Wait! What?!?! A Solid Sound final show they got a rainbow while playing “Let’s Go Rain”. I would have to check my photos, it may have been double. Haha rainbow magnets. A little rain, a little sun, that’s wilco
He was drinking wine that day too. Of all the times I have seen him, that was by far the most boisterous. "I can only smell two things right now... Fried chicken, and pot.. someone should combine the two.. weaponized fried chicken.."
After a very famous friend and music business partner of mine died and threw my entire professional and personal life into disarray back in 2018, I saw Jeff Tweedy play Governors Island the next day and he played Let’s Go Rain… in the rain. And it was the most cathartic concert of my entire life. Man it was so fuckin good
I was at the Portland show documented in “Sunken Treasure”. He was cranky at the loud talkers in the audience. So was I…
https://youtu.be/2B7w8mE4tmk?si=gly547ci_gpvsqn8
At a show in Portland several years ago, Jeff took the phone of a guy in the front row that wouldn't stop filming and threw it against the back wall of the stage. Jeff warned him a few times to stop filming so the rest of the crowd could enjoy the show too.
When I saw Wilco most recently I think it was Kenny Chesney was playing the place’s sister venue. He kept asking the audience if they got lost at meant to be at Kenny Chesney but he was just joking around. Jeff is a rly funny guy with a very sarcastic personality
Saw him Saturday 6/1 in Chicago. He was all on saying fuck you to the audience, saying last nights crowd was better, he has a dry/dark sense of humor. Part of why I enjoy the shows he is a true raconteur.
Seeing the whole band this Wednesday in Milwaukee.
He seemed a little irritated with the crowd at night 1 in LA last year. I went the next night and it was a total 180. They're only human, we all have bad days at work.
Cranky Jeff is annoyed Jeff trying to disguise it using jokes.
He got tired of my audience at the Capitol Theatre talking all through the songs so he ended the album performance with "That was Star Wars, .....Fuckers".
I was at that show and wow, people wouldn’t shut up during the Star Wars part. It was especially egregious. It seemed to be an issue at a lot of shows that year, not just Wilco. Something in the air those days.
It felt like a thousand people were at a bar trying to talk to friends they haven't seen since college, while some band from Chicago kept making noise on the stage. Everyone kept talking louder and louder during the rocking songs and by the time the band got to Magnatized everyone forgot to be quiet again.
It's gotten a bit better since then, but the problem certainly hasn't been fixed completely.
He seemed more cranky in the early days of Wilco than now. I think it's mostly just for fun, though I've seen him dress down overzealous security folks at shows before.
This video just proves out that Jeff Tweedy and Jack Black would make for the most excellent and hilarious duo of out of shape white guy - comedic musicians.
Yeah, I’m not sure it’s always fake cranky with Jeff, lol, but it is at least partly meant to be taken lightly, and almost always coming from a good place.
Anybody else remember, during the last Solid Sound, when he said "fuck you" to anybody who says that Cruel Country isn't country? One of the most hilariously delivered things I've heard him say, but some people took it as evidence of him being grumpy 🤷♂️
As others have said, the only times I've seen him actually pissed off is when people yell stupid shit, or are otherwise loud at inappropriate times.
Just hijacking your comment to pose the question: *is* Cruel Country really country? I mean, it’s probably not worth getting too deep into what makes up a particular genre, but if someone asked me to play country music and I put that album on, I think they’d say, “no, that’s not it.”
I don’t know what point I’m trying to make though. It’s Country in the sense that it tells the story of America through the experiences of people living in it. But, by that logic, YHF is country too. So… yeah, I just don’t know.
I saw a video from a show--I want to say it was Memphis in 2009--Jeff was not happy with someone in the front row who was video'ing the show on their cell phone. He then admonished them directly. I still remember what he said: "You're forfeiting your memories for an imperfect medium."
I remember it being a big deal on the Via Chicago boards at the time.
This was the one! He took her phone and put it in his shirt pocket and said she could have it back after the show. I thought it was funny as hell at the time.
I was at the Newport Folk Fest show (2017) where he was nearly silent, and where he was clearly going thru some shit. Turns out, his father was on his deathbed and died a few days later. In hindsight, it was understandable that Jeff really didn't want to be in Newport that weekend, but he still put on a great show.
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/09/539980569/wilco-live-in-concert-newport-folk-2017
At the last Solid Sound, as a beach ball bounced around the crowd up-front,
Tweedy: "OK I draw the line at the beach ball."
Crowd: "awwwww"
Tweedy: "Well, ok, just one more song then."
Crowd: "yaayyyyy"
It was pretty funny.
I’ve only seen them live once and that was in 2019 a few months before the release of Ode To Joy at the Albert Hall in Manchester I wouldn’t say he was “cranky” as such but anytime someone would shout out a request he’d just shake his head, seemed to avoid a few fan favourites too, although hearing a few OTJ songs before they were released was a fair trade
I was at that gig. There's something quite wrong about that venue. I suspect they oversell the venue, it's a long time since I've been in somewhere quite so full, to the point where it was dangerous.
Wilco, were superb and played for about 2 1/2 hours I seem to remember. I remember the band pissing themselves laughing about the white haired old bloke in the front row who had clearly had too much of something.
About time for a UK tour since COVID has sort of knocked their album/tour schedule out of sync.
I’ve seen him annoyed. At a show in Detroit many years ago, there was non stop chatter at the back of the venue where there was a bar. He made a few wisecracks about them. I was on his side.
He could genuinely be a dick, especially around the time of Being There. I saw him really treat Ann Delisi from WDET pretty badly at an instore performance and interview. I personally think Jay Bennett had a lot to do with the general snottiness that set in as the AM tour progressed and beyond. Jay was really kind of an arrogant jerk from day one. Acting like he was above it all even as he was promoting a record he didn’t even play on. They played our store and he was in the shipping room holding up deli meat from the catering table, mocking what he was being offered. It was very Spinal Tap with none of the funny. He was also trying to sign Uncle Tupelo records that people were getting autographed by Jeff. Pretty weird. Jeff seems a lot nicer since the post YHF days.
There's joke cranky and real cranky. I saw him once get into an argument with a woman in the crowd who complained about the tour bus idling outside. She thought it was wasting gas. He was like, "That's our home!" It went on and on between songs, he'd think of something else he wanted to say. Finally she walked out and Jeff brooded about that for the rest of the show. He felt bad, you could tell.
Twice. About 20 years ago in San Diego, the week he decided to quit smoking. Bitched on stage for 2 hrs. And at Largo in LA a few weeks ago. Just wasnt his affable self. The 20 or so other times have been amazing.
My favorite pissed-off Jeff story was from Charlotte 2005 when someone yelled "She's a Jar" during the last verse of "Remember the Mountain Bed". The band finished the song, Jeff set his guitar down, asked who yelled it out, and then lit into the guy. Later he apologized, but mentioned how that guy is that friend everyone has who you can't share a song with, because they start talking ten seconds into it. He then mentioned that "She's a Jar" was on the setlist, but he couldn't possibly play it, and did not. Finally heard it live about 6 years later.
They played in Houston when the Astros were in the playoffs or world series. He gave us shit for checking the status of the game on our phones. Finally said put your phones down and I’ll give you updates. Cant remember if the Astros won or not.
Saw him in Concord NH years ago and he seemed cranky and sleepy. Five songs in he asked how we were doing in “Con CORD” and people in the crowd ripped on him for saying the name of the town wrong (should be “cahn-kid.”). He seemed stunned at first, then got really amused and was just hilarious and playful with the crowd for the rest of the night. He connected with the audience in a fun way. Also, if memory serves they did like 35 songs at that show which was just amazing. Legendary concert - wish they would play NH again.
I saw him solo at Brooklyn Made last year. It is a small space and some guy was really shouting with chorus’. He got pretty clear about asking the guy to dial it down.
I saw them last year and Jeff led a sing-along that maybe went on a bit too long. The audience energy was waining and he seemed slightly miffed going "ok...just one more!"
The guy really loves what he does and maybe thinks a bit much of himself?
He was so kind when I met him in 2007 and 2011 or so after shows in Spokane and Portland. I was most excited to meet Nels, though. The grump is an on stage persona, I think.
He's a funny SOB. He also gets migraines so cut him some slack. I saw him in Lawrence KS one night where he asked the bartender to turn off the TV. He said that after two hundred plus shows (promoting Being There) the things on TV were a hell of a lot more interesting than looking at a bunch of college students. I laughed my ass off. They proceeded to do the bad mic routine and let their roadie sing an AC/DC song. Great fun.
I saw him in Champaign, Illinois. Solo concert, he was engaged and playful until an asshole in the audience suggested Jeff had not supported Jay Bennett (Jay had lived and died in Champaign). Jeff said he had, but asked how the community had supported Jay. It turned the whole end of the show sour. Jeff handled it well, but no California Stars for us? Thank you very much.
Seen Tweedy about 6 times. The only time I saw him cranky was in 2014(?) in Portsmouth NH playing Tweedy with his son. He was stone faced for the first half-hour until someone in the crowd yelled out “thanks for coming to Portsmouth Jeff” in between songs. He heard it, looked up and gave a quick nod to acknowledge it. That seemed to loosen him up as he got chatty (as only Jeff can) after that. It turned out to be a great show.
I love how everyone has a story. 😂 Mine are - at a DC show where someone with a pro camera kept moving up the aisle and snapping pics, Jeff finally had had enough and said “stop taking my picture. I’m not a fucking monkey in a zoo.” The other was personal. I brought his early poetry book and a CD to a show in hope of him signing them. It was an outdoor show and I happened to see hm making his way towards the stage so I stopped and asked for his autograph. He obliged but said “You know, it’s REALLY rude of you to ask me to do this while the open in band is on.” 😳 I was embarrassed and also a little hurt. I wouldn’t have asked if he weren’t someone I admired immensely. I eventually forgave him. 😂
I was at the Springfield MO show in 2006 or 7 where a guy got on stage and attempted to accost the band and jeff punched him. Jeff was pretty cranky that night.
Everytime I listen to Kicking Television I kinda feel bad for the guy who drove a long way to see them and Jeff just rips him up, even if it's just a joke.
Let’s admit Jeff is unlikely front man but he is an American Treasure. I think generally he has a sarcastic sense of humor and he really just trying to be funny. I did see him in LA last year have a back forth with a person about a song request for the persons recently departed father. You could tell Jeff was getting annoyed however he stopped at the point of being hurtful but the person requesting the song was a bit unreasonable. You cant just add a song in the middle of a set that the whole band has to play on.
At the Salt Shed tonight he couldn't stop talking about how nice the night was, how nice the audience was, how it just kept "getting better and better." :)
I saw Jeff solo in Northampton, MA, in 2009 and he was very cranky. He kept asking the crowd to shout out requests and then refused to play any of them. It was strange and really detracted from the show.
The only time I’ve seen them and the crankiness didn’t feel like a joke were the YHF anniversary shows. and that wasn’t cranky so much as disillusioned. They clearly are tired of looking backwards.
I went to one of those. It didn’t get that impression at all. If it were true, it would be weird to do those shows in the first place.
What I will say is that they definitely approached those shows with a reverence that’s in stark contrast to how they usually act on stage. There was no quipping or jokes between songs. If it’s the only time you’ve seen Wilco, I’d recommend seeing them again. The YHF anniversary shows were a really special occasion, but definitely not representative of their usual demeanor.
Curmudgeon is Jeff's humor
This is the truth, but admit it can be a little off putting sometimes. Even if you 'get it'.
This ⬆️
I was at the show at Lockn '14 when he bitched about a double rainbow showing up his band after a sun shower. Some of the hippies didn't get it.
That was fucking hilarious
"Yea I see it... Rainbows are stupid..."
I was shrooming and COULD NOT stop laughing
Still quite possibly the best lineup I've seen at a festival. All 4 days were monsters.
Wait! What?!?! A Solid Sound final show they got a rainbow while playing “Let’s Go Rain”. I would have to check my photos, it may have been double. Haha rainbow magnets. A little rain, a little sun, that’s wilco
He was drinking wine that day too. Of all the times I have seen him, that was by far the most boisterous. "I can only smell two things right now... Fried chicken, and pot.. someone should combine the two.. weaponized fried chicken.."
He wasn’t drinking wine. And he called the chicken and pot combo “chickenweed”
Yes,I was there. He made a comment about the crowd looking like cult members and I think another minor insult before the “rainbows suck” comment.
After a very famous friend and music business partner of mine died and threw my entire professional and personal life into disarray back in 2018, I saw Jeff Tweedy play Governors Island the next day and he played Let’s Go Rain… in the rain. And it was the most cathartic concert of my entire life. Man it was so fuckin good
Everytime I’ve seem him solo or with the band he’s always joking with the audience. As someone else said I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Anytime Jeff seems cranky I always assume he’s joking. I wouldn’t read into it that much.
I was at the Portland show documented in “Sunken Treasure”. He was cranky at the loud talkers in the audience. So was I… https://youtu.be/2B7w8mE4tmk?si=gly547ci_gpvsqn8
At a show in Portland several years ago, Jeff took the phone of a guy in the front row that wouldn't stop filming and threw it against the back wall of the stage. Jeff warned him a few times to stop filming so the rest of the crowd could enjoy the show too.
When I saw Wilco most recently I think it was Kenny Chesney was playing the place’s sister venue. He kept asking the audience if they got lost at meant to be at Kenny Chesney but he was just joking around. Jeff is a rly funny guy with a very sarcastic personality
It’s a feature not a bug
Saw him Saturday 6/1 in Chicago. He was all on saying fuck you to the audience, saying last nights crowd was better, he has a dry/dark sense of humor. Part of why I enjoy the shows he is a true raconteur. Seeing the whole band this Wednesday in Milwaukee.
https://youtu.be/cxSM-PkJUnU?si=MJWKUDbKtVLDbeAT
He seemed a little irritated with the crowd at night 1 in LA last year. I went the next night and it was a total 180. They're only human, we all have bad days at work.
This
Cranky Jeff is annoyed Jeff trying to disguise it using jokes. He got tired of my audience at the Capitol Theatre talking all through the songs so he ended the album performance with "That was Star Wars, .....Fuckers".
That was a fun show all around.
I was at that show and wow, people wouldn’t shut up during the Star Wars part. It was especially egregious. It seemed to be an issue at a lot of shows that year, not just Wilco. Something in the air those days.
It felt like a thousand people were at a bar trying to talk to friends they haven't seen since college, while some band from Chicago kept making noise on the stage. Everyone kept talking louder and louder during the rocking songs and by the time the band got to Magnatized everyone forgot to be quiet again. It's gotten a bit better since then, but the problem certainly hasn't been fixed completely.
We must’ve gone different nights. I think he had fun with the crowd when I went.
He seemed more cranky in the early days of Wilco than now. I think it's mostly just for fun, though I've seen him dress down overzealous security folks at shows before.
fuck yea
Band gets booed off stage here. Jeff tells a fan that he hates him. https://youtu.be/J-daVsnaVyQ?si=9RudY-a_qPJV0dc3
The little strut around the stage with his stomach out and the guitar sitting on his belly gets me every time.
That was awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Made my day; thank you internet stranger
This video just proves out that Jeff Tweedy and Jack Black would make for the most excellent and hilarious duo of out of shape white guy - comedic musicians.
Me from the crowd: Cool shirt, Jeff! Jeff: I'm trying to work here, buddy lol
I saw him tell a woman to stop clapping along because she was in the wrong time zone. It was funny. I
I saw him in KC tell a guy to stop attempting to clap to the beat because it sounded like a pair of shoes thumping around in a clothes dryer.
“Cranky” Jeff is highly entertaining. A great sense of humor that guy has!!
YES. HA, HA, HA. HA. HA. \*nervous eyes*
If he isn’t cranky when I see him I want my money back.
Yeah, I’m not sure it’s always fake cranky with Jeff, lol, but it is at least partly meant to be taken lightly, and almost always coming from a good place.
Saw Wilco @ Chicago Theatre the night of Obama's farewell address. He was quite depressed.
Anybody else remember, during the last Solid Sound, when he said "fuck you" to anybody who says that Cruel Country isn't country? One of the most hilariously delivered things I've heard him say, but some people took it as evidence of him being grumpy 🤷♂️ As others have said, the only times I've seen him actually pissed off is when people yell stupid shit, or are otherwise loud at inappropriate times.
Just hijacking your comment to pose the question: *is* Cruel Country really country? I mean, it’s probably not worth getting too deep into what makes up a particular genre, but if someone asked me to play country music and I put that album on, I think they’d say, “no, that’s not it.” I don’t know what point I’m trying to make though. It’s Country in the sense that it tells the story of America through the experiences of people living in it. But, by that logic, YHF is country too. So… yeah, I just don’t know.
I don't think it is, and don't think he does either. Or, he at least fully understands why somebody wouldn't consider it a country album.
Americana is easiest description. It’s like saying your dog is a cross breed. Open to interpretation.
I don't really care what it is, but I sure didn't want to hear most of it live two nights in a row. Walked out early both times.
I saw Jeff confiscate a woman’s cell phone from the front row once
I saw a video from a show--I want to say it was Memphis in 2009--Jeff was not happy with someone in the front row who was video'ing the show on their cell phone. He then admonished them directly. I still remember what he said: "You're forfeiting your memories for an imperfect medium." I remember it being a big deal on the Via Chicago boards at the time.
This was the one! He took her phone and put it in his shirt pocket and said she could have it back after the show. I thought it was funny as hell at the time.
I was at the Newport Folk Fest show (2017) where he was nearly silent, and where he was clearly going thru some shit. Turns out, his father was on his deathbed and died a few days later. In hindsight, it was understandable that Jeff really didn't want to be in Newport that weekend, but he still put on a great show. https://www.npr.org/2017/08/09/539980569/wilco-live-in-concert-newport-folk-2017
Favorite Jeff comment ever: “Last time I was on this stage I shit my pants.”
I mean he expects you to want to be there. Pro-Tip: Don’t go to shows with seats. Kills the energy.
At the last Solid Sound, as a beach ball bounced around the crowd up-front, Tweedy: "OK I draw the line at the beach ball." Crowd: "awwwww" Tweedy: "Well, ok, just one more song then." Crowd: "yaayyyyy" It was pretty funny.
Yeah he’s “fake cranky”… it’s part of his schtick
I’ve only seen them live once and that was in 2019 a few months before the release of Ode To Joy at the Albert Hall in Manchester I wouldn’t say he was “cranky” as such but anytime someone would shout out a request he’d just shake his head, seemed to avoid a few fan favourites too, although hearing a few OTJ songs before they were released was a fair trade
I was at that gig. There's something quite wrong about that venue. I suspect they oversell the venue, it's a long time since I've been in somewhere quite so full, to the point where it was dangerous. Wilco, were superb and played for about 2 1/2 hours I seem to remember. I remember the band pissing themselves laughing about the white haired old bloke in the front row who had clearly had too much of something. About time for a UK tour since COVID has sort of knocked their album/tour schedule out of sync.
I’ve seen him annoyed. At a show in Detroit many years ago, there was non stop chatter at the back of the venue where there was a bar. He made a few wisecracks about them. I was on his side.
I here for all of it. Wilco is my band.
He told folks to stand up and dance at Santa Barbara couple years back. It was after several yuppies loudly shouted “sit down!”
Yes, this is very typical Jeff. I would say this from years and years of listening to bootlegs.
He could genuinely be a dick, especially around the time of Being There. I saw him really treat Ann Delisi from WDET pretty badly at an instore performance and interview. I personally think Jay Bennett had a lot to do with the general snottiness that set in as the AM tour progressed and beyond. Jay was really kind of an arrogant jerk from day one. Acting like he was above it all even as he was promoting a record he didn’t even play on. They played our store and he was in the shipping room holding up deli meat from the catering table, mocking what he was being offered. It was very Spinal Tap with none of the funny. He was also trying to sign Uncle Tupelo records that people were getting autographed by Jeff. Pretty weird. Jeff seems a lot nicer since the post YHF days.
There's joke cranky and real cranky. I saw him once get into an argument with a woman in the crowd who complained about the tour bus idling outside. She thought it was wasting gas. He was like, "That's our home!" It went on and on between songs, he'd think of something else he wanted to say. Finally she walked out and Jeff brooded about that for the rest of the show. He felt bad, you could tell.
I was at that show- it was in Northampton, MA. I think he ended up apologizing to the audience before the show was over.
That was a weird-ass show.
Yep, that was the show. I think it was the Tweedy tour, not Wilco as I recall.
Twice. About 20 years ago in San Diego, the week he decided to quit smoking. Bitched on stage for 2 hrs. And at Largo in LA a few weeks ago. Just wasnt his affable self. The 20 or so other times have been amazing.
Seen Wilco 18 times. Jeff has been grumpy twice. Both times at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
My favorite pissed-off Jeff story was from Charlotte 2005 when someone yelled "She's a Jar" during the last verse of "Remember the Mountain Bed". The band finished the song, Jeff set his guitar down, asked who yelled it out, and then lit into the guy. Later he apologized, but mentioned how that guy is that friend everyone has who you can't share a song with, because they start talking ten seconds into it. He then mentioned that "She's a Jar" was on the setlist, but he couldn't possibly play it, and did not. Finally heard it live about 6 years later.
They played in Houston when the Astros were in the playoffs or world series. He gave us shit for checking the status of the game on our phones. Finally said put your phones down and I’ll give you updates. Cant remember if the Astros won or not.
Saw him in Concord NH years ago and he seemed cranky and sleepy. Five songs in he asked how we were doing in “Con CORD” and people in the crowd ripped on him for saying the name of the town wrong (should be “cahn-kid.”). He seemed stunned at first, then got really amused and was just hilarious and playful with the crowd for the rest of the night. He connected with the audience in a fun way. Also, if memory serves they did like 35 songs at that show which was just amazing. Legendary concert - wish they would play NH again.
I was at that show. The concord bit was classic Jeff.
I saw him solo at Brooklyn Made last year. It is a small space and some guy was really shouting with chorus’. He got pretty clear about asking the guy to dial it down.
You may be entitled to financial compensation
Saw them on Martha’s Vineyard two summers ago. Jeff definitely seemed cranky lol. It was a gorgeous day. Love the guy :)
I've seen them once and the concert was standing room only- I would have loved a seat with or without the crankiness.
I saw them last year and Jeff led a sing-along that maybe went on a bit too long. The audience energy was waining and he seemed slightly miffed going "ok...just one more!" The guy really loves what he does and maybe thinks a bit much of himself?
He was so kind when I met him in 2007 and 2011 or so after shows in Spokane and Portland. I was most excited to meet Nels, though. The grump is an on stage persona, I think.
He's a funny SOB. He also gets migraines so cut him some slack. I saw him in Lawrence KS one night where he asked the bartender to turn off the TV. He said that after two hundred plus shows (promoting Being There) the things on TV were a hell of a lot more interesting than looking at a bunch of college students. I laughed my ass off. They proceeded to do the bad mic routine and let their roadie sing an AC/DC song. Great fun.
I saw him in Champaign, Illinois. Solo concert, he was engaged and playful until an asshole in the audience suggested Jeff had not supported Jay Bennett (Jay had lived and died in Champaign). Jeff said he had, but asked how the community had supported Jay. It turned the whole end of the show sour. Jeff handled it well, but no California Stars for us? Thank you very much.
Seen Tweedy about 6 times. The only time I saw him cranky was in 2014(?) in Portsmouth NH playing Tweedy with his son. He was stone faced for the first half-hour until someone in the crowd yelled out “thanks for coming to Portsmouth Jeff” in between songs. He heard it, looked up and gave a quick nod to acknowledge it. That seemed to loosen him up as he got chatty (as only Jeff can) after that. It turned out to be a great show.
I love how everyone has a story. 😂 Mine are - at a DC show where someone with a pro camera kept moving up the aisle and snapping pics, Jeff finally had had enough and said “stop taking my picture. I’m not a fucking monkey in a zoo.” The other was personal. I brought his early poetry book and a CD to a show in hope of him signing them. It was an outdoor show and I happened to see hm making his way towards the stage so I stopped and asked for his autograph. He obliged but said “You know, it’s REALLY rude of you to ask me to do this while the open in band is on.” 😳 I was embarrassed and also a little hurt. I wouldn’t have asked if he weren’t someone I admired immensely. I eventually forgave him. 😂
Sorry Jeff, you free around 7?
I was at the Springfield MO show in 2006 or 7 where a guy got on stage and attempted to accost the band and jeff punched him. Jeff was pretty cranky that night.
Tweedy is a big dude, I bet he could do some damage if he got mad enough.
He's a Gen-Xer, of course he's a prick.
Everytime I listen to Kicking Television I kinda feel bad for the guy who drove a long way to see them and Jeff just rips him up, even if it's just a joke.
Let’s admit Jeff is unlikely front man but he is an American Treasure. I think generally he has a sarcastic sense of humor and he really just trying to be funny. I did see him in LA last year have a back forth with a person about a song request for the persons recently departed father. You could tell Jeff was getting annoyed however he stopped at the point of being hurtful but the person requesting the song was a bit unreasonable. You cant just add a song in the middle of a set that the whole band has to play on.
At the Salt Shed tonight he couldn't stop talking about how nice the night was, how nice the audience was, how it just kept "getting better and better." :)
I saw Jeff solo in Northampton, MA, in 2009 and he was very cranky. He kept asking the crowd to shout out requests and then refused to play any of them. It was strange and really detracted from the show.
The only time I’ve seen them and the crankiness didn’t feel like a joke were the YHF anniversary shows. and that wasn’t cranky so much as disillusioned. They clearly are tired of looking backwards.
I went to one of those. It didn’t get that impression at all. If it were true, it would be weird to do those shows in the first place. What I will say is that they definitely approached those shows with a reverence that’s in stark contrast to how they usually act on stage. There was no quipping or jokes between songs. If it’s the only time you’ve seen Wilco, I’d recommend seeing them again. The YHF anniversary shows were a really special occasion, but definitely not representative of their usual demeanor.
I think he was visibly angry with me for dancing in the aisle at a show on sky blue sky tour
Sometimes Jeff is a self absorbed twit