Jeff Tweedy, Largo at the Coronet, December 28-29, 2017
When Jeff Tweedy first appeared at Largo in 2012, we didn't know what to expect. For his true debut performance at Largo in 2013, there was too much going on for me to fully take it in. This time, it felt like the culmination of -- gulp -- two decades of dedicated music fandom, as external forces had our backs twice over, and I couldn't be more grateful that it all came together. I can't truly put in words how much it means to me to see my two favorite musical artists ever at my favorite venue on the face of the earth within such a short window of time, but I'll give it a try.To put it mildly, I've seen Jeff at many venues, though perhaps not at the same rate these days, and of course, Largo is a special spot for me, but I can say with confidence that Jeff puts on a different kind of show here. I mean, the music is always good, but his stories and banter are something else on that stage. Last time, he told a story about his meeting with a mohel, and I couldn't believe he started sharing it at other shows. This time, there was a tale of the family's vegan diet and, as a result, the inadequate supply of toilet paper at their expensive Airbnb, as well as extended banter on whether he wanted to be our friends in real life. (He mostly didn't.) I'm doing neither any justice, but they were great in execution.
My favorite bit of the night, however, may be Jeff's semi-confession during "California Stars" that when he asks us to take the melody, we're actually doing him a favor, as it livens the song for him when he sings the harmony. Among my friends, the song gets a mixed reception, but it was funny to hear Jeff somewhat admit to its shortcomings as well. It'd probably be cut out of Storytellers, though.
In between, he also asked for requests, then chose them based on who raised their hands, and complained about a squeaky seat in the audience not keeping the beat correctly. In fact, on the second night, as he ceded the stage to his sons, he approached the fellow in the guilty chair directly and placed an accusatory hand on his shoulder. My guess: That gentleman will never wash his shoulder again.
The other aspect of seeing Jeff at Largo: He sounds so good. Obviously, a lot of it has to do with the foundation of chords and melody he sets with every song, even the intricate "Impossible Germany," paired with his plaintive and endearing voice. Now imagine that in a small room where every note sinks in and the audience is deeply engaged to the point of almost holding our collective breath. In that regard, Largo is like no other, and I'm sure no one minded when Jeff forgot some lyrics and chords. (All's forgiven!)
Jeff debuted a couple of new songs, including a tune about Noah's flood where he asked us to sing along to the chorus. In terms of relative rarities, there was no way he'd skip "The Ruling Class" in Los Angeles, and we got a few requests with "Either Way" (which he confessed to not playing very often, but I love it so much) and both versions of "Outta Mind." As the shows were ostensibly promoting Together at Last, he hit several tracks on the record -- I especially appreciated "Lost Love," one of my favorite tunes Jeff has ever written. It's hard enough to encapsulate Jeff's career over four or five nights, much less two, so odds are good he left off some audience members' beloved titles. Nonetheless, the song selection ranged from Uncle Tupelo all the way to the most recent Wilco album. You can't blame him for trying.
The sweetest part of the shows was the family involvement. Jeff played "Bob Dylan's Beard" per Susan's request, though with his usual caustic aside (he suspected it was the only title she remembered). On the first night, a guy in the audience -- who also got a request for "Blasting Fonda" the second night -- asked for a Chris Bell song. After his typical smart-ass commentary, Jeff obliged by asking Sammy to take the vocals for "Thirteen." Both the song and the son charmed us. Night two, Sammy and Spencer played "Military Madness" as Jeff stepped offstage entirely. From our seat, we could hear Jeff softly singing along with his babies. You can't beat that scene.
Nick Offerman and Sarah Silverman opened for Jeff on respective nights. Nick's set was a shorter version of what he did at Solid Sound, and Sarah slightly tweaked her material from the previous week's Jon Brion show. I was particularly pleased to hear how well Sarah's set went over with the crowd. Also, because I'm strangely gifted (?) with this kind of thing, I can report Friday night was a comedy nerd's dream, as members of Superego, at least one Sklar brother, and Carrie Brownstein were in attendance -- and some guys named Andrew Bird and Jon Hamm too.
I don't expect Jeff to become a regular at Largo, and I won't even bring up that one addition that would make my head explode [HINT HINT]. All I know is that Largo once again saved the best for last and that I'm one of the luckiest people in the world to be able to attend.
See also:
» so flattered by fate
» every night is a test
» always hated normal american kids
» when we came here today
» a few of my favorite things
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