At Least We'll Make Eight People Out There Happy

Wilco
The Grand Hall, Classic Centre
Athens, GA
April 20, 2009

I've always been a nerd when it comes to dates, especially when it comes to attaching (at times unnecessary) significance to them. It's been nearly exactly one year since I last visited Athens, and nearly exactly two years since the one and only other time I saw Wilco, back in Melbourne at the Palais Theatre. Some people tend to identify certain periods in their life with what they were listening to at that particular time. There are always going to be periods where something, whether it's a book, film or album or whatever else, resonates with you perhaps more than it ordinarily would if your circumstances were different. I know I'll always look back on my time here and think of albums like Wilco's Summerteeth, Being There and A Ghost Is Born.

I recently read an old interview with Jeff Tweedy where he was talking about pirating CDs. In his opinion, if a burnt CD got circulated by one person to five other people who happened to like what they hear, that meant that these five people might end up coming to see him or Wilco live, which wouldn't be a bad thing, considering the amount of time they spend on the road. Apart from their individual brilliance and magnetism - you just don't know where to focus when watching them - hearing a recording is one thing, but the real drug is seeing that music being made in front of you, and hearing what you already love, being so beautifully rendered. I think the last time I couldn't get to sleep after a show was after seeing Radiohead back in 2004. Similarly, I was wired after seeing Wilco on Monday night. I'm happy to trade some sleep for a show that leaves you furrowing your brow wondering how something apparently so simple can move you so much.


Monday night's show covered a lot of material, some songs (to paraphrase Jeff Tweedy) "as old as the hills" such as A.M.'s "Box Full Of Letters" and "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", and some more recent, such as Sky Blue Sky's gorgeous "You Are My Face" and "Impossible Germany". But the highlight for me during the two hour show was "At Least That's What You Said" - the words, the arrangement and that heartbreaking voice - it's moments like that that remind you you're alive.


During the show, Jeff made a couple of references to the band's online request system. Before launching into "Radio Cure", he mentioned that it had received the second biggest number of votes - eight. Hence he commented that at least they were able to make at least eight people in the audience happy. "ELT", which came later on in the set, was the winner with nine votes. Nevertheless, the band still got the last word, closing the main set with "Heavy Metal Drummer", that had no votes.


It was particularly special to see R.E.M.'s Peter Buck come on stage to join Wilco for "California Stars" towards the end of the show. Apart from being the archetypal young, bustling college town (being the home of University of Georgia and their football team, the Georgia Bulldogs), Athens' other claim to fame is being the hometown of bands such as R.E.M. and the B-52s. As Jeff Tweedy said when Peter Buck came on stage, "Do you really need an introduction?"


Other treats during the encores were "The Late Greats", "Hoodoo Voodoo" (much more fun live than on the recording) and "Misunderstood", the latter demonstrating how Glenn Kotche must be one of the hardest working drummers around. After listening to Wilco more and more over the last year or two, I realise that last time I saw them, I didn't really have a clue as to just how good they really are. The morning after the show, I was feeling pretty miserable about having to go back to work after such a great night, and also in search of some coffee before driving back to Atlanta. Fortunately I spotted a small coffee kiosk type thing across the road. The owner was having a cigarette outside and while he smoked, we had a chat. The Wilco show came up and it turned out that he's been a big fan for years - he summed it up by commenting that they've got everything - "part avant-garde and part classic rock", and that each individual in the band is absolutely brilliant. Looking back, it was so lucky I ran into this guy, since he cheered me up no end by producing a photo of Nels Cline who had bought a coffee from him the previous morning. As he described it, he was awestruck like a 10-year old and had no idea what to say. It's nice to still have people around that can make you feel that way.

You Are My Face
Company In My Back
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Pot Kettle Black
Radio Cure
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Shot In The Arm
At Least That's What You Said
Via Chicago
Impossible Germany
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Jesus Etc.
Hate It Here
Heavy Metal Drummer
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Box Full Of Letters
Hummingbird
Handshake Drugs
ELT
The Late Greats
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California Stars
Misunderstood
Monday
Outta Sight Outta Mind
Hoodoo Voodoo