SXSW

I'm there. Read about it here.

Wilco, 3/7/08, Houston (Aka "Via Houston) (Aka "I Have Gone To Houston")

One more show on the the mini-tour, and it came via a last-minute plane switch to visit my brother. Unsurprisingly, more of a whimper than a bang after the superlative Chicago shows; it didn't help that Jeff had what sounded like the beginnings of layringitis, which he commented on frequently. The setlist:

You Are My Face
Muzzle Of Bees
Remember the Moutain Bed
Company On My Back
California Stars
Impossible Germany
Shouldn't be Ashamed
Pot kettle Black
Handshake Drugz
Shot in The Arm
Side W The Seeds
Via Chicago
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Forget The Flowers
Airline To Heaven
Box Full of Letters
Jesus, Etc
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You

E: Heavy Metal Drummer
Hate it Here
Kingpin#
Red Eyed & Blue*
I got You
Monday

#: Living in...Houston
* W/ a Fake ending, Jeff singing as his Dad

Some really fun stuff: Jeff commented that the lyrics to "Hate It Here" were "pathetic" (um, allow me to disagree) and then talked about how his father listens to music by repeating the lyrics that've already been sung -- which he proceeded to do on "Red Eyed & Blue". But Jeff's vocal problems were so prevalent they brought the band down -- with the exception of a little noodling during "Box Full of Letters," I barely noticed Nels, and, though we were on Pat's side, it seemed he was just going through the motions. Not going to count it against them, but on the sliding scale: 6.5. Hey, not every show can be amazing when you're the best band in the world.