From: dante@microsoft.com
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 93 10:39:52 PST
Subject: Portland 11/13 and Seattle 11/14

[If you want set lists, I don't have them. This is a stream-of-consciousness
narrative.]

A double dose of Tupelo.

We drove down to Portland on Saturday and checked into
the Thriftilodge, two blocks from La Luna.  As we were filling
out the hotel paperwork, a rather dishevelled young man
came in and said, "We have a reservation, under Uncle Tupelo
or Jeff Tweedy." Fancy that.

Being bashful, we didn't really talk to them all that much, but
Ken was very nice and introduced himself once he saw the
Tupelo sticker on our car and figured out that we'd driven from
somewhere to see them. We also talked to Sarah, a nice young
woman travelling with the band who mistook us for the opening band.

Having seen Kitchen Radio numerous times in Seattle, we stayed
in the hotel drinking beer until their set was nearly over.
As Tupelo took the stage, the converted Deadheads next to
me were awed. "Jeff looked RIGHT AT ME, dude!"
They opened with Grindstone and chugged on through a fantastic
set, mostly new stuff and a lot of old standards (Whiskey Bottle,
Graveyard Shift) left behind. I was way too exhilarated to be
writing down a set list. Jeff sounded great and Jay...well, you know.
It is also worth mentioning that Jay looked just like a youthful
Neil Young. And no, he didn't smile once either night.

Highlights for me were the electrified Sandusky, Steal the Crumbs,
Chickamauga, Willin', ah hell, it was all a highlight. The show brought alive
a couple of songs that I was indifferent to previously: Long
Cut and We've Been Had, to name a couple.

After the show we were too tired for further partying, but
we did hear the band yelling at each other as they returned
to their hotel rooms around 3AM.

Sunday we drove back to Seattle and saw them again at
the Backstage. Equally stellar show, very similar set
(except they did Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
as a third encore).

Uncle Tupelo are a force for good in the universe. Now if
only I could get off work to follow them to Vancouver,
Bozeman, Missoula, and points east....

Dan