I really do not like Wilco at all. Perhaps this is because the first time I saw them they had Sonic Youth as their opening act.

Note to all bands: NEVER have an opening act that is 5 million times better than you.

After the absolute joy and exhilaration of an incredibly rocking, bone jarring, SonicYouth set, Wilco comes out with their laptop making random noises and alt country BS. I sat there in absolute shock and horror. I kept wanting to leave, but I couldn't. In my mind I kept thinking, "All of these people are here. This band must do something good."

Sadly they don't. Sadly I have to punch all of my really smart, trendy, indie friends in the face when they tell me I have no taste in music because I do not like Wilco at all. I used to say, "I hate Wilco", but I had to stop. If I said that I'd have to fight off an entire indie squadron of smart ass holier than thou Wilco loving poofs that seem to materialize out of nowhere like ninjas.

To this day I think there is something genetically deficient with everyone that likes Wilco. Actually, come to think of it, I've never met a Wilco fan that DID NOT go to UVA. And we all know what great music the UVA student body helped bring to the forefront of mainstream pop music. Dave Matthews anyone?

It saddens me that Wilco even exists. No it's worse than that. It actually hurts me. In the pit of my stomach I feel pain because Wilco exists. It's on par with the same crappy feeling liberal Democrats feel everyday when they wake up and realize that George W. is still president.

Ugh.

I'm not a Mettalica head. I love Ted Leo. I love the Flaming Lips, and many other interesting "indie" bands. But Wilco sucks. If I had a time machine I'd go back and erase them from existance.

I can understand not digging YHF and A Ghost Is Born. But if you like britpop I can't understand not loving SummerTeeth, and if you like alt-country I can't understand not loving Being There.

But to each their own. The only thing I really take issue with is your UVA bashing. I knew all of about five people who listened to Wilco while I was at UVA. DMB is demonized far more often than they really deserve. They're a jam band with slightly better than average pop instincts. Not worthy of veneration, but hardly the worst thing in the world. It's the fratty fanbase that's the detestable part.

So yeah, okay, we're all awful Abercrombie-wearing elitists with horrible musical taste. I get it.

But we've still got Malkmus! Wapow!

Didn't exactly mean to UVA bash. 99% of that was meant in jest. I didn't go to Tech or anything :)

I have a love/hate relationship with UVA people.

For instance, I really enjoy this blog which I presume is produced by two UVA alumi. I find it really witty and fun to read. Always entertaining. My UVA friends are some of the most fun people to drink with that I know.

But sometimes I've noticed that they get a little holier than thou. Especially when it comes to music. I guess since UVA is somewhat hard to get into there is a sense of pride that comes from becoming a UVA alumnus that spills over into other aspects of their lives. Or maybe they were just the over achievers when they were in high school and that's just the way they are.

Whatever the case I often find that while I love them, I have a million times more respect for the immigrant lady that empties the trash can in my office every night.

It's funny - Wilco's popularity is, to me, an indication that there is still a mass of people out there not getting what they want out of rock. I am with Catherine in that I LOVED YHF but didn't really like A Ghost is Born. But unlike a lot of Wilco fans, I also think much of their earlier work is kinda boring.

I have lots of friends that disagree. Of couse, we all know that there is objective truth in music and that I'm right. But even so, I allow them to cling to their opinions.

The characterization of UVA people is, of course, ridiculous. UVA students and alumni are a lot less homogenous than people would have you believe. And people can bash DMB all they want... all I know is that when I was 19 and I saw that band play at my first-year "mom and dad dropping you off" picnic, they rocked. And every single friend I have that I played their CD for thought they rocked. I haven't bought any of their albums since "Crash", and unsurprisingly, my musical tastes are a lot different 12 years later. But it's pretty hard to deny that, at the time, they were groundbreaking and deserved to be huge. The amount of trash-talk directed toward them seems weird - it's like all of the people that used to listen to them turned on them when they started jamming more. I imagine it keeps them awake at night - you know, on their huge piles of money surrounded by beautiful women.

wow, aGuy, that's an awful lot of hate for one band...but to each his own. personally, i don't really love anything radiohead put out after OKC, and believe me, for that i have garnered a lot of hate.

but this: Actually, come to think of it, I've never met a Wilco fan that DID NOT go to UVA

is utterly ridiculous! like, the only other person at UVa who i knew that liked wilco was my boyfriend! UVa's indie scene is lately totally burgeoning (and tommy's sister just accepted a job to do booking for a new plan9 concert space on the corner, wahey) but for the most part, UVa's music tastes are not as forward-thinking as basically any other college's.

anyway, you really should pick up summer teeth. it's excellent, catchy, and if you're bothered by the experimentalism of YHF or AGIB, it's got a lot more accessible poppiness.

The amount of trash-talk directed toward them seems weird - it's like all of the people that used to listen to them turned on them when they started jamming more. I imagine it keeps them awake at night - you know, on their huge piles of money surrounded by beautiful women.

No, you're thinking of the cocaine.

It's not ridiculous. I've never met a Wilco fan that didn't go to UVA. I swear I'm not making it up.

Maybe I just need to get out more...

Hey aGuy,

Whatever the case I often find that while I love them, I have a million times more respect for the immigrant lady that empties the trash can in my office every night.

Way to stereotype, man. Because you know, all of us wahoos are wealthy dilettantes who spend their time trying to find music to like in order to be cooler than other people.

Seriously, WTF? An interesting experiment might be to try and have respect for everybody. Not to sound preachy or anything, but just give it a shot. It can really be liberating.

WTF?

Simple. I have more respect for someone who comes from abject poverty, makes it out by sheer will and determination, and works two back breaking jobs without complaining to provide for their family than someone who's parents paid for them to go to college and complains because they have to sit in on a few conference calls, or because they haven't been able to break away for a skiing trip this winter.

I didn't say I don't have any respect for my UVA friends. I said I have a million times more respect for the lady that takes out my trash and cleans my toilet.

i think it's good to respect hardworking people who haven't had a lot of advantages in life. but it's not fair to assume anything about anybody that you don't know. tommy's done a lot of things in his life (paying his way through college as one example) that do deserve your respect.

i, on the other hand, really AM pissed that i couldn't get away for that winter ski trip i wanted.

wellll... not to distract from the conversation about what a great guy I am, but actually my grandparents funded most of my college education.

I'm with aGuy on this one. I don't like my mental image of the "typical UVA student" either. It's silly to paint with such a broad brush, but it'd be hard to make the case that the average UVA student isn't relatively privileged. So are most college students. UVA's not significantly wealthier or snootier than any other comparable school, though, the odd patrician affectation notwithstanding.

not to distract from the conversation about what a great guy I am, but actually my grandparents funded most of my college education.

man. i thought i was dating this overachiever guy who worked his way up from the gutter or something. thanks for shattering all my illusions, jerkass.

i love you!

Hate to interrupt the love-fest... but...

I understand the stereotype, but think it's just flat-out wrong. I met a LOT of people who paid their own way, etc. at UVA. In my subsequent work life, I've come across a lot of Ivy-leaguers, and let me tell you, UVA is not the Ivy league - I think in a good way, because the people are much more down to earth. Sure, you've got the frat-house stereotypes, but there is a lot else to the school. Unfortunately, the "regular" people are a lot less visible to the naked eye; they're generally busy working hard at their part-time jobs or going home on the weekends (or even spending time with their kids and spouses).

More importantly, aGuy, it seems like your post is a troll for class warfare - you really want somebody to say, "Well, I don't have any respect for the cleaning lady, she could do better if she worked hard." That's obviously not going to happen. But, pray tell, what college did you go to? Are the hardworking, up-from-the-bootstraps mattress burners at Maryland or the six-years-and-counting Virginia Tech semi-dropouts more worthy of your respect? Or do you reserve it for people without any formal education at all?

All I'm saying is that it's a bullshit argument; a sorry attempt to one-up us UVA alums at the Being A Common Person game; and flame-bait. Who exactly is it that you think DOESN'T have respect for people with hard jobs that don't complain? (And how do you know they don't complain? Is it because they don't complain to YOU? Is it because we've fucked up our economy so badly that they feel fortunate just to have a job?) I could go on. The point is, that was a bullshit post. Why don't you go ahead and just write your UVA friends that you resent their cushy upbringing, and they should all feel terrifically bad about themselves for wasting time thinking about indie rock?

(And what's REALLY funny is that this whole line of "reasoning" seems to come from the fact that your UVA friends listen to Wilco, and that you blame them for foisting Dave Matthews on the world. The first claim may be true, but is hardly representative; and the second is patently untrue. Anyway. Get over it.)

Sorry to take up so much space, Catherine and Tom. It just really annoys the hell out of me when people say things like this. You should both be very ashamed at not having it harder growing up, apparently.

You should both be very ashamed at not having it harder growing up, apparently.

I'm all over it. It's what liberal guilt is all about!

I'm not trying to make anyone feel ashamed about anything :)

I just use the cleaning lady's example as something to help keep me from wasting time with negativity.

Sometimes I'll get home after a bad day and be tempted to get kind of cranky. But instead I remind myself I'm pretty lucky to only have to work 10 hours and be able to come home to a nice flat screen tv with DvD player and a cushy couch.

How did we get off on this tangent? Wilco sucks! That's the main thing to remember :)

OK, aGuy, it seems like we're pretty much on the same page. (Except for Wilco sucking, of course - but really, I'm more of a 1 to 1.5-album fan than a die-hard. I DID listen to the whole concert on NPR.org this afternoon, and I think it sounded great.)

It's just one of my missions in life to resist UVA stereotyping. I was surprised myself to find that actually there are a lot of actual people there along with the frat boys. Besides, I was in a band - those frat boys made me a lot of money. Wilco fans or not.

aGuy is crazy wilco rocks

I think it's sad how many young people are sucked in by the Wilco mythos. Wilco are a band that give the appearance of a lot of things, but deliver on none of those appearances. Are they just regular, nice guys? Are they singing from the heart? Are they making art? They don't write good songs, they don't have a unique sound; Wilco are the very definition of mediocre. They're "different enough" but not so different as to be actually good, moving, or even memorable. Go on, hum the tune to one Wilco song - you can't, because it's all just a "feeling," right? I can understand hating Wilco, because it's disheartening to see your friends and colleagues, people whom you thought were discerning, intelligent, thoughtful people, worship a band that has nothing to offer, but has duped many into thinking that they do. There is no substance in those grooves, just the cleverly-framed illusion of substance.

How can you say that Wilco dosen't have a unique sound? Name one band out there that does what they do what they do. And talk about a band that is constantly searching for a way to explore the realm of music. Listen to Being There, then throw in A Ghost is Born. The transition musically in just three albums is amazing. Even on the small scale of Summerteeth to Yankee Hotel, the vast differences that go it making these songs and what the final product is, is undeniable. I can understand if you don't like Wilco, it's not for everyone. But to say that there unoriginal or not unique is a fablication of opinion, In fact the reason why most people either don't like or get Wilco is because they are so different and their minds don't know what to make of it right away. And what's the easiest thing to do if you don't understand something...call it shity...You can rationalize your psuedo belief and go back to not using your brain trying to understand something different.

OMG! SH Drummer! Like, THE SH? Starboard Home? No WAY! Will you come play at my bar mitzvah?!

And the Lord said unto thee: LET THERE BE WILCO!

I can't say that Wilco sucks - just the sanctimonious, trying-to-hard, neo-hippies that worship them as gods. I'm a musician in a midwestern band that plays traditional country music. I guess what I resent is the fact that so many of these flannel-shirt hipsters will say country music and Wilco in the same sentence. My sister went to high school with Jeff Tweddy - he's a nice enough guy. They just seem to be a little too much "art" and not enough entertainment.

My introduction to Wilco came about last year when my punk-to-metal-to-country friend gave me a copy of A.M. I liked it but didn't think much of it. Then earlier this year I went to see them for the hell of it and I was blown away by their live performance. I went out and bought their live album and it wasn't until just recently that I got all of their studio albums.

As for the whole Sonic Youth being better than Wilco thing, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Sonic Youth is the most pretentious, pseudo-intellectual band of all time. And country band man: listen to Jeff Tweedy's first band, Uncle Tupelo. They're about as good as modern "western" music gets.