Uncle Tupelo Reuniting?
 

On another message board I sometimes visit, someone posted this:

I searched the Post-Dispatch's website and couldn't find anything about this. Has anyone else this rumor?

Frankly, if it does happen, it's a mistake. I love Uncle Tupelo, but Tweedy can't go back and do what he used to do. Farrar released one wonderful album (Trace) since the breakup and has since stagnated. Tweedy continues to experiment and develop. I can't imagine it working out. Then again, after reading "Wilco: Learning to Die," it's pretty clear that Tweedy has some kind of complex about earning Farrar's approval (he was heartbroken when Farrar said in an interview that he'd never heard a single Wilco song). It is possible he'd reunite just to make Farrar happy.

I very seriously doubt this will happen.

It's one of those things people wish for so much that I think a lot of rumors get started. The same thing happens with Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown.

I really don't think it's a good idea to do a reunion tour. Frankly, I don't enjoy seeing Farrar perform. He always seems so miserable.

I also don't believe Farrar has never heard a Wilco song before--I think he's just being curmudgeonly. There's a song on Sebastopol that sounds strangely similar to the beginning of "I'm the Man Who Loves You."

Oh, I don't believe that either. I'm sure he said it just because he knew it would devastate Tweedy if he ever read the interview. Have you read Learning to Die? Farrar makes it clear in that book that he absolutely despises Tweedy.

There's no way this is real. Farrar hates Wilco, and considering how well Wilco's career is going Tweedy would have nothing to gain from it.

Well, Whiskeytown's important parts are really Ryan and Caitlyn Carey, with Ryan's sense of self-importance locked up securely in a bulletproof metal box back stage. As far as I know Ryan and Caitlyn have a pretty good relationship, and if he can ever wrestle that sense of self-importance back into that box I could see them releasing a new album.

Now UT, that's a different story. There is almost no way Farrar and Tweedy will get together again, as much as I'd walk across broken glass to see it happen in concert. I know Gary Louris of the Jayhawks has had an okay relationship with Farrar, so I've always kinda hoped he may pop up on a Golden Smog project with Tweedy, but as Smog seems more or less dissolved right now I don't think that's gonna happen either.

As much as I love Uncle Tupelo, a reunion would be a huge step in the wrong direction for Tweedy.

I call shenanigans...but I e-mailed Kevin Johnson, just in case. His response:

"i've never heard anything about this...when i interviewed jay farrar about 6 weeks ago and asked if it was ever possible, he said it was highly unlikely."

it's not going to happen. period.

and if, on the off chance it does, tickets are going to be expensive.

I completely disagree with it never happening again and tickets being expensive.

Cheap Van Halen tickets were $55 or something. That's expensive for nosebleed seats.

I'm not a huge Jay Farrar fan anyway, but I'd certainly enjoy seeing them give it a try.

Time can heal all wounds no matter how deep.

Also, Tweedy isn't exactly concerned with more popularity or more creativity with Wilco. It's always there for him when he wants it because Wilco will always have a following.

I just don't see Jeff Tweedy not at least giving it some thought, but most reunions fail miserably in the "creating new music" department. Maybe they'll just tour who knows.

It's unlikely but not out of the question IMHO.

Goodness, what a mistake this would be.

Which is not to say I wouldn't travel to catch this show.

Now, a Golden Smog reunion/reformation/whatever seems slightly more possible.

I'd travel to catch that show, too.

Sounds like rumors with the barest link to reality were flying in the alt-country world last week just like in the baseball world.

Glodne Smog played in Minneaspolis last week.

Yeah, I heard about that. But that's a bit too far for me to travel for a show (especially for one with comparatively little notice.)

And it's all about me. ;)

Just hearing this news makes me depressed that I missed UT's last two show at Mississippi Nights back in '94. I can't believe that was over ten years ago. -eek-

I don't want to say it will never happen, but I am 99.9% sure it won't.

Speaking of the Jayhawks, is there a chance Mark Olsen will ever team back up w/ them?

Yeah, but as far I know it was sans Tweedy, which sucks. I know he played with them at the 400 Bar show last year, which was the first one in awhile, but if I remember correctly there was a bit of tension on stage between him and Louris I believe.

I doubt it. Though Mark's split from the group was very amicable, I think he's pretty content doing his Creekdipper thing with his wife. I believe they two of them just released a anti-Bush folk album.

I think the closest we are gonna get is the song he did with Gary Louris on Olsen's "My Own Jo Ellen" album from a couple of years ago. Sounded like vintage Hollywood Town Hall. It was a brilliant little tune, and frankly, I'd rather have not ever heard the song because it reminded me of how great those two used to be, and that they'd never get to do it again.

Rather than a UT reunion I'd like to see SuperSmog with Louris, Olsen, Tweedy, Farrar, Perner, Murphy, Stephens, etc. Like 12 dudes on stage doing Neil Young covers while some drunk cat in the back of the crowd screams "TWEEEEEEEDY!"

My point was the comparison between the bands--both constantly have rumors of their reuniting floating about.

Haven't read Learning to Die yet, but I picked it up and it's next on the list!