Ashes of American Flags follows Wilco from Tulsa, Oklahoma (Cain’s Ballroom) to Washington D.C. (9 : 30 Club) during its 2008 U.S. tour of ballrooms, clubs and concert halls, capturing the six-piece band, and three-man horn section, at such
hallowed venues as Tipitina’s in New Orleans and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. This feature-length DVD is a concert film of extraordinary intimacy, with the HD cameras focused primarily on the stage and often inches away from singer songwriter Jeff Tweedy’s microphone or drummer Glenn Kotche’s cymbals. Ashes of American Flags also functions as an evocative travelogue, a document of the band’s physical and emotional journey. Co-directors Brendan Canty, the former Fugazi
drummer, and Christoph Green track Wilco’s tour bus across the country, taking in both the wide-angle beauty and William Eggleston-like desolation of the highways and cities they pass through. At each stop, the filmmakers record candid moments
at sound check, back stage and on the bus, where band members offer insights into their lives on the road and their remarkably intuitive communication as a group.
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I’ve had this DVD for a while and only watched it once. I saw Wilco in Savannah (3/25/2010) and have been watching Jeff since the Uncle Tupelo days. Wilco in its current incarnation is now probably the finest touring American band and having just watched this DVD again it really does a great job of capturing the concert experience, picking some excellent performances of Wilco favorites. What really makes this great is the backdrop of small-ish (OK, DC’s not that small) American towns, and how it impacts the music. You get to see backstage vignettes showing what the band goes through to put on close to 3 hour shows night after night. Very highly recommended for even the most casual of Wilco fans.
While I go to Wilco concerts to listen to the band perform their magic live and I usually turn off video when listening to CDs and DVDs alike, I STILL find it annoying that “This feature-length DVD is a concert film of extraordinary intimacy, with the HD cameras focused primarily on the stage.” Okay, so where’s the Blu-Ray version? HD does not equal DVD, that requires at least 720p. So what’s the point of marketing this as filmed with HD cameras, unless a Blu-Ray version is in the works?
Great performances. The sound is phenomenal. The band’s commentary between tracks could easily have ruined it, but they don’t sound pretentious or stupid and there is just enough talk before actual songs (see Arcade Fire’s Mirror Noir for how NOT to do this). I don’t think you can ask for much more from a live DVD. It doesn’t hurt that Wilco have such a good catalogue of consistent, excellent songs, which are edgy and accessible. Best music DVD I’ve bought in ages.
I have seen Wilco live several times and even saw the tour that is covered in this DVD. The quality of the sound and visuals of the band are great. You can hear every part. The only thing I would say I didn’t enjoy was all of the tight shots of the band members and especially Jeff Tweedy. I wanted a concert in my living room and for the most part I got it but there were moments they needed to take in the whole band.
Great shows, great sound and well worth the $$.
This is one of my favorite concert DVD’s, rivaling Clapton’s CrossRoads DVD in production quality. The performances are both remarkable and moving, showcasing Wilco at a wonderful point in their career. The DVD has many of their best songs. Seeing the Ryman performance was really great. Nels Cline is an amazing guitarist. Some of the cuts have Wilco in a triple guitar attack. “Impossible Germany” soars. There is a very touching cameo where Tweedy’s Dad joins Jeff at a concert and praises his son’s efforts. While their studio albums are excellent, Wilco is best appreciated live. They are unquestionably one of the best bands around. Bravo!