Real Live Action

Wilco

February 13 @ David Lam Park

Review By Al Smith


This was probably awesome, but since we only got there two hours in advance, we couldn’t get in. Or maybe we could have, but the lineup was seriously about 10 km long, so whatever. Instead, we watched some shitty bar band play in an alley in Yaletown for five minutes, then wandered over to the Brickhouse and drank a bunch of really gross beer. Maybe it’s the draught lines? Those fish tank things in the back also fucking reek.

Anyways, if you’re planning on going to any of this free Olympic-related business, I hope you don’t have a job or anything else important to do, because you’re going to need to get in line the day before the show if you don’t want to get shut out. Q.E.D.: it’s currently around 2 p.m., and there are 17,000 folks lined up downtown to see Deadmau5. What the fuck is wrong with you people?

[ed. Wilco not only played a spectacular set, it was also one of the longest sets I’ve seen them play. Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline and the rest of the band were in fine form. The metal detectors at the Livecity site that slow down entry and make the line stretch out for blocks are designed to detect metal weaponry not plastic mickeys of booze, so there was a silver lining to the dry event. The line really isn’t that bad if you’re drinking with friends while you wait.

Clearly, you are a fool for not recognizing that the Brickhouse is the best bar in town, in which I have sampled the beer many times and never noticed any untoward flavours in the draught. As I have a weak sense of smell I can only say that I have never noticed any gross odours from the fish tanks.]