CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR ONCE?


no, jeff, they can't.

A few months ago, one of my Friday Notes paid tribute to the great Margo Timmins, the Cowboy Junkies' lead singer who unleashed a sweet little tirade at beer-swilling blabbers who were distracting both the band and the rest of the audience members at a show in Juneau. I noted that I've been to plenty of shows where I wished the band leader would have done the same, and that, the next time something like that happens, I wanted to be there to hear it. Well, I wasn't. But reading about it was almost as satisfying.

Last month at a solo acoustic show in Portland -- what is it with rude crowds in the Pacific Northwest? -- notoriously, gloriously prickly Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy grew weary of rude, inattentive beer swillers at his acoustic show and, after several subtle attempts to quiet them, finally let rip a series of questions for which, at most of the concerts I've attended, there never seem to be any answers:

People who are talking during this performance, I have a question for you: What can I do to be of better service to you? Am I not playing the right songs? Am I not pouring my heart out, up here, for you? Tell me what I can do to get you to listen to the concert up here that you paid money to see. I want to make you happy. But, if you’re happy talking, then why did you come here? Because, I’m here too, and I want us all to be here, together. Can you shut up for once in your fucking life?

I imagine the self-important, self-absorbed talkers were apoplectic. I imagine everyone else in the room was ecstatic.

Posted: Tue - March 14, 2006 at 11:18 PM          

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