You really miss Jay Bennett on some of Wilco's live stuff. On most occasions the new band turns the songs into something equally worthwhile, but it's definitely different.

The only real Jay-era show I've seen was the Austin City Limits for Summerteeth, and that was damn good. Different spirit back then, for sure. Wilco 2.0 (or 3.0 if you count the 4-piece YHF tour era) post-Nels is almost a different band, but with it's own set of charms.

As for live drums, I'v mentioned this before but they were a big issue at the first 2 shows I saw. I suspect the live engineer is a big guitar guy or something, most of the kit is subdued and covered up frequency-wise. I haven't worked mixing boards much, so I'm no engineer, but I know when I hear purposefully subdued or over-EQ'd drums, especially compared to most every other band's live sound.

At Newport, the outdoor venue on the grass by the water in front of a big stone fort, combined with good quality PA, made enough of a difference that somehow I could hear the drums more than the ballpark and Lupo's club show. Weird. The snare was still twice as loud as the rest of the kit, though.

Yeah...expectations stripped, I'm guessing the last two (even three) records could be pretty thoroughly enjoyed. We're just all so jaded it's hard to appreciate all the charms. If you gave someone those three and said "this is Wilco" I'm guessing that newb could appreciate those records much more. Then they'd even get to discover the greatness that came before.

Related: I've been enjoying the last two quite a bit the last week or so.

The Whole Love is amazing.

I can't really imagine someone looking on their last record as a stain on their career or anything. It's a great listen. It's not Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but that's kind of a high bar.

That's how I feel...they're really solid listens if you just listen and don't sit there thinking about how it's not YHF.

guilty as charged

The only probation in which negative UA's are a problem.

ok

At the show in Vail Tweedy said something to the effect that they weren't going to go backstage during an encore and pretend to be doing stuff because they were on a strict curfew and were gonna play up to the minute of the curfew and stop. That's why these guys are such a solid live act.

Im still hungover.

Heavy regimen of snow and Bud Light.

Sounds AWESOME!

Things started to get ugly shortly after your departure. Story developing.

Wuh-oh. We didn't get back til after 2. That was a glorious shit show.

Oh it was. Read a review of Wilco at Vail's Snow Daze. It snowed on us the whole time (which was good, not bad) and the way the light show reflected off the snow flakes was downright transcendental.

Oh, you meant actual snow.

I was thinking the same thing.

No bathtubs of blow or anything like that, KD. As far as Internet rendezvous go, it was pretty normal; no communal drug use, cult activities, or group sex.

Does not compute.