analog life in a digital world

Three shows in four days. Wilco Road Trip 2011. Kansas City, Des Moines, & Minneapolis.

I don’t want to say this too loudly, but anyone from Central Iowa who considers themselves a true Wilco fan owes it to themselves to see them somewhere other than Central Iowa.

There were eight things at the show Sunday night that kept me from walking out the door. The six guys on stage, their songs, and the girl with me.

The IR allroom

Yep. That’s what the marquee says. It’s more than a few lights out. It’s a sign of what’s in store. This venue is an absolute dump.

• Ceiling tiles missing or falling.
• No HVAC system to speak of - it’s either hot or cold, seeing and raising the outside extreme.
• Lots of small, hidden steps up & down for people to trip on.
• Horrible sightlines. There’s not a good spot in the house, except for the front row. The only other decent spot is the old stage, and it’s off limits so they can store their extra junk there.
• And the worst part, TERRIBLE sound. What’s left of the ceiling is too low. The place is like a big roller skating rink, which was not designed for live, amplified music.

Here’s a GREAT example of how shitty the Val Air Ballroom is, posted by Wilco keyboardist Mikael Jorgenson on his Instagram and Twitter feeds:

That’s right. You keep it classy, Val Air. You bring in a Grammy winning band and you can’t even give them a safe staircase to walk onto your shitty stage. Your solution is to duct tape 2 PADDED chairs together. Are you not embarrassed by this???

The low ceiling also prevented Wilco from bringing in their full staging, which was beautiful in Kansas City and Minneapolis.

The Crowd

I’m not sure, but it kinda seemed to me like about a third of the crowd thought they were going to see Nickelback or Disturbed, not Wilco. Or, possibly they accidentally showed up on the wrong night, assuming it was going to be an MMA fight. Another third were only there in hopes they might make the Metromix photo slideshow. And the final third were, like me, just annoyed.

I’m arrogant. I make no effort in disguising that. I just don’t understand the act of paying $45 to get into a building, $6/each for the 10 warm Coors Lights you’re going to consume just so you can yell at your friends because the music makes it hard to hear. If you want to drink shitty beer and see all the hipster douchebags from Metromix, just go to Liar’s Club. DON’T come to a show like Wilco and ruin it for those of us who actually want to listen to the music. Liar’s Club was BUILT for that. Loud, shitty music, overpriced drinks, and all the douchebags you can eat.

Here’s a taste of what Des Moines missed out on because they couldn’t shut their mouths:

And, of course, there’s always the dirty tripping hippie that did way too much acid before the show and falls all over everyone within a 10-foot radius of where they’re doing the Snoopy Dance. Good god, we were scared the three guys in front of us would give us scabies if they bumped into us. I have no problem with anyone partaking in a little debauchery before or at a show, but show some fucking respect for yourself and others around you and keep it at a level where you can keep your body under control. I’ve been drunk. In fact, I have been really drunk, AT the Val Air Ballroom, AT a WILCO SHOW. Big difference? I wasn’t an asshole. I found a wall to lean against so I could watch the show and not bother the other people to paid their hard earned money to see a Wilco show. And I SHOWERED before the show.

I’m not saying everyone there but me was an ass. There were plenty of people there who were polite and having a good time without bothering others. We were five feet away from a guy who must have been close to seven feet tall. He was bouncing up and down in circles dancing around, but he was under control and we never felt like he was going to fall on us.

So, I repeat. If you’re not a fucktard and you like Wilco, you need to go see them somewhere outside of Des Moines. It’s a completely different show, a different experience. It is amazing to see them in a roomful of people so respectful, so quiet, that you can hear all the brilliant nuances in Wilco’s music. In a room that will fit their entire traveling stage setup and that won’t make the PA sound like the shitty boom box you had in junior high. THAT is how Wilco is meant to be experienced. I will not attend another show at the Val Air, I refuse to fund that shithole of a venue any more. I will add another city to the road trip and skip Des Moines.