I don't have any feelings about Wilco one way or the other, really, which is to say that I haven't listened to them. But I firmly believe that if you play music and can't handle an adversarial audience, you oughta look for a new vocation. Maybe if so many crowds didn't bestow hushed reverence on artists by default more people would work harder and come up with better stuff.

Johnny C wrote:I am reminded of the old folk tale wherein Low were sick of the audience not listening to them so they turned their instruments down.

I saw them open for Wilco outdoors in Atlanta this summer. Boy was that NOT the situation to see them in. I had hurried my crew to get to the show in time to see Low...they were not pleased with this band bigc dragged them to see.

Johnny C wrote:I am reminded of the old folk tale wherein Low were sick of the audience not listening to them so they turned their instruments down.

DOUBLE

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:I don't have any feelings about Wilco one way or the other, really, which is to say that I haven't listened to them. But I firmly believe that if you play music and can't handle an adversarial audience, you oughta look for a new vocation. Maybe if so many crowds didn't bestow hushed reverence on artists by default more people would work harder and come up with better stuff.

amen.
why musicians think everything should be handed to them I have no idea, you gotta work motherfucker, win that crowd over!

run joe run wrote:The air of preciousness, seriousness and self importance hangs around Wilco's music like an eggy fart that no-one will admit to expelling from their ass.

Well said.

I wish Uncle Tupelo would have suffered a plane crash at the very end of their career so all these shitty spin off bands would have never existed. For the greater good.

I worked with this guy at my last agency. He's a good guy and I like him. But he is a bit of a pussy. His wife makes him ride a tandem bicycle. (Would you EVER, in your entire fucking life, if the only way you could escape a horde of rabid wolverines with HIV-infected needles for teeth was to get on one of these things, ride a tandem bike with your significant other? Where other people could see?)

In fact, his wife tells him what to do pretty much all the time. Culminating in his quitting his high-paying job, which was relatively cake and where he was moving on up, to work FOR HIS WIFE'S START-UP STATIONERY BUSINESS. Fucking greeting cards.

He loves Wilco. Wilco bootlegs, Wilco posters, Wilco everything. I think of him as the consummate Wilco fan.

Wilco = music for pussies.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz......CRAP.

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:I don't have any feelings about Wilco one way or the other, really, which is to say that I haven't listened to them. But I firmly believe that if you play music and can't handle an adversarial audience, you oughta look for a new vocation. Maybe if so many crowds didn't bestow hushed reverence on artists by default more people would work harder and come up with better stuff.

You know, this is a good angle, and you are correct.

However, I myself would never purposely be a dick/loudmouth to a person performing music live. If I thought it crap, I would leave the venue (assuming I could)

However, my wife likes Wilco, so I guess I would be stuck at a Tweedy acoustic show..

I went to see this Sicilian folks musics guy the other day. The guy played this prepared cello/guitar that he made himself and it was great, but there was this couple in the audience talking all through the fucking set. Sicilian folks musics guy asks them to be quiet, because a lot of what he does is playing off the cuff, and they are disturbing him. Okay. Next song, the couple is at it again, chattering away, and Sicilian folks musics guy is now pissed and actually THROWS A TIN ASHTRAY ACROSS THE ROOM, LIKE A FUCKING FASTBALL, HITTING THE MALE PART OF THE COUPLE RIGHT IN THE HEAD.

Ha! It hit him! And pretty hard!

There's your handling an adversarial audience. "Is free country. I can stand here and do whatever I like. I am to throw an ashtray against your head, asshole." I clap! So great, Sicilian folks musics guy.

Also, Wilco: No clue about them.

Hey, they shoulda just saved their money and saw Wilco. Still, there's nothing worse than yappers at a show.

As someone mentioned, it's the same sorta situation as in a movie theater. You don't talk during a movie. It's a place people go so they can avoid all that b.s. You wanna talk, go to the bar.