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amatia indicated she'd like a long post about Wilco, so here we go. Y'all should read it. It's quite good. .
Back in 2004, I spent pretty much all day, every day chatting with
redqueen6238. We chatted all the time because we squeed over the same things--Angel and Doctor Who mostly, though we had the same taste in "yammy" men. One day she says to me, she says, "You know what's the perfect song for Wesley and the Doctor?" I said, "No, what?" She said, "How To Fight Loneliness." And she sent me the mp3. I had never heard Wilco before, and I was gobsmacked. Who was this band? Why had I never heard of them before? I immediately tried to DL more songs, which included California Stars, Walt Whitman's Niece (Not a Wilco song, though it is on Mermaid Ave), and Via Chicago. This was the light flirtation that led to the love affair.
The first Wilco albums I bought were Mermaid Ave and Summerteeth. Summerteeth was like a freaking religious experience. There would be no turning back. This was all in early 2004.
I was working on the final draft of edits for Mad World in 2004, and one day I stumbled across a link for A Ghost is Born, streaming. The first time I listened to the album, I didn't quite know what to make of it, but that's how it goes with every new album I listen to. But as I worked on Mad World, I realized that A Ghost is Born was the absolutely perfect soundtrack to that story. It was amazing and exciting. Maybe that's why I love the album so much more than anybody else? I don't know. I only know that I felt a strong, automatic reaction to it.
That was the beginning of Jeff Tweedy's role as my muse. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Jeff writes the stories that I only wish I could write. I literally spend pages and pages trying to convey what he is capable of conveying in just one or two lines. A cheap sunset on a television set could upset her, but he never could is just one of many examples. I pretty much always listen to Wilco when I'm writing, or when I'm searching for an idea.
This is the order in which I obtained the albums.
Mermaid Ave
Summerteeth
A Ghost is Born
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
AM
Being There
Mermaid Ave 2
Kicking Television
Sky Blue Sky
They were all a surprise to me, music wise. I never knew what to expect. Because I had zero expectations, I was never disappointed. This means I pretty much love them all equally.
The first concert was in Nov 2004 (I don't have an exact date). It was at the Wiltern Theater, on the corner of Wilshire and Western. Getting to the concert was an ordeal I will never forget. We were living in Upland at the time and rarely had any reason to drive into Los Angeles. I, of course, got lost. And then I panicked when it came to parking. And I was sick at the thought of driving home again. And my car had been acting up, and I didn't know what the hell was wrong with it. A part of me just wanted to give up, turn around, and go home. But I didn't, and holy fuck, am I glad I went.
The Wiltern theater is a pretty small venue, and so even though we were on the balcony, it still felt like we were close to the stage. They had a huge screen behind them, and it was showing all kinds of weird shit while they were playing. I don't know what that was all about--I never saw them with a huge screen again. A really awesome singer opened for them, and I'm sorry that I don't know who it was. It was a female Country singer. I remember very vividly that they played Less Than You Think, complete with 13 minutes of feedback. They also ended the show with Don't Fear the Reaper, which was awesome. Jeff bantered with the audience, made jokes, and in general, kicked ass. I didn't smoke any illegal substances (though there was a LOT at that concert) but I still felt high by the time we left the show.
The second concert was in San Diego at the UCSD. We drove down and stayed in a hotel. I had to rent a wheelchair, because this was in the spring of 2005 (May, actually. It was a last minute show they added before Coachella). But while I was in Italy, I managed to give myself tendinitis. Each step was very painful, and standing for long periods of time was right out. The venue was very small, and it was all general assembly. Because we got there a bit late (I got lost while driving and we had to park far away), we didn't queue up in time. We were close to the stage, but I couldn't see, and nobody would let the wheelchair through. So, it was the one concert where I was about 3 feet away from Jeff, and one concert where I didn't get to see him at all. Tough break, huh?
The third concert was on June 14, 2005 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. I remember the exact date because it was our special anniversary trip. The Roots were opening. Here is my LJ post about the day. You should read it just for the part about James Spader.
The fourth concert was actually Jeff Tweedy's solo show. We also saw that in San Diego. Glen was playing with him, and so it was awesome. Jeff was his usual charming, funny self. Including lines like "It's just been me and Glen on this whole tour. It was like Brokeback Tour Bus." And "Oops. I misfingered it. And we all know how painful that can be." The venue (I don't remember what it was called) was very small, and we were in the back row, but still damned close to the stage. You can see how awesome Jeff was on that show on the DVD Sunken Treasure.
The fifth concert was this last August in Berkeley at the Greek Theater. I went with
eurydice72 and we had a great time. She felt a little bit sick from all the smoke and stuff, but it was still a good time. That was the first time I realized that Nels Cline is made of awesome. I've read a lot of people that say Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot were clearly influenced by the Beach Boys, specifically, Pet Sounds. People who think this are, in a word, retarded. Oh, I'm sure there's some influence going on there, because Pet Sounds is Pet Sounds. But Summerteeth sounds like Jeff Tweedy said "I'd like to make a Beatles album" and then did it. You listen to ELT and Every Little Thing and tell me he was only inspired by Pet Sounds.
The Beatles were my first obsession. It was a four year affair. I loved them like burning. I met
slacker_97 because of The Beatles. I spent hundreds of dollars on them. I read dozens of books. I had all their songs. I knew everything about them. I loved them completely, without reservation. I didn't think I could ever love another band as much as I loved The Beatles. But I had never conceived of a band like Wilco either. I honestly like A Ghost is Born more than Abbey Road. Which is crazy. But true.
The solo show in San Diego was the first time I heard some of Tweedy's songs from Uncle Tupelo, Loose Fur, and Golden Smog. I went out and bought those albums, too. Is there anything Jeff Tweedy can't do? I love all those albums very much. I'd recommend Golden Smog to anybody, though I liked Down By the Old Mainstream the most.
I hope to see Wilco in Grand Junction CO in May. We'll see if I can afford the tickets and work out the logistics. I'm already greedy and hungry for their next album, though I know it could be a wait of years. I don't see my love ending any time soon. I find new reasons to adore Jeff Tweedy almost daily.