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Friday, August 22,2008
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008
We Still Love Rock and Roll: Wilco Delivers The Goods To Brookly
What a great week of music—much of it outdoors, with unseasonably mild weather to make it that much better. The two-man storm-of-sound Black Keys flooded McCarren Pool last Thursday; Radiohead and a bunch of amazing-in-their-own-right-but-superfluous-in-the-moment openers pleased the masses at All Points West (which I missed, but with good reason); that bright Conor Oberst and his new Mystic Valley Band were pretty dang good at the Bowery Tuesday night and, bringing it full circle, Wilco put the icing on the cake at McCarren last night.
Word apparently got out that their set would start at 7 pm sharp, because it looked like nearly every one of the 3000 or so people who showed up had the same idea—“I’ll get there at 6:55”—which meant twenty-plus minute waits at the gate. Which was probably the reason the set didn’t actually get under way till closer to 8.
Jeff Tweedy’s band of Windy City slicksters, looking dapper as ever, opened up with “Via Chicago,” coaxing that cataclysmic ruckus they do so well, then braking on a dime into you-could-hear-a-pin-drop silence they do so well too, then returning to Brobdingnagian cacaphony, and then back again into a black-hole vacuum. It’s a tactic they’ve mastered, and no one else executes it quite as beautifully.
Wilco continued to slip seamlessly from their softer, gentler roots into their distorted proggish noise-scapes, showing off their range of ability and diversity of style. They gave equal attention to every album in their catalog including their
After fifteen songs, the sextet busted into the rave-ish extended dance mix, “Spiders (Kidsmoke).” I think that it’s safe to say that the crowd, which was dense with Wilco’s cultish devotees, would have been more than satisfied if that had been the end of things. But Wilco wasn’t done with
Although Wilco initially held the mantle of alt.country pioneers in their early days, last night proved that their evolution—which shifted into high gear around the turn of the millennium—has brought us one of the best rock bands alive today. And, to answer Tweedy’s question that he howled last night, “Do you still love rock and roll?” Yes. Very much.
Also in nypress:
Elections 2008
Obama seeks greater rein on financial institutions
(AP)
AP - President Barack Obama says he wants Congress to pass legislation giving the government greater regulatory authority over financial institutions like American International Group.
Sources: Pentagon to stop forced tour extension
(AP)
AP - The Army will substantially reduce use of the unpopular practice of holding troops beyond their enlistment dates and will pay $500 to those still forced to stay in the service, defense and congressional officials said Wednesday.
AIG head shares US anger of bonuses but backs them
(AP)
AP - The chief executive officer of failed insurance conglomerate AIG acknowledged Wednesday that the company's multimillion-dollar bonuses were "distasteful" to many and had provoked a firestorm of wrath. "I share that anger," Edward Liddy, chairman and CEO of the American International Group Inc., said in testimony prepared for Congress.
Analysis: White House, Dems backpedaling on AIG
(AP)
AP - For the first time since last fall's election, Democrats and the Obama administration are backpedaling furiously on an issue easily understood by financially strapped taxpayers: $165 million in bonuses paid out at bailed-out AIG.
Pence: Return AIG donations
(Politico)
Politico - House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence is urging politicians from both parties to strongly consider returning campaign contributions from AIG.
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Top Stories
AIG head shares US anger of bonuses but backs them
(AP)
AP - The chief executive officer of failed insurance conglomerate AIG acknowledged Wednesday that the company's multimillion-dollar bonuses were "distasteful" to many and had provoked a firestorm of wrath. "I share that anger," Edward Liddy, chairman and CEO of the American International Group Inc., said in testimony prepared for Congress.
Obama seeks greater rein on financial institutions
(AP)
AP - President Barack Obama says he wants Congress to pass legislation giving the government greater regulatory authority over financial institutions like American International Group.
Consumer prices rise by largest amount in 7 months
(AP)
AP - Consumer prices rose in February by the largest amount in seven months as gasoline prices surged again and clothing costs jumped the most in nearly two decades.
Crude
