Of all the Wilco shows I have attended, this is the best one. At the NYC stop on the amazing Being There tour, the band’s performance is energetic, fun, tight and inspired. This is the infamous “deli tray” show, where the band tossed HBO’s complimentary food items into the audience before the second set of encores. The HBO show “Reverb” eventually broadcast about 30 minutes of this concert.
This recording was made from the center of the floor. Three tapers brought equipment to this show, but the venue would only allow one rig–so we chose the guy with the Schoeps microphones. I patched my DAT out of his recorder. The microphone stand can been seen at points during the broadcast. This recording captures that energy of this show in a way that any dry soundboard could not. Enjoy!
The June 25, 2007 Wilco performance at Hammerstein Ballroom is still available in the nyctaper archives (here).
Download the complete show in FLAC format [HERE].
Wilco
1997-02-15
Irving Plaza
New York, NY USA
Audience Master Recording
Recorded from 30 feet, dead center, front of board, with mic pole.
Schoeps microphones (unknown model) > DAT deck (unknown model) >
patched to Sony D-7 DAT
DAT Master > Panasonic SV-3800 > digital coaxial > Audigy 2 ZS Platinum >
Soundforge > 16 bit 44.1 wav > CD Wave (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7,
align sector boundaries) > flac
Recorded by nyctaper
https://www.nyctaper.com
Setlist:
(Total Time 1:41:26)
01 Misunderstood
02 Far, Far Away
03 Forget The Flowers
04 That’s Not The Issue
05 Someday Soon
06 New Madrid
07 Red-Eyed And Blue
08 I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
09 Someone Else’s Song
10 Why Would You Wanna Live
11 I Must Be High
12 Passenger Side (punk)
13 Hotel Arizona
14 Monday
15 Kingpin
16 Outtasite (Outta Mind)
Encores:
17 Box Full Of Letters
18 Casino Queen
19 [The Deli Tray Incident]
20 We’ve Been Had
21 The Long Cut
22 Dreamer In My Dreams
23 Will You Love Me Tomorrow
If you download this recording PLEASE SUPPORT THIS ARTIST and buy their official releases at their website, or click the link below to buy the classic Being There album from this tour:
Can I be the first to thank you? I was wondering when this would get posted ,when you posted the NYC Wilco show. While I do tend to think the latest incarnation is the best ever, these early lineups have their charms and BT was a motherfucker of an album, so thank you again. Especially for the FAST speed!
son volt was much better than wilco in ’97. did you ever tape them?
I believe Jay’s contributions to Tupelo are more powerful than Jeff’s, but really I could never get into Sun Volt. I saw them a couple of times in the same time period (also at Irving), including one show where Roger McGuinn showed up for the encores, but to be honest, I was bored. And no, I never recorded them.
NYC…Yeah, I got to say the same goes for me. I LOVED UT and dug Jay’s work in that group, but for whatever reason, I just can’t get into SV. Different strokes, but I think was ragged, but great, in ’97. I just listened to this show today and gotta say thanks again. Really great stuff! Looking forward to ZPZ!
Thanks for posting this! I attended this show and it was a blast to say the least.
I also saw the 2 Son Volt shows at Irving Plaza as well, and while I enjoyed those too, Jay F. is a bit too stoic for my tastes live. He needs to loosen up. Wilco and Tweedy were very loose for this show.
This was the second of a string of four amazing Wilco shows I caught on the Being There tour. I’ve wanted a recording of it forever. Thanks so much for posting it.
Now if only a recording existed of their first show at the Mercury Lounge in Nov. 1996. Now THAT was something to witness…
Oh man, you’re reading my mind. I went to one of those Merc shows (there were 2). Jammed packed like sardines, while Jeff has us all singing nonsense lyrics to Kingpin. What a time. I heard that both of those shows were recorded, but I’ve never been able to get a copy.
I also recorded Tweedy solo (with Bennett) at the Merc in late 97. That recording will make it up to this site eventually too.
Yeah, this show is still by far the best Wilco show I’ve ever seen. It’s also in my list of top 10 live performances of all time. Thanks for making this great recording available.
Glad I finally checked your page again — I’ve been wanting a copy of this show for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to be at the first of the Mercury shows, this one, and the Jeff/Jay Bennett show at the Mercury later in 97. Definitely the best set of shows I’ve ever seen from them. I still love ’em, but I doubt they’ll ever sound as good again.
I’m told that my head can be seen in the video from the Reverb episode, but I still haven’t gotten a copy from one of the other posters above. Or his brother-in-law.
:^)
This is special. Thanks.
Steve, I have that DVD. Email me your address and I’ll send you a copy.
Right after listening to this show I popped in the new Flying Burrito Bros. live CD (out on Amoeba Records) and it hit me – Man, I really miss when Wilco sounded like the perfect hybrid of the Faces, the Replacements, and the Burrito Bros. That’s what this show highlights in spades.
And the Reverb DVD, is it just the 30 minute HBO broadcast or has the whole show surfaced?
Its just the broadcast, 30 minutes.
The whole show from the 1999 never-aired Reverb filming is available.
Thanks for the Wilco. Was watching them on Austin City Limits as this came down.
Hey all – I have Firefox and just downloaded the “Down Them All” feature, but every time I try to use it I get the “Check the data correctness” alert. Anyone know how to use this feature or how to enter data correctly?? Thx
Thanks for this. Being There was the first Wilco album I got and it’s still my favourite, but I didn’t get to see them until the Summerteeth tour in Manchester, England.
I’ve only seen them once since, in Nottingham, England in March ’05. The highlight of the show, and the best finish to a show I’ve ever seen/heard, was closing with a riproaring Monday and Outtasite (Outta Mind).
Great stuff! Thanks again!
Wilco February 15, 1997 – Irving Plaza
This concert sounded fascinating but I got 404 errors when I tried to download it. Can you help?
I just saw them last night in Central Park and they were great. I would love to get this show but it looks like the links are broken.
See above:
“Email nyctaper@nyctaper.com with a request for the download location.”
Man, you’re f*ing crazy, you know? I’m a huge fan of Wilco and I just discovered your site and blew my mind!… Thanks from Lima, Peru, South America!…