A ticket for this show kinda fell into my lap. Originally I had considered going to the Wappinger's Falls gig the following week* cuz I was so traumatized from my last experience at Coney Island. However, it was important to keep the nightmare of a clusterfucky Siren Festival separate from a gig at an actual venue- especially one as cool as the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, Keyspan Park. So, with great joy I nabbed Mike Weiss's extra and on a Monday night I was headed back to Brooklyn in an optimistic mood.
Mike and I met up in the lot and grabbed some tacos at a place in the block that cuts between Nathan's and the bumper cars blaring J.Lo's "Get Right". Don't be put off by the alleyway dining area with the plastic lawn furniture (that is usually packed with real-life actual Mexicans)- this place is phatty dank like a kind chicken taco. Ximena would have been helpful in this situation cuz Maria** at the cash register wasn't helping out her cook (or us), poor dude was running between the grill and the register. I was proud to be able to ask for the salsa rojo even though he thought I wanted a fruit punch gatorade. Hm. Well, whatever cuz my tacos were once again great and the salsa verde was awesome too. Mad Respek.
We headed into Keyspan to check out Yo La Tengo and at the gates a giant duck wearing a Wilco t shirt gave us nifty little Wilco "programs" that have: pics of & info about the band & tour (playing in many ballparks), a word find, and a scorecard for each of the tour dates & possible songs- so you can keep score of the show. The program is fucking ingenious. I love it.
Anywhoosits, Yo La Tengo were loud, atmospheric, and actually kind of shrilly. I was disappointed. Ya know, I couldn't remember if I liked them or not and now I think maybe not so much. Is it possible that all these years I've thought they were Guided By Voices? Apparently so.
They kept the netting up behind home plate, so we settled on a spot halfway up the first base line. The Price is Right music played and the Wilco took over and started with Wilco, the song. It was warm and welcoming, Wilco love me, baby. It's true, because I'm awesome. They are so right.
It was a pretty rockin' show and Jeff Tweedy was in a great mood. He was talking with the crowd, joking around, not at all like the clip Mike had sent me where he goes on an awesome tirade at the people who are talking while he plays. No, this Jeff was happy, smiling, and eating up all the love from the Brooklyn crowd, like Joey Chestnut going at 8000+ Nathan's hot dogs. They were all solid (the band, not the hot dogs- no, not the hot dogs at all), it's Wilco-- they are great. Brilliant and pure rock n' roll.
For the encore, Leslie Feist (Canadian), some dude from the band Grizzly Bear, and Yo La Tengo all sat-in on songs.
Highlights: Handshake Drugs, I'm the Man Who Loves You, Walken, Jesus, etc., Hummingbird, California Stars, & Hoodoo Voodoo.
Lowlights: literally-- the low lights. Their stage lighting is not conducive to picture taking from far away. Totes lame.
Great show! Beautiful night! Tacos! Wilco, 7/13/09, Keyspan Park, Brooklyn, NY: 8.5 HUZZAHS! Keyspan Park rules! Thanks again for the ticket, Mike! Exclamation points!!!
SETLIST courtesy of Wilcobase: http://wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=1208
Wilco (The Song)
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
A Shot In The Arm
At Least That's What You Said
Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
One Wing
Handshake Drugs
Deeper Down
Impossible Germany
Jesus, Etc.
Sonny Feeling
I'm Always In Love
Can't Stand It
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Hummingbird
Encore 1:
Heavy Metal Drummer
You And I (w/ Feist on vocals)
California Stars (w/ Feist and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear on backup vocals and percussion)
You Never Know (w/ Feist and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear on backup vocals and percussion)
Misunderstood
Spiders (Kidsmoke) (w/ Yo La Tengo)
Encore 2:
The Late Greats
Hoodoo Voodoo (w/ Feist and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear on backup vocals and percussion)
DOWNLOAD THE SHOW! courtesy of nyctaper.com: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=1358
* Wilco's set conflicted with Elvis Costello's at Bonnaroo, so I only saw them for about 20 minutes (Elvis wins!).
** I'm not being racist, that was really her name- the cook was yelling at her-- "MARIA-- MARIA!!"