Wilco (The Show): The Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles - Art Deco in Koreatown
I think its safe to say that it is pretty difficult to get from one place to another in Los Angeles. The quality of life is damn good in most parts and people are pretty easy-going, but from initial urban sprawl and unmerciful traffic, any destination in L.A. is hard to get to. Take heart when thinking of heading to The Wiltern Theatre; it may take you time to get to this palatial destination, but once you have arrived, everything parking, the acoustics, the architecture, the lines for beers and bathrooms seems to be nice and easy.
The Wiltern (and the adjacent 12-story Pellissier Building) is right in the heart of Los Angeles, nestled on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown. From the ornate neon marquee to the art deco exterior, it is a stark contrast to the relative L.A. Ugly that surrounds it. Although not nearly as large as Radio City Music Hall, it still has that epic and important feel because of the vaulted, colorful ceilings and gaping and inviting stage. It probably should draw more comparisons to The Beacon Theater in New York or the Fillmore Theater in San Francisco.
One of the best parts of the Wiltern - originally built in 1931 by the oldest architecture firm in L.A. - is whether in the orchestra pit or the top row of the balcony, there is not a bad seat in the house. It is a very tall venue, but not overly deep, so it retains the intimacy of seeing live music, even if 2000 of your closest friends seems like a lot of people. I do recommend not standing by the sound board in the orchestra however, unless you are 64 or taller. The floor doesn't initially slant down, so during GA-only floor show, its worth it to squeeze your way down past the initial crowd.
On the night we went to see Wilco at The Wiltern, a friend remarked that the street corner before walking into the venue is as close as you can get to a New York City street feel in Los Angeles.
The Sound:
I have sit in the balcony and stood in the orchestra, and if you like the music you are there to see, you wont be disappointed about how The Wiltern makes your favorite band sound. I was also impressed that sound checks must go very smoothly at this venue. I haven't noticed bands doing the usual between-song gestures to the mixing board to turn up their vocals or their guitar amp. Then again, maybe I'm just selecting bands that know what the hell they are doing.
Crowds at Wiltern shows all seem to appreciate the good sound quality as it seems people go crazy at the right times, they like to listen and because of the beautiful acoustics, overpowering crowd noise is not nearly as noticeable.
The People:
The Crowd:
Very polite, somewhat hip, but not up their own asses in the L.A. scene (I guess it depends on what band you see at The Wiltern, but with Wilco, good people all around). Like most shows, it was predominantly male, the occasional whiff of bud during a strong song. The Wiltern is a big enough venue that you have to be fairly established to play it. As a result, the people that seem to be there when I go are there to listen and truly appreciate the music. Translation: there arent many assholes at Wiltern shows.
The Staff:
A special thumbs up here, because it turns out I know one of the managers of the food and beverage service. Bartenders are efficient, ushers know where the hell to point you, and there is a general professionalism with all the staff...yet they still manage to seem cool and not stiff. I never had to wait in a line: for beers, there are plenty of places to get them so if one line seemed long, I went to another one.
The Band
Wilco (The Live Show)
Wilco at The Wiltern proved to be everything I wanted it to be: a near-flawless performance of great songs, some new to me and others classic favorites that were re-worked ever so slightly to make them sound incredibly tight, fluid and fresh. That is what is so great about Wilco: just like each studio album, the band is always looking for ways to improve, improvise, make changes, updates, and ultimately explore ways to make each concert or tour a different experience for fans while also delivering a sound that so many devotees have come to love.
The full setlist for the show in late June is below, but unlike previous shows, the band seemed most comfortable playing music from Summerteeth and beyond. Six songs came from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, including an absolutely flawless "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" and the latest incarnation of the now famous show-closing "Poor Places" / "Reservations" medley. As I was listening to YHF earlier today, it struck me how good they have become live, how unafraid they are to re-imagine and improve these already deconstructive and complex songs into something better. Please see them live on this tour for no other reason than to hear how incredible YHF songs now sound.
I also was able to hear a couple old favorites, like "California Stars" and Being There's "Forget the Flowers". I thought I would be disappointed that I didn't hear some more alt-country favorites from Wilco yesteryear, but in a nod to the strength of the new songs, I was thrilled to hear five new songs from Wilco (The Album) that were relatively new to me. "Wilco (The Song)" is going to be a new sing-along favorite for fans, and "One Wing" has some serious layers to it between Nels Cline and Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy's lyrics are still packing a punch (pun intended) with the palooka ballad "Deeper Down". I was strangely transfixed and tuned into this new song...can't wait for countless listens from the album.
Finally, I would be remiss for a specific note at how absolutely stellar Nels Cline is as Wilco's lead guitarist. Just under half the show were songs from A Ghost Is Born and Sky Blue Sky and that was not a random selection. Cline has over the past five years established himself as a fixture of the Wilco sound. He has brought a new layer of depth and complexity to each song he solos. And although Jim O'Rourke may have ushered in a Wilco 2.0 by producing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, Cline has seemed to re-energize Tweedy and the rest of the band, pushing them to playful rhythms, elaborate riffs layered with solos that meander with a piercing exactitude. It is difficult to put into words what Nels Cline has given Wilco, but it's no coincidence that since '04, the live show just seems to get better and better.
To many Wilco fans, Nels Cline may be a new artist. However, a friend who attended the Wiltern show with me had a revelation when Cline played his first true "avant garde" solo during "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." My friend stood open-mouthed for a bit listening to Cline, then yelled to me, "Is that Nels Cline?" I nodded and didn't think much of it other than my friend being impressed with his work on the ax. I didn't learn until after the show that my friend - who grew up in L.A. - had seen Cline play with Mike Watt during one of his shows in the late 80s at McCabe's Guitar Shop on Pico in Santa Monica. Watt hosted a guitar night with many up-and-coming musicians like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction (before they saw the stardom of today). The last time my friend had seen Cline play was at one of these shows. He recalled that he sat on a folding chair at the famous guitar shop and watched Cline use a wrench to turn different knobs on an archaic distortion amp. He recorded loops of sound based on each turn of the wrench, then played a mind-blowing solo over the loops. Nothing made me happier than hearing that story, that such an underground legend - and a true avant-garde musical talent - like Nels Cline is making my favorite band Wilco that much better today. Here's to my lucky California stars for Nels Cline, the Wiltern, McCabe's...and for Wilco.
The Difference:
You want to attend Wiltern shows if its a band that you really want to appreciate their performance live. Its a social place, but not like other venues where it seems like people are there to see and be seen. When the band starts, people head inside to get what they pay for...and in the case of the Wiltern Theater, if they are on, bands can deliver a fantastic show with amazing acoustics to fans that really care.
