Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Fun,
I'm so old and out of it that I still think of Wilco as a new band. Jeff's so old and and out of it he thinks you're talking about Roger Wilco.
I was a huge Wilco fan and I am a longtime Jeff Tweedy fan. Here's an off the cuff history for anyone that cares:
- Circa '88: Jeff Tweedy forms Uncle Tupelo with suburban St. Louis high school buddy, Jay Farrar
- Early late 80's - '94: Uncle Tupelo gains major underground acclaim as one of the core bands responsible for shaping the "alt-country" movement... the band starts out as a cowpunk trio with Farrar on guitar, Tweedy on bass (they share writing and singing duties), but later becomes a more down home sounding quintet with keys, fiddle, etc. before dissolving in '94
- Tweedy begins playing regular solo acoustic shows (mostly in Chicago from around '94 through '99)... the variety of the songs he plays are extensive at these shows... a broad mix of originals and covers
- Tweedy forms Wilco in '95, Farrar forms Son Volt shortly thereafter
- They both make some great records and these bands both currently exist today, but they've been entirely re-shaped with different personnel
- From about '97 to late 2000, I thought Wilco was a powerhouse rock 'n' roll band... sort of like a mix of the Band and the Replacements... sloppy at times, very rocking at others, some very country-ish sounding stuff, etc.... a nice mix.
- Tweedy engages in various side projects, from Golden Smog with members of the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Big Star, etc. and Loose Fur, a collaboration with Jim O'Rourke
- Tweedy gains more attention as a solo acoustic performer... by the time he does a national tour in 2000 or so, he's easily filling 1,000 capacity venues around the country
- Wilco is currently bigger than ever now, but they've changed quite a bit during the past 6 years... including sweeping changes with personnel & a more noise pop sound.
Though I don't know how many here would enjoy Uncle Tupelo or the various incarnations of Wilco and Son Volt, I think most would probably be able to at least appreciate Jeff Tweedy solo performances.