you were right about the stars

When A Ghost Is Born came out, a group of friends and I embarked on what turned out to be an indelible trip that took us along the East Coast and back to the Midwest for a string of "intimate" Wilco shows. Though I've already clocked in four gigs on the European leg of the Sky Blue Sky tour, I was very much looking forward to these June dates, back on U.S. soil and with the usual crew.

Wilco, Pines Theater, June 24, 2007: When these shows were announced, the first venue that caught my eye was the Pines outside of Northampton, Massachusetts, for all the usual reasons: a general admission venue, a college town, a good reputation, as well as one more detail involving a certain rock tourist par excellence; a big, dumb rock song; and Wilco's equivalent of a public service announcement. Ultimately, the Pines became the linchpin for this whole excursion (at least until the Warsaw date was unveiled).

The Pines, indeed, lived up to its reputation. After spending a beautiful summer day (the kind that San Francisco rarely enjoys) in the park, we stumbled into the amphitheater for the show. I saw Wilco play a few outdoor venues just a couple of summers ago, but the Pines most reminded me of a gig from five years back, when a different lineup of the band played the John Anson Ford Theater in Los Angeles. Unlike the Greek Theaters, for example, in both Los Angeles and Berkeley, the Pines and the John Anson Ford have stages set into the hillside. Thus, as an audience member, you see the band almost literally framed by nature: verdant trees around them and twinkling skies above them. I can't tell you how cool this effect is.

Early in the day, we noticed an unusual amount of activity, such as a woman filming outside the venue and people walking by with laminates we hadn't previously seen. We soon learned that the Pines had been pinned as the multimedia hub for this tour; both VH1 and XM Radio were set to immortalize the show.

To our relief, we discovered that the film crew wouldn't be too intrusive; they managed to not invade the floor with cameras, though of course, we still stood the risk of having our every dorky move caught on film. Oddly, this concern mostly floated away as soon as the music started.

The difference between the Count Basie Theater and the Pines was evident from the moment doors opened, and the band delivered on the promise of the venue from the get-go, when they started with "Either Way," one of the two songs from Sky Blue Sky I hadn't yet heard live. If you've caught me humming or singing to myself at any point during the last month and a half, chances are this is the song I've been massacring. The tune didn't immediately strike me as a world changer, but the directness of both the lyrics and the arrangement snuck up on me, and it's become part of my internal soundtrack.



One of the other big surprises of the night was the return of "Kamera," now complete with Nels's stamp, in the form of an incredibly melodic guitar solo that echoed the song's main lilt. Speaking of, I guess this is as good an opportunity as any for my requisite gushing over Nels: you haven't heard "Impossible Germany" until you've heard it ringing out under the open skies.



The band had built on the strengths and quirks I had first witnessed in Europe, most tellingly in the sheer enjoyment they seemed to be milking from the shows. Glenn had kicked up his Shellac tribute so that all the crowd could see that he was ready to rock. For "Hummingbird," Jeff serenaded an older man at the edge of the stage, and he jumped into the crowd for his ending run/dance. During the instrumental jam toward the end of "Walken," he planted himself on the speaker in front of Sooz and Heidi while playing guitar.

From my vantage, I could see the rest of the band engaging in various shenanigans, such as Mike's Vanna-like presentation of Glenn before "Heavy Metal Drummer," Nels prodding both Mike and Glenn into making silly faces, and Glenn himself singing along to a bunch of the songs. If they are anything less than a happy band right now, they have a funny way of showing it.



The capper to the heavenly evening was "Outtasite (Outta Mind)." I'm not one to obsess over which songs the band should or shouldn't play, but I remain a sucker for the older tunes that don't get aired as often, especially if they're from Being There. If the footage of us jumping up and down to this song ever shows up on VH1, I won't be happy, but I wouldn't change a thing either.

After missing Low in Red Bank, I saw them tonight. Low was one of those bands I halfway grasped at in the mid-'90s, but apart from a few songs here and there, I never fully investigated them. Tonight, their music was at times startlingly beautiful, but they didn't seem like the right match for this sunny, outdoor venue. As I would later discover, we got the band during one of their more playful evenings. Alan even cracked some jokes, and the crowd was quite polite. We couldn't have guessed that this would be one of the better receptions they received over the next few shows.

See also:
» town after town, toll after toll
» every song's a comeback

town after town, toll after toll

Sometimes, a seated show is just what you need when, say, your interest in a band is less than overwhelming or after you've slogged through a long, hard day at work, on the road, on the phone--whatever. Aside from one major exception, they more often than not do little for me, but Red Bank, New Jersey (the location of this Wilco gig) sort of served as a layover on our drive to points north, and more important, it gave us an excuse to barge in on some great friends in the area.

Wilco, Count Basie Theater, June 22, 2007: There are times when you have to take a step (or however many are required to get to Row X) back, sit in your assigned seat, block out the making-out couple glued to each other in front of you, peer past the 23 other rows separating you from the stage, and deal with it.

I will say, though, that things could've been a lot worse. For one, the Count Basie Theater is relatively small, and we were not, by any measure, in the nosebleeds. Also, the crowd in my area turned out to be fairly enthusiastic. Certainly, some were more knowledgeable than others, but they took to their feet from the outset and stayed there for the duration. I heard a lot of singing around me, and they even cheered some of the older songs (though nothing preceding Summerteeth made it to the setlist). Standing toward the back, I even noticed details in the band's playing that tend to be lost when you're in the front. I always love Glenn's drumming, but I actually heard nuances to his technique that had previously evaded me.

The most notable occurrence during this gig was probably about halfway through, when Jeff's mic popped, and they couldn't fix it too easily. After attempting a few moves, the band walked offstage, only to have Jeff return by himself. He went without the PA to perform "Acuff-Rose," which has become a mainstay on his recent solo tours. As you might expect from a crowd out to see a rock band, the hooters and hecklers couldn't let this rather lovely moment alone, but at least over at my outpost, they managed to show some respect. The band, in turned, plowed through the rest of their set until curfew to make up for the lost time.



Alas, I missed my usual station, especially as I watched the goofy interaction between Nels and Jeff on "Walken." Also, "Impossible Germany"--though its transcendence can't be contained in a room of any size--made me long to rush to the front, just so that I wouldn't miss a single note of the divine guitar interplay. Overall, the show was fun, even if I couldn't partake of the visceral thrill that marks my customary concert experience.

people tell me i'm lucky

Under other circumstances, I could've floated home on the memory of Friday's exhilarating gig. However, moderation was not in the cards this weekend as we reconvened at Largo for Jon Brion's second show in as many days.

Jon Brion, Largo, June 9, 2007: The night before, the crowd vying to get into Largo swamped the sidewalk, as would-be patrons planted themselves on the pavement and picnicked against the distinctly unpastoral backdrop of Fairfax Village. I called it a refugee camp; my cousin suggested a tailgate party. Saturday, however, offered a welcome contrast, and not just because I had a reservation.

Admittedly, my tolerance for Largo's cuisine and Jon's musical escapades exceeds that of most people, but I'm always surprised by how few repeat customers take advantage of a Jon Brion two-fer weekend. In addition to not working from a setlist, Jon makes an effort to not repeat himself; if he's on a Bowie kick one night, he's likely to go for anyone but the following show. Part of the fun, then, is tuning in to see who or what turns up.

Jon hit the stage, fresh faced and with a bounce. I missed his opening ramble, so I'm not sure how he landed on "Swanee River," but the transition to "Someone to Watch Over Me" drew us into more familiar territory. For the latter, Jon thanked us for humoring his "fake Bach section" but disclosed he was also working around a swizzle stick embedded between the piano keys. The Eternal Sunshine theme completed the introductory instrumental trifecta.

Jon asked for requests and chose my suggestion for "Nothing Between Us." It's been a while since I've heard him do the song, and a similar comment from Jon bore out this observation.

Switching gears, Jon took up a guitar and started looping. From there, he added drums and piano for a song I've finally figured out: "Croatia." (Little did I know I'd be busted at the end of the night for this breakthrough.) I guess I got used to Chris Thile's accompaniment pretty quickly because I missed his counterplay tonight. Then again, it was nice to hear it with drums again.

Remnants of Friday's festivities were still visible onstage: two empty cans of Red Bull underneath the piano bench, the extra mic stand that hadn't been removed. Jon encountered another one as he tried to slip on an acoustic guitar. It sat laughably high on his lanky frame, and as he moved to fix it, he dropped leading hints as to who might be responsible for its state, culminating in a sitcom-worthy "Watkins!"

This build-up brought us to "Further Along," one of two songs he repeated over the two nights, though of course in different styles. He followed up with more originals, including the second performance of "Didn't Think It Would Turn Out Bad" I've heard.

"How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" got an upgrade from its usual station as between-song filler to a bona fide number on piano, preceding "Knock Yourself Out," once more on the piano and celeste but with slower phrasing. If Friday had been an outlet for beloved covers, we were finally getting some self-penned works in this second show.

The conclusion of "Excuse to Cry" elicited another call for requests, and Jon took his pick of two, mashing up, of all people, Ray Noble and Pete Shelley. I thought I heard "Strings That Tie to You" in Jon's next number, but it turned out to be "Ruin My Day."

Throughout the night, Jon had admitted he had no idea what he wanted to do, so when he returned to the piano, he repeated his need for requests. After the barrage of titles, he said something along the lines of "fuck it, I'm going to go there" and dove into "Strawberry Fields Forever." I can't say when the string of tunes coalesced into "Beatlesfest '07," but I'm the last person who'd complain about such a development, especially when the whole room is singing along. Benmont Tench's arrival didn't hurt either. The final bonus: Jon promised us a rare second set.

I always think Largo could get away with charging a lot more for the privilege of listening to Jon and Benmont cavort through the Beatles catalog; when they, in essence, serve as the backing band while we supply the vocals, that's worth another hike in admission.

On the whole, we did ourselves proud; you should've heard our coordinated intakes on "Girl," as well as the multiple-part harmonies on "You Won't See Me." We started off strong on "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" but dropped off precipitously for the second verse; fortunately, Jon pitched in (while tuning his guitar) with ad-libbed lyrics about getting to the chorus. In addition, we watched as Jon dashed to the bench between verses, fell down to his knees, and accompanied Benmont on celeste with "For No One." Also, his narrating and acting out the discovery of the power of the drum overdub in "No Reply" brimmed with a contagious sense of glee.

The second set began with a warning aimed at the Beatles naysayers and seemed to resume as planned with "I'm So Tired." But this scheme detoured immediately, as Jon and Benmont tried out alternate tracks. Benmont's musical reply to "Beast of Burden" so pleased Jon that he nearly doubled up in delight. Thus, the second set came to comprise some Beatles songs, but in Jon's own estimation, any song that had anything to do with the Beatles, in terms of influence or time frame or tone, was fair game.

The first set had primed our vocal chords, but in case we needed reminding, Jon lectured us on the merits of the singalong, likening it to church (I've heard that before). In any case, the advice couldn't--and didn't--hurt, as we took a tour of British Invasion-era favorites. Jon unapologetically churned out the "most obvious" Who song to get us going. Evonne came up with "Substitute." Jon delivered "Wild Thing" as nearly a spoken word piece, augmented by Benmont's flatteringly euphonious touch, as well as an audience member who chose to sing it in a falsetto that Jon compared to Michael MacDonald. And Benmont reaffirmed his mastery (again) on "I Keep It With Mine."

Beatlesfest '07 reemerged at the close of the set. We carried off most of "A Day in the Life" and hung in as Jon and Benmont perfected that song's famous final note. Jon gave us the entirety of "The End" this time, but the selection was misleading. They still had to get through the outro of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," which saw Jon at times careening toward Benmont as the two of them played off each other, before the final, convulsive ending.

Set 1
--Swanee River [piano]
--Someone to Watch Over Me [piano]
--Eternal Sunshine Theme [piano]
--Nothing Between Us [piano]
--Croatia [song build]
--Further Along [acoustic guitar + harmonica]
--Happy with You [song build]
--Didn't Think It Would Turn Out Bad [song build]
--How Much Is That Doggie in the Window [piano]
--Knock Yourself Out [piano + celeste + harmonica]
--Excuse to Cry [electric guitar]
--The Very Thought of You/You Say You Don't Love Me [electric guitar]
--Ruin My Day [guitar and harmonica]
--Strawberry Fields Forever [vocoder + keyboard]
--I'm Only Sleeping
--Sexy Sadie [song build]

with Benmont Tench
--For No One
--No Reply
--You Won't See Me
--Ob La Di, Ob La Da
--Every Little Thing
--Girl
--If I Needed Someone
--I Call Your Name

Set 2
--I'm So Tired
--Beast of Burden
--Substitute
--So Sad About Us
--I Can't Reach You
--My Generation
--You Really Got Me
--Tired of Waiting for You
--Wild Thing
--How Do You Do It
--Walk Away Renee
--I Go to Pieces
--My Back Pages
--I'll Keep It with Mine
--A Day in the Life
--The End
--I Want You (She's So Heavy) [outro]

See also:
» i remember standing by the wall
» here's a working model