Being There : 18 Years With Wilco
I first saw Wilco live on 12/14/94 in Somerville, MA. It was their fifth show ever. Tweedy opened the encore with a solo take on the Uncle Tupelo song "Gun" and that was it. While Tweedy sang and my jaw slammed to the ground, the rest of band - Coomer, Bennett, Johnston and Stirratt - signed my Johnny D's paper calendar. Tweedy penned it when the show was over. I bought a horrid-looking yellow t-shirt that I wish I still had.
Since that night, I've literally followed their every move. In terms of a band being in their prime, Wilco are my favorite band ever (my first Springsteen show was in 1985 (age 12). Had I been old enough to catch the 70s shows, I imagine he'd likely be tops). I've seen them all over the damn country: New York City (about 20x), South Carolina, Baltimore, New Haven, Cincinnati, Hoboken, San Francisco, Boston. I've driven hundreds and hundreds of miles. I have every record on every format (often multiples of each). I've probably bought 20 t-shirts over the years. I won a contest and was awarded the ultra-rare 10" All Over the Place. I've bought every single record on the day of release. I have about 100 DVDs of performances, interviews, black screens that just read Wilco. Of the thousands of records, CDs, digital albums, shows, etc., Wilco has, for 18 years, been at my top.
I've often wondered why? Why is it that their sound and words drive to my core? Not sure I can answer that, but there's something. Likely a lot of things. And tonight I'll see and feel it again. Folks older than me talk about seeing The Stones in their prime. Or The Clash. I know a guy who saw Sam Cooke. One day, whether to my nieces and nephews, or perhaps my own kids, I'll say that I saw Wilco. As of this writing, about 50x.
Since that night, I've literally followed their every move. In terms of a band being in their prime, Wilco are my favorite band ever (my first Springsteen show was in 1985 (age 12). Had I been old enough to catch the 70s shows, I imagine he'd likely be tops). I've seen them all over the damn country: New York City (about 20x), South Carolina, Baltimore, New Haven, Cincinnati, Hoboken, San Francisco, Boston. I've driven hundreds and hundreds of miles. I have every record on every format (often multiples of each). I've probably bought 20 t-shirts over the years. I won a contest and was awarded the ultra-rare 10" All Over the Place. I've bought every single record on the day of release. I have about 100 DVDs of performances, interviews, black screens that just read Wilco. Of the thousands of records, CDs, digital albums, shows, etc., Wilco has, for 18 years, been at my top.
I've often wondered why? Why is it that their sound and words drive to my core? Not sure I can answer that, but there's something. Likely a lot of things. And tonight I'll see and feel it again. Folks older than me talk about seeing The Stones in their prime. Or The Clash. I know a guy who saw Sam Cooke. One day, whether to my nieces and nephews, or perhaps my own kids, I'll say that I saw Wilco. As of this writing, about 50x.
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