City Maps & Handclaps: The Live Wilco Taper's Compendium

Volume 1: Rock The River   Grant Park  Chicago, IL  8/12/00

Snag your copy of the tape here!

Notes on the tape: This file is not intended to be downloaded as lossless files, but rather is to be intended as a study of the review in context, much like a podcast.  I thought it would be fun to present it as a "tape", much like the way I started trading shows all those years ago.  For high quality shows, check out the Wilco archive on the Owl & Bear Wilco archive.  Remember, don't buy bootlegs and buy as much Wilco music as you can.  If you haven't seen them live yet, then I'm not sure what you're waiting for!

Hey folks!  Welcome to what will hopefully be the first in a series of live Wilco "tapes" that will be available via Sendspace.  This is a project that I've been wanting to get off the ground for the last year, but have never found the format that would work for me, until now.  I was inspired by two factors, both related to the Grateful Dead.  Of course, the Dead were pioneers in allowing their audiences to record and trade live tapes of their shows.  Wilco has been generous enough to allow their fans to do the same.  The Grateful Dead has had several volumes of books detailing every set list and extensive reviews for each show listed.  While Wilco has a database for set lists, there is no publication or website of organized reviews of Wilco shows.  It is my goal to cover this niche.  I certainly welcome feedback for shows that you enjoy or feel deserve special attention.  I can be contacted at jmarcantel77@comcast.net to share your thoughts and ideas.  While I have a ton of shows on CD and hard drive, I am by no means an expert on every show out there.  Now, on to the show....

Setlist: 1.Airline To Heaven 2.Feed of Man 3.Christ For President 4.California Stars 5.Secret of the Sea 6.Remember The Mountainbed 7.Red-Eyed & Blue>I Got You (At The End of the Century)>Someone Else's Song 8.How To Fight Loneliness 9.Hotel Arizona 10.I'm Always In Love 11.She's A Jar 12.Shot In The Arm 13.Misunderstood 14.I'm The Man Who Loves You 15.Casino Queen 16.Hoodoo Voodoo 17.Won't Get Fooled Again>Outtamind (Outtasite)

artwork by LLP, a member of Via Chicago

Highlights:  Feed of Man, Christ For President, Secret of the Sea, Remember The Mountainbed, Red-Eyed & Blue>I Got You (At The End of the Century)>Someone Else's Song, Hotel Arizona, I'm Always In Love, I'm the Man Who Loves You  Source:  FM-SBD Quality: A+  Running Time:  88 min.

Since we're in the early stages of summer, I felt inspired to start with some summer shows.  The first show in this series is as labeled.  Wilco was playing in its hometown, Ken Coomer was still behind the kit and Jay Bennett was still playing guitar at this time.  Summerteeth had been out for a little more than a year and Mermaid Avenue Volume II had just been released.  The set list for this show placed a great emphasis upon the latter, but also mixed in some of the former, as well as a smattering of classic favorites.  The band certainly seems energized by the spirit of Woody Guthrie in the Mermaid Avenue selections.  The sound quality of this show is fantastic as it appears to be a soundboard recording that was was carried on fm broadcast, probably on WXRT.  The separation of vocals and instruments can be clearly heard in the recording and the energy is clearly palpable.  

'Airline To Heaven' is the first song on the second volume of Mermaid Avenue, a collection of songs that provides music for unreleased Woody Guthrie lyrics and done in collaboration with Billy Bragg, is the first song in the set list.  While not a stand out performance, this live appearance is a good one.   The song had actually been in the rotation for quite awhile.   'Feed of Man', another song from the second volume of Mermaid Avenue, has a fervent, agitated feeling here with some handy slide work by Jay Bennett. 'Christ For President' reverts back to the first volume of the Mermaid Avenue and features an awesome collaboration from the rhythm section. If Jesus Christ were indeed running for office, you could imagine Wilco playing this song on the White House lawn.  'California Stars' is another song from that first Mermaid Avenue volume, a song which would remain a standard on the set list up to present day.  'Secret of the Sea' returns to the second volume of Mermaid Avenue.  It is disappointing that this song did not stay in the group's repertoire, as it is a great song.  This version particularly had an earnest energy, the song lovingly calling out to the lover of the speaker of the lyrics with a boyish enthusiasm.  'Remember The Mountainbed' is another song from Mermaid Avenue Volume Two.  Later live arrangements provided a stripped down sound, mostly focused on the acoustic guitar work of Jeff Tweedy.  However, this early arrangement is equally powerful with accompanying harmonic vocals from Jay Bennett and the keyboard work of Leroy Bach.  It nearly blows you over with its sincerity; either that, or it gives you a serious case of goosebumps!  'Red-Eyed & Blue>I Got You>Someone Else's Song' is the first song in this set to break away from the Mermaid Avenue selections.  By 2000, the medley of Red-Eyed and I Got You had become a standard in the setlist, but this melding of Someone Else's Song was a rare bird indeed.  As far as can be accounted for, this is the only time these songs were performed in this fashion.  What also makes this arrangement unique is the electric performance of Someone Else's Song.  Although it had taken on a heavier sound in the late 90's, it would revert to an acoustic arrangement of the song, very much similar to the studio version within three short years and never look back upon the heavy version in years to come.  All in all, this medley, while not being much different from prior performances of the song, it is still very much a fun version of the song and fits in nicely with the summer vibe on this late summer day in Chicago.  'How To Fight Loneliness' is the first song in the set from Summerteeth.  What you notice is different from the studio version is the prominent keyboard work by Leroy Bach and the vocal harmonies of bassist John Stiratt.  'Hotel Arizona' returns to their double album Being There.  I've never been a big fan of this song on either the album or live, but there's something about this performance of the song that wins me over.  I can't quite put my finger on what stands out for me, but there is a remarkable energy and synergy within the group on this performance.  Which is bittersweet, since two of its members would no longer be in the band within a year and the band was clearly having a good time with this performance.  'I'm Always In Love' returns to Summerteeth and this arrangement and performance certainly has teeth, to pardon the pun.  I've always enjoyed this song and certainly welcome its performance in a Wilco show, but this performance really rocks!  The guitar riffs are certainly heavier in nature.  If the Flying V guitar was ever appropriate to use on a song, it would have fit in perfectly here.  'She's A Jar' is another song from Summerteeth.  Even before the album was released, as early as a year prior, the song had become a standard within the repertoire.  'Shot In The Arm' is another song from Summerteeth, as well as a single.  By the time of this show, Shot In The Arm was another standard in the nightly set lists and would remain so even up to present day. 'Misunderstood', to this day, remains a band and fan favorite.  It has gone through various arrangements over the years to fit within the context of a particular show, so it never becomes a dull song.  Those who listen to the song may say that this song would paint Wilco as a jam band.  However, that would be incorrect; many times jam bands work within the context of a song with little direction.  However, Jeff has always had a direction and purpose for each arrangement of a song.  Misunderstood, by its nature, has "open spaces" within the song that allows the band to be flexible with the song and take it wherever they feel it should go.  'I'm The Man Who Loves You' at this point did not have a home on any studio album, but would appear about a year later on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.  I have always enjoyed this song live, more so than the studio arrangement as it comes across with more energy live.  This performance is very much in the spirit of the demo performance that would later surface on the demo and engineer mixes.  It is a arrangment that chugs along, unlike the wailing, arty rock performances that would surface later.  'Casino Queen' was one of the few songs from A.M. that was still being performed at this time.  However, within four years and with an expanded lineup, the group would return to more of its earlier tunes.  This performance features an improv by Jeff on the song 'Hot-Blooded'.  'Hoodoo Voodoo' is a return to the Mermaid Avenue selections and comes from the first volume.  This arrangement is not much different from the studio arrangement of the tune and by this time, the song was another standard selection in the nightly set lists.  'Outtamind (Outtasite)' has always been a solid proper set closer as it really rocks and comes to a sudden ending, which allows the band to easily exit the stage.  This performance is notable for its improvisation on the Who's 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.  Alas, there was no encore to speak of, but the show is still very much an enjoyable one on the whole.

Thanks for checking this out.  The next 'tape' will feature the complete show from Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 4th, 1998.