The last time I popped on here was pre-Winterlude and someone in the comments asked to see what gear—specifically pedals—Jeff was bringing on tour. And while I fell asleep just writing that sentence… I’m a woman of the people. So, if you’re into pedals, this one’s for you. If you’re into the general tour videos, we are putting one together for a future post. Stay tuned, subscribe, all of that.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy this BTS from Wilco’s soundcheck and subsequent supplementary pedal-focused GEAR TALKIN’™️ from Mark. —Crystal
Thanks, Crystal, and welcome back, all, to GEAR TALKIN’™️! Instead of our usual digging deep and shining a light on a lesser-known holy grail, today we’re talking more generally about the great signal interrupters and enhancers, effect pedals, and how they speak to the bigger picture of looking to the horizon for the next exciting, inspirational tool. Jeff has an incredibly curated and ever-changing collection of pedals, effect units, and stomp boxes here at The Loft. Like with guitars or amps, Jeff’s taste runs far and wide. There are new and old pedals by large makers and small boutique builders, with effects ranging from mild modulation to bombastic blowouts. Fuzz, distortion, overdrive, reverb, delay, sustain, compression, modulation… then there’s the larger section of miscellaneous gizmos that become less describable with words. Everything displayed has something unique to give as they each fight for this coveted shelf space.
“They wanna know what pedals you bring on tour,” Crystal tells Jeff in her behind-the-scenes video backstage at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It’s a common request and to be honest, we love showing little peeks into the nuts and bolts of what goes into making Wilco Wilco and Jeff Jeff. In the video, Jeff points out his Freakshow 9 Boost and his Moog Moogerfooger analog delay as two pedals he can’t do without and then shows a few other pedals that are currently along for the ride when Wilco tours. The studio is of course his science lab where he gets to try out an unendingly wide range of tools to see what helps him get his point across. You’ll commonly see him plugged into pedals by makers such as Fairfield Circuitry, Hologram, Electro-Harmonix, Maestro, Gamechanger, JHS, Beetronics, Mid-Fi, Boss, Catalinbread, Chase Bliss, and so many others. The search never ends. Why should it?
We live in the golden age of small build, boutique pedals. It seems like every week we hear about a new amazing builder creating little metal boxes with new configurations not seen or heard before. It’s an adrenaline game to be able to pick up the new tool and see what you can make with it. And yes, you may have noticed that we are heavily into gear here at The Loft, but I’ll be square with you about one thing. People who have found their voice in their instrument or their songwriting end up sounding like themselves no matter what. I know we’ve touched on this before, but I think it’s important enough to repeat. It’s a conversation we have often here at The Loft and a point that Jeff not only makes but proves in practice. He sounds like Jeff whatever guitar is in his hands… whatever amp he’s playing through… whatever modulations are in his signal path. He still sounds like him. For Jeff and for many like him, this is a blessing, but I can understand with some people, it may feel like a curse.
Jeff stays in contact with his buddy Brian Henneman, who was the guiding force in the Bottle Rockets and a frequent Uncle Tupelo collaborator. Brian is one of those guys who should have a tape recorder strapped to his face at all times. His deep deep knowledge, sharp dry wit, and obsessive, detailed gearhounding makes every sentence quotable. His text messages are like biblical passages to be studied line-by-line. Brian is the patron saint of the gearhounds who are always knowingly or unknowingly on the prowl, often finding THEE ONE of whatever he’s talking about … then a month or two later finding the next THEE ONE. And then again. And again. Rinse and repeat. (Editor’s note: Jeff believes Brian actually now has his THEE ONE, and he’ll play a hole into it like Willy Nelson.) Brian balances deep, knowledgeable reasoning with the acceptance of pure magic. It’s the best! He and Jeff share the unending openness to the universe for the next inspiring something to come along and help color in the things they make.
This Week in Wilco, Etc.
2022 / January 20: At Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky festival in Riviera Maya, Mexico, Wilco’s set includes the live debut of the song “Sunloathe” and special guests: Britt Daniel singing lead on “Kamera,” Neal Francis singing lead on “Theologians,” Stephen Malkmus singing lead on “Cut Your Hair,” Mavis Staples singing lead on “I’ll Take You There,” and Kurt Vile joining Mavis and the band for “The Weight.” The show is officially released on 4/26/23 as Roadcase #95.
2023 / January 20: Wilco’s Cruel Country is released on all physical configurations. In celebration of the release, Jeff shares two phone demos of songs that wound up on Cruel Country on Starship Casual. One originally titled “Sun Soup,” later known as “Tonight’s the Day,” and “Base of My Skull” which later became part of “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull.”
2017 / January 26: Jeff appears as Jeff T. on the seventh season of Portlandia in an episode called “Separation Anxiety.”
Video Credits
Song 1: “Born Alone” (Instrumental) by Wilco
Song 2: “Should’ve Been in Love” by Wilco
Cast: Jeff Tweedy with appearances by Crystal Myers, Nels Cline, Josh Grier, Wilco, and Crew
Editor and producer: Mark Greenberg
Director, producer, and videographer: Crystal Myers
Share this post