By Steve Rhodes
“When Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy returns home to Chicago, he knows how to charm just about everyone,” Michael Roffman and Heather Kaplan write at Consequence of Sound. “If he’s not dedicating songs to his wife, Susie, he’s throwing out sealed vinyls to thousands of adoring Midwestern fans. But, that’s just it. He’s got a lot of love for his sacred Windy City and if the scatterbrained, tight as hell opener of ‘Via Chicago’ – which has drummer Glenn Kotche in a pool of sweat by song’s end – doesn’t sell this idea, then possibly his smile and way with words does.”
They’ve got the set list, too, and a nice photo gallery. We’ve got selected YouTube highlights.
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Greg Kot: Band plays it too tight.
Bobby Reed: Both jangly and jarring.
5sentencereview.com: Wilco played a great set, two strong hours, interspersing some unbelieveable songs and some terrible songs, pretty much one after another.
Shocker
I’m shocked, shocked to find the Sun-Times wheeling out this old chestnut for the zillionth time. Coming tomorrow: Make no small plans.
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Unless you are a newspaper editor. Then only make small plans. The last thing you want to do is stir someone’s soul.
Laughing All The Way To The Bank
Stella Foster makes a Bugs Bunny joke today.
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I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.
Talking Points
“As always, education reporters, do remember to report these events as if they contained real news,” Alexander Russo writes at This Week In Education. ” References to ‘dog and pony show’ and use of the words ‘spin,’ ‘propaganda,’ ‘more hot air’ and ‘wishful thinking’ are generally frowned upon.”
Laugh Track
“Legislative leaders scoff at the suggestion they control members’ votes and argue that lawmakers elected in highly competitive races have more independence because they have to satisfy voters to remain in office rather than please leadership,” the Tribune reports. “Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, also maintain that their ability to shift an unrestricted flow of cash to legislative contests is needed to offset the ability of well-funded outsiders to steer a campaign.”
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Whew! I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer either!
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“If a union gives $100,000 to Madigan and Madigan gives $100,000 to a candidate, it’s not $200,000. It’s the same $100,000,” said Kent Redfield, emeritus political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield.
“But now you’ve got a $100,000 relationship between Madigan and the union and a $100,000 relationship between the speaker and the candidate,” he said. “Money comes into the leaders because the leaders want to win elections and win control (of the House or Senate), but also because the leaders control the process.”
Scary Pols Haunt Chicago
A guided tour.
Letter From Fenger
An inside story.
No Games Cook County
Tom Tresser’s next move.
Replacing The Olympic Village
New additions!
Prairie Style
“Some have called Iowa’s style of play conservative or old-school,” our very own Mike Luce writes in The College Football Report. “I prefer boring. I bet Iowa over USC in the 2002 Orange Bowl, having bought into the supposed advantages of ‘smashmouth’ football. USC rolled the Hawkeyes by three touchdowns and my respect for traditional Big 10 football never recovered.
“Iowa could potentially go undefeated this season and not play in the BCS title game. That is how little regard the HAL 9000 has for the Big 10 this year.”
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Hawk-eyed.
Posted on October 20, 2009