"Is that the thanks I get for loving you?"
This is one of my favorite films, which may not exactly be fair because about half of it is just footage of Jeff Tweedy doing solo shows across the United States. If you know anything about my musical preferences, you have probably learned that my aural world begins and ends with Wilco. I'll admit that I may be ignorant in this regard, but I really couldn't care less. I've seen Wilco 3 times and I was lucky enough to hear their incredible drummer Glen Kotche do an insane show in NYC. Each of these experiences has been amazing, and I hope I have the opportunity to see them live many more times.
Sunken Treasure was shot in '06 while Jeff was traveling, strumming, and singing all over the West Coast. I just missed seeing him in Iowa, and I'll never forgive myself for that. I could really talk about Jeff and Wilco forever, but there is a legitimate reason that I wanted to discuss this film.
It really is a unique experience to see a concert live, but there are a lot of things that a video recording can only reveal. Throughout Sunken Treasure there are scenes of random people, landscapes, cities, etc either with Jeff playing or speaking over the top. This gives a kind of intimate look into the world that surrounds the music - and I personally thing that you can learn a lot from a musician about their own songs, and I love listening to someone talk about how music moves them.
This particular dvd is great because it is a solo show. When a whole band is playing you just aren't able to get the same sense of the music and the personalities. In a solo show there is just the single personality interacting with the audience.
Film is a great way for exploring music, and if you haven't at least seen "The Last Waltz" you are really missing out.
My favorite part of the show is when Jeff tears apart a couple people for talking during the show.
"I'm here too, and I want us to be here all together ... it's really really cool to feel yourself in a room of people with all their hearts beating and all of their thoughts and feelings and you're a part of it, you are not just you ... but you have to pay attention"
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