels to fill them in.

Of course, that was all it took for fans - mostly young fans - to scurry down and stand directly in front of the stage. This lasted for a song or two, until security cleared them out because of fire regulations. Colin tried to coax them into letting the kids back up, but to no avail. By that time, however, the empty seats had been filled and much of the crowd was standing. It felt more like a "real show," as Colin put it, for the rest of the night. Colin and Chris Funk had some fun with the security guards later on, with Colin playing his guitar directly at one of them and trading low fives, and Chris Funk attempting to seduce another during "The Mariner's Revenge Song." I couldn't see exactly what was going on, but he returned to the main stage with his shirt completely unbuttoned.

Madison's set wasn't too different from the one the band played in Milwaukee in February, but there was plenty to keep things interesting for folks who had seen both shows. "Rise to Me" was gorgeous once again, and even more poignant now that I know the story behind it. Seeing Sara Watkins take lead vocals on "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" was excellent, and so was the "Crane Wife" trio played in order. And when Colin came out with a Wisconsin solidarity sticker on his guitar and said a few words before playing "This is Why We Fight," the band got the loudest and longest cheer of the night.

"June Hymn" was the closing number, and it left me satisfied but longing for true spring and early summer. It also left me a bit sad, wondering if this was the last I'd see of the Decemberists for a long time. In a recent interview, Colin said after this tour the band will take an extended break; maybe three or four years. I've been lucky to see the Decemberists and Colin about fourteen times over the past nine years, and I'm happy that I took advantage of their appearances in Wisconsin (and sometimes Illinois) whenever I could. I enjoyed every minute of it. Whether I see them again sometime this summer on an unexpected trip, or I see them again in five years, I'm confident I'll feel the same.

Week in review

Last week, that is.  I returned from Pennsylvania on Monday.

Tuesday: 
Picked up bridesmaid dress from the seamstress.  Then, David Sedaris at the Overture Center.  I enjoyed myself right from the opening selection, a preview from his upcoming book of fables.  Or, as David said, not fables - since fables have morals.  He also read a story I'd seen last year in The New Yorker, "Laugh, Kookaburra."  I liked it at the time, but hearing him read stories brings them to a whole new place.  There were more anecdotes and stories, a brief mention of genocide in Rwanda (so that some college kids who attended could get credit for the talk) and a book recommendation: Irish Girl by Tim Johnston.  David mentioned that the title story had been included in a compilation he edited some years ago.  Proceeds from the book went toward ... toward ... "It was for fucked up kids.  I don't remember what was wrong with them.  I did it so I would seem generous."  I love you, David Sedaris.

Wednesday:
Wisconsin Film Festival!  I saw The Exploding Girl at the Chazen Museum.  I liked the movie, though it moved very, very slowly and not much happened.  The lead actress reminded me of a young Kristen Schaal, though her character was nothing like Kristen Schaal.  I thought the film did a surprisingly good job of building a tense, suspenseful mood throughout what was actually a not-too-suspenseful plot.

Thursday:

Wisconsin Film Festival official opening night.  Some friends and I saw The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls at the Orpheum.  Lynda and Jools Topp are lesbian twins who have a successful comedy and music act in New Zealand.  The documentary was top-notch.  I was completely unfamiliar with the Topp Twins beforehand, but I came away with a great sense of their personalities, their history, and social and political issues in New Zealand.  It was both entertaining (I think my favorite Topp Twins characters are Camp Mother and Camp Director) and unexpectedly touching.  Director Leanne Pooley answered questions after the film, and said that Jools and Lynda will be performing in San Francisco when the film screens there this year.  I'll continue to dream of them playing our local county fair.

Friday:
Harmony and Me at the Union Theater.  A comedy set in Austin about a young, quirky, recently-broken-up, sometime-musician guy with oddball friends and family.  Much of the movie was improvised, and as a veteran of seven 24-hour improv benefits since 2003, I could tell.  In a good way, mostly.  The film was very funny in many places, although as you might imagine from the description, it was also a little ... overly self-aware ... at times.  Regardless, I enjoyed it.  The director, Robert Byington, came out for a Q&A session afterward.  Byington also played Harmony's older brother in the film - one of my favorite characters.  It was a nice ending to my 2010 film festival experience.

Saturday:
Gina's bachelorette party in Chicago!  I checked into our kick-ass suite at the Dana Hotel and Spa before my facial.  It was a actually more than just a facial (that sounds dirty) - there was also a massage involved, and lots of heavenly scents and creams and aromatherapy.  The only part I didn't enjoy was when the esthetician did the "extraction of impurities," at which point I swear to god she started beating me up.  Maybe not quite, but holy crap!  My nose!  Was not expecting that!  Anyway.  Overall, it was great.  I want to live at a spa.  Or at least get treatments for an entire weekend sometime.  Which would cost seventy-eight bajillion dollars, but might be worth it.  While the others got their spa treatments,  I had enough time to Brown Line it over to Laurie's Planet of Sound to celebrate Record Store Day with Sam and co.  I picked up a CD, and - find of finds - spotted the book David Sedaris edited for fucked up kids in a used book box!   Score.  As a bonus, I heard ten minutes of DJ Pat Sansone spinning some sweet tunes before heading back to the Dana.  Drinks with the ladies at the hotel bar, dinner at Nacional 27, liquor store, back to the suite.  Mindful of lessons learned last summer at the hands of Europeans and patxaran, I suffered no ill effects from drinking.  It was just a really fun night.  Hooray for Gina's waning days as a bachelorette!

Sunday:
A short, brisk morning walk made me realize that I could live in a high-rise on State and Erie in downtown Chicago and be perfectly happy for a long time.  Sunny, early spring days obviously strengthen that impression, but really.  The area is bustling with activity, grocery stores and restaurants and shops everywhere, close to the CTA, view of the lake.  Quiet on the twenty-third floor.  And I could take public transport to parks or the 'burbs if I wanted, right?  So when I come into a ton of money, it's settled: I'm moving into the spa at the Dana.  Brunch was at Cuatro in the South Loop (shared coconut milk pancakes! chilaquiles!) and afterward it was time to head back home.   I can't wait to see everyone again at the wedding in less than two weeks OH MY GOD.    

Snowflakes break through the atmosphere

Saturday was a quintessential winter day in Wisconsin.  Wilco was playing the Overture Center that night, and I had big plans to make the six-hour drive to and from Michigan to attend their Sunday show as well.  Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas and I was forced to concede in the face of a snowstorm.  Lucky for me, then, that the Madison show was enough fun to tide me over for now.

Isn't it a lovely night?

Over the past six years I've seen the Decemberists eight times, and Colin Meloy solo four times. All were in Madison or the Chicago area. Of those combined twelve shows, only two venues have been repeats. The Decemberists' fanbase has grown steadily over the years - in size, if not in age, though I'm doing my part to drag the average up. On Wednesday night the band played their largest venue in Madison yet: the Overture Center. I don't relish the prospect of shows on the 7-foot Orpheum stage, and thought the Overture seemed better-suited for The Hazards of Love, so the venue upgrade was welcome news to me. In spite of a few questions on how the Overture would handle GA, I anticipated a fine night of music.

The Overture lobby struggled to accommodate curving lines of fans before doors opened, but the procession into the theater was orderly. The Heartless Bastards actually came on a bit early to open the show, and I liked their set. Sound quality at the front of the theater wasn't the best, but that's an expected trade-off I'm more than willing to make. During the break between sets I turned around to take in the sight of a nearly full Overture Hall. Very impressive.


The Decemberists' first set consisted of The Hazards of Love played in its entirety. The album hasn't grabbed me the way that most of the band's material has in the past, though I respect and appreciate what they've accomplished with it. Seeing it performed live, however, I was captivated. The Hazards of Love is the band's most theatrical release in many ways; a concept album that tells a complete (somewhat fantastical) story from start to finish. Listening to it is a bit like listening to a musical soundtrack. I found it very interesting, then, that the actual performance of The Hazards of Love was the least "theatrical" I've ever seen the Decemberists. There was no playful back and forth with the crowd, no singalong gimmicks, no props. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy all of those things. But this was very much an in-character performance. Colin alternated between William and the Rake, taking command with "The Rake's Song." (Which I loved. All of those drums!) Becky Stark floated about the stage as Margaret. Shara Worden leapt and howled (and smiled an awful lot) as the Queen. The audience wasn't acknowledged until the last notes of the lovely "Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" had faded away, and I'd had time to recover from Chris Funk's awesomeness on pedal steel. It was truly a unique concert experience ... one I wouldn't mind repeating.


The second set saw the return of the usual Decemberists, with bonuses. Bonuses like Shara Worden taking the female vocal role on "Yankee Bayonet," and joining Becky Sharp for a joyous and energetic cover of Heart's "Crazy on You." Colin was chatty, explaining why we owe him a debt of gratitude (his song "Dracula's Daughter" is so bad that it made God cry a single tear, creating the lakes of Wisconsin) and reminiscing about the precarious Orpheum stage. He made use of the entire stage at the Overture, which is always a bit of an adventure when there's no barrier between the stage and the front row. The second encore began with a solo performance of the gorgeous "Red Right Ankle," and the band ended the show with "Sons and Daughters." Singing "hear all the bombs fade away" over and over at the top of your lungs with a theater full of people feels wonderful. (It is what the "Kingpin" scream wants to be.) The soundboard setlist routine didn't fail me on the way out, and I left with a nice physical souvenir of the evening. Well, that and a limited-edition poster that's taken up residence in The Pile at home. I'm weak when it comes to hometown shows.


Decemberists setlist, 8/5/09:

The Hazards of Love [full album]
**
The Crane Wife, Pt. 3
The Bachelor and the Bride
We Both Go Down Together [w/last verse of Morrissey's "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together"]
Yankee Bayonet [duet w/Shara Worden]
Rox in the Box
July, July!
Dracula's Daughter
O Valencia!
Crazy on You (Heart cover) [Shara Worden and Becky Stark lead vocals]
***
Red Right Ankle [Colin solo]
Sons & Daughters

More pictures on flickr.

Raise your hopeful voice

Last week, I finally managed to watch Once in preparation for seeing The Swell Season at the Overture Center. The film piqued my interest long before it was in theaters, and after failing to see it on the big screen I even received the DVD as a Christmas present. But it seemed to take the impending concert to make me, you know, go that extra mile and watch the movie. Of course, I really enjoyed it. Not having time to truly familiarize myself with the songs, I wasn't expecting to know most of the material at the show - but at least I'd have some sort of context for it.

As it happened, I surprised myself. I think I would have enjoyed the concert even if I hadn't seen the film beforehand, but I was actually able to place quite a few of the Once songs with their respective roles in the movie. ("Oh right, Glen sang that in the bus!" "Oh, this is the song Marketa wrote lyrics for after Glen said they were giving him trouble!" Except in the film, of course, they weren't Glen and Marketa.)

I've never been a big listener to the Frames' albums, but I've always loved them live - Glen live, particularly. He's charming onstage, very engaging, and an excellent storyteller. I was glad to see these traits carry over to the Swell Season performance. It was a bit jarring at first to see Glen presiding over a sold out and dressed up audience at the Overture Center, when the first place I saw him was the tiny, smoky Annex about five years ago. There was no question, however, that he was up to the task. Mar was excellent on piano and vocals, and I hadn't known she played guitar, but it turns out she does.

As much as I enjoyed the Swell Season songs, I was happy that some Frames tunes found their way into the setlist. At one point the band and Marketa left Glen alone onstage for a few solo tunes. This led to one of the highlights of the night for me. Glen plugged in and prepared to play "Say it to Me Now," then changed his mind, unplugged, and stepped out in front of the monitors. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good "sans PA from the tip of the stage" number.

Still solo, Glen gave a lengthy introduction for "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops." He began to sing, quiet words floating out over the hushed audience. All was perfect until, a few lines in, there came an abrupt noise. It originated somewhere near the front of the room, and although it was clearly seat-related (a chair scraping across the floor, perhaps) it also bore a distinct auditory resemblance to a certain bodily function. It would have passed without much reaction, but a smirk crossed Glen's face. As he strummed the guitar, you could see the internal "should I, or shouldn't I?" debate being waged briefly - and then he murmured, "Excuse me." The audience pretty much lost it, due to the juxtaposition with the song if nothing else. Glen grinned and kept strumming until the laughter finally died down. He opened his mouth to sing the next line, and then stopped. "I think I have to abandon this song, actually" he proclaimed. And he was correct. "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" simply can't recover from a well-placed fart joke.

Among all the performance highlights, last night I realized for the first time what a terrific-sounding room the Overture is. I saw Wilco there last fall, and I thought the sound was just okay - but for the Swell Season, after the first couple of songs, it was fantastic. This type of performance seemed to be what the theater was made for. I'm glad that one side effect of all the accolades and the Academy Award is that the Swell Season wound up there, because I can't think of a venue that would have suited them better. It was also perfect for the solo violin tune by Colm Mac Con Iomaire late in the show. His CD was already sold out by the time I arrived that night - perhaps it sold out earlier on the tour. Good for him, but a shame for me.

Luckily, the entire show can be downloaded from PlayedLastNight.com in about a week for $6.00 (with a coupon code.) I'll be doing that.