Wilco love you, baby, and wants to give you some tickets

I saw Wilco at the Another Roadside Attraction festival put on by The Tragically Hip back in 1996. A combination of 30+ degree weather, overpriced water and underpriced french fries lead to a bit of dehydration and I passed right out during their set. I was escorted backstage to the First Aid tent and rejuvenated. Unfortunately, I missed the rest of the set, but we did go to the HMV tent my friend got their autographs on his copy of Being There…which I couldn’t afford….come to think of it, these are all painful memories – thanks a lot!

While not in Toronto, I do have a Wilco moment two hours down the road, in London, ON that I think counts.

About five years ago, Wilco played London at The Centennial Hall. It was my first time seeing them, despite being a big fan of them since discovering their album Being There at the end of university.

There are so many reasons this show was as close to a religious experience as I will get – the least of which was the amazing performance by the band.

You see, at the time my wife was pregnant and was unable to attend the show. We were on our third pregnancy in just two years. The first two ended in miscarriages and were literally the most gut wrenching moments my wife and I shared in our marriage. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone.

In this third pregnancy, we were walking on pins and needles, certain that this pregnancy would end the same way the first two had…

Little hope.

But, there I stood at the merch table looking at a Wilco onesie and I decided, “Fuck it, this pregnancy is going to stick, and my baby will wear this” and I bought it. I held it tight all though that show and was amazed by the sheer talent and craft of the band, all the while thinking ‘I hope I am right about that onesie’.

A year later, there I was, waiting for a beautiful baby girl to grow into that onesie knowing that while there is no actual science to support me on this, nor would buying a t-shirt at a merch table while wishing I was right is actually why it came true would be accepted as the reason the third time was the charm. But in my heart, I always link that show to my now almost 5 year old beautiful, music loving daughter, and part of the how and why she happened.

And a year after that, my wife and I got to go see them together, in the same venue. It was our first night out together while someone watched our baby. My wife finally got to see them, and I got to see them again, revisiting that hope they inspired in me all through the concert. My wife and I held hands extra tight that night.

Oh, and that Massey show, the Saturday, is the weekend of our 12th wedding anniversary, so it would seem very fitting that I were to win tickets to that show… to add a proverbial log on the fire of my favour in this contest.

That show, that band, and that onesie, I will always associate as the most monumental moment in my life when I allowed hope and desire to consume me.

I blame Tweedy.

So, for the sake of this contest, I’ll go with something a little more personal: Meeting Jeff Tweedy at the Sky Blue Sky Sandiwch Company Ltd. restaurant here in Toronto.

Here’s the story…

It was a chance meeting. I had wanted to check out the shop for a long time and figured that before Mr. Tweedy’s solo show was as an appropriate time as any. I walk in the door and there he is sitting there. Now, I’m not one to gush over celebrities; I’ve only asked for one autograph in my life and that was the Dunkeroo Kangaroo at a Harlem Globetrotters game when I was a kid, but the ironical situation of meeting one of my musical heroes in a sandwich shop named after his band was a little too much for me to handle.

Still, I was respectful. No one else seemed to really be bothering him (it wasn’t that busy), and I think he was amused that my buddy had no idea who he was. We ordered are food and then I politely asked him if he could spare a few minutes when he was finished his meal.

He initially said that he’d be happy to sign something right then, which made me stammer over my words. I really just wanted to tell him how great I thought his music was and so I refused the autograph, which he again found amusing. He then proceeded to ask me which sandwich I ordered (the One Wing) and remarked: “You didn’t want to eat something off Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? They made a documentary about the making of that sandwich, ya know.”

Though brief, Jeff took the time out of his day to joke around with a fan and talk a bit of music. He allowed me to pick his brain for a couple minutes and ask some questions songwriter-to-songwriter. It’s certainly something I will never forget and is, by default, my favourite Wilco moment.

My favourite Wilco memory is definitely their Massey Hall debut in 2004. I had seen the band twice before that, but was so excited to see them at this particular venue. I had been lucky enough to secure front row centre on the balcony tickets for my wife and I. The show was such an incredible experience, and I remember thinking that Wilco needs to play at Massey Hall from here in out – there’s just no other venue in the city that could possibly work as well for this band. And here we are seven years later and they are, thankfully, still doing Massey Hall. This is just the way it should be.

I’ve seen Wilco a few times, but this spring I finally saw Tweedy solo, at the QE Theater show. As fate would have it, I lucked into 1st row center tix (the first time in my 25+ years of concert going that I had seats like that…you have to understand, that NEVER happens to me).
Great show, all is amazing, then when he does his no mike/no PA encore, he stands two feet in front of me and plays Dreamer In MyDreams….the song that solidified Wilco as one of my favorite bands many years ago. Blew me away, and was a transcendant moment!

Another fun one was talking about sailing boats with Jon S at the Imperial pub an hour after Wilco’s 2006 show at Massey Hall. Really nice guy and totally approachable. Seemed like a funny place to run into him and Pat S. heh heh

Really hope to see them again at Massey Hall…best venue in Toronto!

Don’t live in Toronto, haven’t seen Wilco in Toronto, but have car and will travel. Please consider this as an eligible entry into the contest. Saw them in Ottawa and overheard someone in the crowd say “The singer looks weird with a hat on”, Tweedy had a cowboy/fedora on.

So here’s my problem – I don’t have a good Wilco memory – YET! This concert needs to be my memory-making night! Now, I could go on about how great the band is, but that wouldn’t distinguish my entry from any of the others here. Let’s face it – we all LOVE Wilco. My wife is crazy about the band, and probably made me appreciate them even more back many years ago. So, OK – there’s a nice memory…she may have introduced Uncle Tupelo to me, and we played and sang along to Anodyne, in the car til the CD near wore out!

Cheers!

My favourite Wilco memory was seeing them play an in- store at the HMV superstore on Yonge St. during their Toronto stop way back when.

At the time I was working up in Don Mills and I knew there was no way in hell I could get down to see them without skipping off work early, as it was a late afternoon set time. I didn’t want to lie to my boss Carol, so I decided to creatively stretch the truth a bit. Carol was definitely not a music hipster chick by any measure and I knew even then she wouldn’t know Wilco from a sandwich. So I went into her office the day before and told her I had a medical appointment with “Dr. Wilco” next day and asked if I could leave early to go to my appointment. I must have been convincing as she started enquiring about my health and gave me her blessing to see Dr. Wilco.

After the set, as the boys signed my copy of Being There I relayed my Dr. Wilco story to them and they got a real kick out of it . I remember yelling out to them ” Dr. Wilco,they’ll cure whatever ails you baby” !!! What I do recall about the actual set was they played about 4 or 5 different versions within one song from Being There, which was cool to hear.

So thanks Carol, where ever you are.

I don’t have a Wilco memory but it would be nice to make one. Perhaps a stop at Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Co. first. I think I’ll get the “Wishful Thinking” sandwich.

Not having a great memory, this is somewhat challenging. For instance, this reminded me that I never seem to remember to play Wilco (The Album) so I put it on for inspiration.

Way back when I used to live in St. Louis I got to see Uncle Tupelo a couple times at Cicero’s basement bar and at Mississippi Nights. My memories of those shows were gritty and sweaty. And packed. I was a the very back of Cicero’s, but then again it’s about as big as the Rivoli, except the ceiling is almost dangerously low.

Turning forward the clock, I’ve only been to two Wilco shows. Kool Haus in 2003 and Massey Hall in 2007. Kool Haus was great because they did a lot of songs off Being There – probably my favourite album. But Massey Hall tends to make everything extra special so it holds the best memories. Having tickets in the third row helped out a lot too.

Seeing both bands highlights the progression Tweedy has made. Where Uncle Tuplelo had talent, they even more displayed raw energy. Flipping between punky bits, followed by country twang it was a rowdy and rough experience. Decades later, Wilco has become an incredibly tight and talented band. And refined. But the dynamics of the old days still come through, and wring powerful emotions out of the songs. I’m so glad to have seen them both.

A few years ago at Massey Hall, I took a girl out for a first date — amazing night. It must have been the music that set the pace for things – we’re still together :)

Best moment of the show was definitely the crowd singing along to ‘I am Trying to Break Your Heart’. I’m hoping to see them again – amazing way to start the fall!

Two of my favourite Wilco moments are:
Seeing them back in 2004 with my guitar teacher, and listening to I Am Trying to Break your Heart in Massey Hall. It was beautiful!
Seeing them with my friend Ben in 2009 at Massey, and listening to their beautiful harmonies. i appreciated this show more because I had listened to the band for a longer time, and they kept growing on me.
Thanks! -Tom

And the winner is…

John Teeter can have my tickets too. Clinging to that much hope in the midst of such sadness is what some of Wilco’s best music is about.

I’ve seen them a number of times both in T.O and across the pond in London – where Tweedy’s confrontations with the audience are even more legendary than the Massey Hall incident. They never disappoint and each show leaves lasting memories – from the first time I heard Spiders and At least that’s what you said live shortly after GIB was released and the 2 songs immediately skyrocketed up the list of my favourites, to the Massey rant, to the duelling guitars on Hoodoo Voodoo last time around. We’re blessed they come as often as they do!

thanks for entering, everyone. contest has closed and the tickets have gone to John (entry #3). They couldn’t not.