Mogwai
31 May 2001 -- The Vic Theatre, Chicago

Big E
Ithica
Ex-Cowboy
Christmas Steps
Helicon 1
D to E
You Don't Know Jesus
2 Wrongs Make 1 Right
Mogwai Fear Satan

-encore-

Secret Pint
Jewish Hymn

(my set list is probably wrong in its order)        

        After seeing Mogwai for the first time about a month ago, I thought I would be hard pressed to see a show any better. But Mogwai themselves have improved on it – improved it immensely.
        The Vic Theatre is quite like the Metro, and in the same part of Chicago. We started waiting about an hour before the doors opened – hearing them soundcheck Christmas Steps and saying hi to Barry who came out. Once again, the Mogwai Heaven on Wheels was parked right in front of the venue.
        Once in, I picked up a few of the tour EPs and took a space directly front and center. As the venue slowly filled, we said hi to Stuart as well who was wandering inside. No one else seemed to notice him.
        Bardo Pond played an interesting, very indie set, mixing droning repetition with harder rock and flute. I had a good time watching them, which I couldn't say about Parlor at the last show.
        After Bardo's set, the now-familiar Mogwai Roadie Team were tuning and preparing the now-familiar Mogwai equipment, also being careful to place and pour two lagers at every musician's post.
        The band came on and played a new song "Big E" while sitting down. I liked it, remembering only the short snare roll just like in Stanley Kubrick. Following that was Ithica, which I was extremely glad to hear – it's probably my favorite old song. Ithica started a trend for the evening – every song played (except for the new ones and Secret Pint) had at least one moment of blinding noise.
        They could not have made a better setlist for my hard-rocking mood of late – all of the noisies were there: Christmas Steps, Mogwai Fear Satan, You Don't Know Jesus, Helicon 1. Mogwai Fear Satan was incredible, and words cannot describe how happy I was to hear it. The moment after the flute part when everyone steps on their pedals and the sound just explodes was probably one of the finest moments I have ever experienced at a concert; I could feel my hair vibrating.
        Overall, the sound at the Vic seemed much louder than the previous show at the Metro; I never really experienced pain at the Metro, which I did a few times at the Vic. Jewish Hymn was in better form as well, sounding completely incredible, and featuring Stuart yelling unintelligibly through the mic during the "wall of feedback" ending.
        Some Things: avoiding eye contact with the setlists, which were posted everywhere in easy line of sight – I didn't want to spoil it. I did notice D.E. and BIG E on them at the beginning, so I was anticipating new stuff from the start. The intro – an American fellow who we saw wandering around at the beginning came on to give an 80's arena rock style intro, requesting more noise, declaring Mogwai the hardest rocking band in Glasgow, and preaching the band's admiration for Celtic. I could see the guys laughing off to the side of the stage, so I assume he was a friend of the band. Stuart's sweet Batman shirt. John playing a 12-string for a few tunes.
        So if you only went to one Mogwai show in Chicago recently, I hope this was the one. It was unbelievable