I love Son Volt, loved Uncle Tupelo (the first band which was comprised of both Jay Ferrar of Son Volt and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco) and, I like Wilco. I've been listening to them all for over a decade. I prefer Jay Ferrar/Son Volt over Jeff Tweedy/Wilco though, and although he's a bit monotone, (well, they both are), Jay's got my heart in a way Jeff never will. It's the feeling, his emotion, and the country sounding roots I guess. Strange considering I really don't like country.
Anyway, I have about 50 favorite SV songs. I heard 1 at this show (Bandages and Scars), and only 2 others I even recognized. I think I have about 100 songs on my iPod of SV, so that's saying a lot that I only recognized three. To their credit, they have what I believe to be 2 new releases coming up (don't know how/why 2) but perhaps that's where all the new music came form (if that's what it was). I don't see how it could have been old music because I have everything else already, and the new music wasn't bad, but it was the first time I heard it, it was all quite slow (I love most of their upbeat songs better than the slower ones), and, my expectation was to hear SV JAM like they do so well with their recognizable favorites for which they're known so well. To my dismay, that didn't happen... And guess what? They played for over 2 hours, non-stop, and probably did about 35 songs! That's a LOT. I feel bad for saying this, but I grew quite bored with the show and wanted to leave after about an hour 15...
It doesn't mean they're not an incredible band, or that I won't love their new music (albeit slower) as much as the old, but it does mean if you're expecting to go to a show to hear more than 2 of your old-time favorites, it ain't gonna happen. I'm not saying EVERYTHING has to be the classics, but mix it up. 1 old, 2 new, or 1 old, 3 new. Even that would have allowed for 12 oldies in there with 20 or so new ones. I'll buy their 2 new albums, listen up, and go back next year again and I'm sure I'll love it. They just came at a bad time for me having so much new music that's ABOUT to be released (maybe 1 was released already unbeknownst to me), and me wanting to hear a lot of their classics.
Their following seems to be dwindling a bit considering I heard they only sold 500 tickets for the Chicago Vic Theater show on 9-25-09, the show I was at. They didn't even open the balcony! Support them as much as you can to keep them around. They're a unique, talented, emotional, and historic band maintaining the qualities that you don't come by much in music these days...