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« the air-conditioned rooms at the top of the stairs | Main | take a hike »
March 22, 2005
the sun caught fire
When I was in my very early twenties, and oh-so-very-very-with-it, I went through this phase where I just couldn't get enough of the Beat Generation. I had always been a fan of Burroughs, (especially anything involving Doctor Benway) but that was just about the extent of it. In fact, I didn't even associate him with the Beats until my research for Coppola's version of On The Road spiraled completely out of control and became an obsession. I listened to Ken Nordine and Steve Allen, and I read everything from Kerouac to Neal Cassidy to Allen Ginsberg that I could get my hands on. I even spent several days with Howl, pretending I knew why it was so important. Anyway, the point is, for a couple of years, if I could have grown a goatee, I totally would have done it, man. *snap* *snap*
There are only two things that have survived from that period of my life. The first is a love of Jazz music (if you haven't stayed up all night listening to Miles Davis, you haven't . . . well, stayed up all night listening to Miles Davis. Sorry, bad example. But it really is cool. Oh, and when the weather warms up, there's nothing quite like Charlie Parker, and when you love someone so much your heart aches, Chet Baker is your guy.)
The second is my desire to take images from my mind and turn them into stories. One night, I was "free-forming, man, *snap* *snap*" in my notebook (that was covered with pen drawings of stars, a piano, a mugwump, and — incongruously — a martini glass) and I came up with this short story about a guy who is so worked up about the problems of the world, he smokes cigarette after cigarette after cigarette, and composes letters to people in an effort to enlighten them. Eventually, he starts drinking, and ends up in an alcoholic coma. When the Sun comes up, it finds him the floor, surrounded by his final thoughts, beneath "an ashtray overflowing with the weight of the world."
Over the weekend, I bought Wilco's Summerteeth. The second third song has a lyric that goes, "The ashtray says / you were up all night."
Woah. Did I wander into Jeff Tweedy's cosmic creative wake one night, and not know about it until Sunday? Or did he wonder into mine, since that album was released in 1998, and I wrote that story around 1995? Maybe I hit a creative wormhole or something.
Whatever. I don't care. This is pretty much just an excuse to blog about how fucking amazing Wilco is, and how much they've eaten my brains.
You should've seen them when they played at Radio City Music Hall. The best. The loudest, but the best.
Posted by: The Retropolitan![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.wilwheaton.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 22, 2005 12:53 PM
Wow, Wil, you're on a serious Wilco binge! I must admit I am excited every day to come here to see which line grabbed you enough to title your post! Keep going with the Wilco, and do not miss them next time they play in your area. If you think the records are good just wait until you see them live!
The greatest thing in my opinion about Wilco is that those guys are the nicest bunch of folks you'd ever want to meet. They should be a lesson to all the "look at me" bands floating around right now. They know full well that it is the fans that got them where they are today and they will bend over backwards to make sure everyone knows it. In fact, Jeff recently was a part of a Chicago charity auction and up for bid was #1 A personal Tweedy concert in the winner's living room, and #2 a day at Wilco's recording studio where Jeff played engineer, and on top of it learned the winner's own songs and played with him on the recordings. I mean, have you ever heard of such generocity??? I love those guys.
at March 22, 2005 12:59 PM
Thats hilarious - I went through the same beat generation phase. I was always drinking black coffee and reading kerouac in cafes filled with smoke and thinking I was sooooooo onto something. Ha.
Posted by: maggie at March 22, 2005 01:02 PM
It took me a long time before I understood "Howl." Have you ever seen that hilarious, but true, picture/postcard with the marine core cadets trying to read "howl"?
here's a link: http://www.wm.edu/muscarelle/temp/HOWL.JPG
it's brilliant!
i gave it to my college poetry teacher. :) what a kiss-ass I was . . .
Posted by: Daynah B at March 22, 2005 01:27 PM
Wil, since you seem to be worshiping at the temple of Tweedy a lot lately, you should consider checking out The Minus 5. Their album "Down With Wilco" has a lot of Tweedy's influence (don't let the name fool you). I really enjoy it a lot. Also, make sure you check out their site, since there are number of tracks to download (but I bet you already new that). Lastly, if you're into the more experimental stuff, be sure and get the Wilco Book. The CD is definitely left field, even for Jeff Tweedy. Enjoy!
Posted by: super_structure at March 22, 2005 01:52 PM
For all the talk about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, Summerteeth is still my favorite album. It's the one I gave my dad for his birthday a few years back. It's the one I let friends listen to when I want them hooked on Wilco and it's the one with the Eggcorn title (http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/). Heavy Metal Drummer off YHF is pretty addictive, though.
Posted by: Seth at March 22, 2005 02:27 PM
Something that's always given me a sense of awe since I started reading WWdN is how you approach your creative exercises without a hint of self-consciousness. I want to know if that's something you had to train yourself to do, or if it has always come naturally. I truly know inside that if I could shed that shell of uber-awareness and dig into exercises free of self-criticism, then an entire universe of creativity would issue forth from every pore in my body.
I also know that if I could get myself to do these things while alone, then I wouldn't put it off, wishing for a partner to exercise creatively with - I'm more group-dynamic-oriented, and it's stifling me because I don't have a group to speak of.
Lastly, I particularly like "Or did he wonder into mine," It's lovely, whether or not it was an accident.
Posted by: leenerella at March 22, 2005 02:54 PM
Welcome to the Wilco Cult. But, be careful Wil. This same thing happened to me. One Wilco album led to another, which led to Minus 5, Loose Fur, Golden Smog . . . and now my main hobby seems to be following the torrent tracker on Via Chicago looking for cool live shows (Wilco is trade friendly), etc.
You should see them live. Tweedy is quite funny and the shows are amazing.
Posted by: Gary at March 22, 2005 03:12 PM
We have a Guinness Jazz Festival in Cork City in Ireland each year. 40,000 music fans travel to Cork each October for the music (and also the drink).
The Guinness Jazz Festival is Ireland's (if not Europe's) biggest and most prestigious jazz event and has hosted many of the jazz 'greats' in its 28 year history - Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Mel Torme, Cleo Laine, Dave Brubeck, Benny Carter, Joe Zawinul, Art Blakey, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Stephane Grappelli, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin
Details for the 2005 Cork Jazz festival can be found here . (I guess I must I sound like a travel agent going on bout how great cork is!)
at March 22, 2005 03:39 PM
Wil,
If you love Chet Baker, then you'll also enjoy John Pizzarelli, a current jazz singer with a voice as velvety as Baker's. I believe he plays trumpet, too. Being a former trumpet player myself, I'm all for that. :D
Posted by: Kevin Gamin at March 22, 2005 03:43 PM
Nobody, and I mean freakin NOBODY plays more Wilco than Egg Radio.
If you haven't stayed up all night listening to the Egg, well... then... you haven't. ;-)
Thanks Uncle Willie...
Posted by: AJ at March 22, 2005 03:56 PM
Wilco is brilliant. Billy Bragg and Wilco...also quite brilliant. Who doesn't love Wilco? No really, I want to know. So I can explain my confusion.
Posted by: kelly at March 22, 2005 04:07 PM
...a guy who is so worked up about the problems of the world, he smokes cigarette after cigarette after cigarette, and composes letters to people in an effort to enlighten them. Eventually, he starts drinking, and ends up in an alcoholic coma.
That about sums it up for me.
Posted by: Shawn at March 22, 2005 05:20 PM
For a while when I was in my teens, the only thing I listened to was Chick Corea & Return to Forever, Weather Report, and Miles Davis.
I recently discovered that Jaco Pastorius went to the high school up the street from me and a place I've passed many times is where he was killed.
at March 22, 2005 05:21 PM
Man, I'm ashamed to say that I've never heard Wilco. But in my defense, I live in the Florida swamps.
Hm, maybe I'll take a chance and grab a Wilco cd from Amazon, along with the Zutons! :)
Posted by: Sandralicious at March 22, 2005 05:50 PM
What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?
Moloch!
This makes me wonder what's happening to the angelheaded hipsters of today :)
at March 22, 2005 05:52 PM
I understand this obsession completely. I've listened albums that just send me into a whole world of imagination and creativity.
Now you've sent me off on a quest to find these musicians you speak of. I am quite young, and the names sound vaguely familiar. So, I shall look them up right away!
Posted by: NymphofLaughingTrees at March 22, 2005 05:57 PM
Ok, you do know that making any comment about anything eating your brains is just begging to be snarked. You do know that? Right?
Fortunately for you, Wil, I've had a bad day. So I am not going to give you any snark. Now, if I was in a really, really good place, I'd still not have any snark for you because, well, I suck at snark.
Posted by: Rook at March 22, 2005 06:09 PM
What do Wilco fans call themselves? Whatever it is, Wil is most definitely among the minions! NPR was talking them up a few months ago. Their music is so unique and original. What music should be, not that pre-packaged blonde bimbo crap. Not that there's anything wrong with that!
Posted by: Celtic Mama at March 22, 2005 06:53 PM
I could never make sense of Kerouac..yes, I know, but I like a writing style that consists of more than an amphetamine scream. Ginsberg, I love and admire as a man, but there isn't really a lot of his poetry that has stuck with me outside of "America". Ken Nordine? Now we're talkin hep. So hep, that for awhile... I actually believed my right hand WAS uglier than my left.
Posted by: CIO at March 22, 2005 07:06 PM
hi wil! I finally got typekey to work for me, so now I get to comment and stuff. :) yay!
Posted by: haydensprincess at March 22, 2005 07:14 PM
Anything to say to your public about ditching Penguicon for the second year running? (http://www.livejournal.com/users/tammylc/377853.html)
Posted by: Metal Fatigue at March 22, 2005 07:34 PM
Love the Wilco and then move backwards to Uncle Tupelo or sideways to Son Volt. Personally, I have been obsessed with Son Volt's "Trace" since it came out in the mid 90's.
Posted by: loose string at March 22, 2005 07:47 PM
Metal Fatigue: Even though this is totally off-topic, yeah, I do.
I didn't "ditch" anything, and I am offended by your suggeston that I did.
Whenever I accept an invitation to appear at a conference, it's always with the understanding that if I get an acting job or have some other sort of work-related commitment that conflicts, I'll have to withdraw from the conference.
Last year, I had to withdraw because I had an opportunity to support my family with some acting work. Sorry if there are some people in fandom who think they are more important to me than my family is. Newsflash: nobody is more important to me than my family. If you can't get over that, it's not my problem.
I'm in a fantastic sketch comedy show here in Los Angeles, and I'm committed to perform on Saturday nights until the end of July. When I accepted the invite to Penguicon, I didn't know that I'd make it into the show that runs through summer, but it's one of the most prestigious (and difficult) shows to get into. I've worked very hard for several years to get into the main company, and if I miss more than one performance I will lose my spot to one of the dozens of people who are waiting to take my place. I got special permission to miss one show to attend the wedding of two of my best friends. If I miss more than that one show, I'm out of the company, and I've worked too hard for too long to lose my spot at the theatre because I went to a convention. I explained this to the organizers at Penguicon, who were very gracious and understanding. If there are other people who are not as mature as the organizers . . . well, they're certainly entitled to their opinions.
Posted by: Wil at March 22, 2005 08:03 PM
First of all -- LOVE your blog. I look forward to each new entry. I bought "Just a Geek" a few days ago and am re-reading already - thought it was really good.
Second of all - not a Star Trek fan. Trekkie. Whatever. I just like your writing. But I'm apparently "not Hooters material" so I'm not sure that comment will make it into one of your novels.
Re: Wilco - Never heard of 'em. But I do own Justin Timberlake's last CD so I think that says it all. Have put all available Wilco CD's 'on hold' at my local library so I can review them for free and if they're worth the money I'll buy them online ... I'm a little cheap but I don't buy anything unless I know it's worth it (sadly, this doesn't apply to Justin Timberlake, who I bought outright ... feel free to dismiss all further posts).
Re: "The ashtray says/you were up all night." My husband's a smoker and when he's been drinkin' a few beers and has been downloading a lot of Internet porn, "the ashtray says/you were up all night" ... just to put it all into perspective.
Thanks for writing - I love to read it ...
at March 22, 2005 08:45 PM
Wil, I always thought that you had great musical taste so I'm surprised to see that you're new to the genius of Wilco (who's next - Dave Matthews?) but it's nice to have you aboard and it's fun to read about someone exploring such a great band.
"Should I even have Wilco and Dave Matthews in the same sentence," I ask myself...ehh, I'm leaving it.
Posted by: Legally Bland at March 22, 2005 08:50 PM
NymphofLaughingTrees - Those were all inside jokes/quotes from Ginsberg's poem, Howl. It is nice to see that interest in the Beats is still around, though.
Posted by: Ian Z at March 22, 2005 10:02 PM
Hey Wil
So glad to hear you discovered Wilco in the recent past. There is certainly nothing like Jazz to express all the Human emotions without ever having to speak.
Say hey to the cats for all of us. I just finished feeding the six we have here on the farm and they asked me to pass on their cares and concerns. Am i too close to my cats or what?
The World is a wonderful place to be.
Me
PS
I usually keep track of your posts via RSS feeds. They haven't updated in my reader for two weeks.
Posted by: JackW at March 22, 2005 10:43 PM
Well, THAT was an unfortunate comment. I think you handled that quite well, Wil. Good on ya.
Posted by: MtDewAddict at March 22, 2005 10:45 PM
I have been reading your blog for months now without posting, but now that you've mentioned Wilco, I can no longer resist. I adore Summerteeth, and reading just those two lines in your post left me flooded with happy Wilco feelings... Thank you!
One of the happiest moments of my life was spent dancing to Ingrid Bergman, off of the Mermaid Avenue album (in which Billy Bragg and Wilco take Woody Guthrie lyrics and write their own music to it).
There may be nothing like staying up all night listening to Miles Davis, but I have to say even that might fall short of what my three dearest friends and I experienced. There's a lot of joy to be had when you wind down from a night of carousing at the local bar by dancing on a Montana gravel road 20 miles from the nearest town, as a light summer rain kisses your face.
Posted by: oregonchick at March 22, 2005 11:36 PM
ella fitzgerald for having fun and singing along to and astrud gilberto singing along to joao gilberto and stan getz for mellowing and being in love in the summer for me. and ornette coleman is great for when you need some energy. and you're reading the code book? that book rules - enjoy!
Posted by: arifa at March 23, 2005 12:08 AM
hey wil,
I went to see Wilco in Nottingham UK, a couple of weeks ago and they soooo totally rocked! I had bought YHF the day before i went, coz i hadn't heard any of their stuff, and fell in love instantly! am waiting to get the rest of the albums! thanks for the inspiration!
take care
rach
at March 23, 2005 04:32 AM
I too have been reading your blog for months now, but haven't commented until I read that you got Summerteeth. Any old poseur can own YHF, but you haven't shown yourself to be a true Wilco fan until you've bought Summer. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.
Oh, and I saw Tweedy et al in concert here in Charlotte about a month ago, and they were fantastic. You must see them if they've ever in your neighborhood.
Oh, and fantastic job on CSI:.
Posted by: Eaglet at March 23, 2005 07:45 AM
Eaglet: Did you see them at Oven's Auditorium? I just got that show from etree . . . holy mother of shit. Just amazing.
Posted by: Wil at March 23, 2005 09:48 AM
Wil,It's great that you have found something that grabs your heart and never lets go. Don't let go if it. Its food for the soul.
Posted by: dallasslayer at March 23, 2005 10:41 AM
I spoke with Neal Cassady's wife Carolyn (called Camille or Evelyn in Jack's novels) during the time she was working on her memories of her life with Neal and Jack. She seemed hopeful that she would be published. Even better, her work led to the movie 'Heart Beat"
One of the beat poets died this March 7th in San Francisco, Philip Lamantia.
Wilco? Good excuse to go to Streelight Records on this day of too much rain. Thanks
Posted by: joann at March 23, 2005 11:00 AM
Hey Wil,
Myles Davis.....is very cool....didn't know you were a buff...good to know.
at March 23, 2005 11:35 AM
Wil, your finely honed sense of self-awareness is what makes your writing so good. This was a classic example of that--great stuff.
Oh, and way to calmly and rationally throw it back in the face of that ill-informed Metal Fatigue person.
at March 23, 2005 01:26 PM
Ginsberg's affiliation with NAMBLA put me off too much to respect his work anymore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAMBLA
at March 23, 2005 03:55 PM
(BUGMENOTTYPEKEYUSERHERE) Wilco is playing in my small town of Flagstaff in one month. I am giddy like a school girl .
Posted by: cypherpunk at March 23, 2005 03:59 PM
You bought it! Excellent! It's one of them albums that I can just listen to over and over and over and over. ;)
Posted by: roblef@mac.com at March 23, 2005 05:02 PM
Wilco totally does rock. The band they originally came out of - Uncle Tupelo was pretty awesome as well. If you are venturing out into the alt-country world I highly suggest The Old 97s. "Fight Songs" will change your life. They have some of the most intelligent lyrics I've every heard.
Rhett Miller does some solo shows in LA when they aren't touring. You should check him out.
Posted by: designgirl9 at March 27, 2005 07:31 PM
Your mention of the beat generation reminded me of a scene in Family Guy in which Stewie is smoking a cigarette while dressed as a beat poet.
"She packed my bags, last night, pre-flight, zero hour, 9am
And I`m gonna be high...
As a kite by then......."
I'm glad that I goggled it to confirm the words after "pre-flight" because for weeks a spoken version of "Rocket Man" has been occassionally jumping into my head in my head and the fact that I couldn't remember where it was from was driving me nuts. It was Stewie! Same scene.
Posted by: AT at March 30, 2005 09:59 AM
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