Page 16 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

double LP Cruel Country is one
of the best albums I’ve heard this
year. As a refresher before their
latest tour got underway, I cued
up Wilco’s show at the Chicago
Theater in Illinois on December 19,
2021 (a.k.a. Roadcase 086). “I Am
Trying to Break Your Heart” opens
up acoustically before fanning
out with kitchen-sink percussion,
buzzing guitars, and burbling
keyboard accents all bu ressing
frontman Jeff Tweedy’s mournful/
rueful story. Listen for how the
hometown crowd readily joins in
singing the key word “hello” and,
later, “trying to break your heart.”
I was also deeply struck by
tour. Having long-dispelled any the furious 10-minute take on
clichéd notions of Mayer’s Dead- “Impossible Germany,” with a
wide
angle stream on level prowess, his soloing and lengthy screaming guitar solo
accompaniment skills are truly a honoring the Neil Young/Crazy
wonder to behold, even beyond Horse school of jamola—the
what I’ve long admired about his amp buzz very much welcome
Nugs Redug guitar-playing capabilities. during the track’s back quarter.
“Nels [Cline] is gonna sit down
Following your free 7-day trial
period (which used to be 30 for a song,” Tweedy quips about
Revisiting nugs.net, the concert streaming site that days, back in 2020), the nugs.net his lead guitarist a er the song
continues to provide new and vintage hi-res live Premium Streaming/Standard ends—much to the audience’s
recordings from a wide swath of name artists. Sound Quality monthly plan still clear delight—then adds, “I think
runs $12.99 (or $129.99 annually), you hit a wrong note in the 86th
BY MIKE METTLER while the HiFi Streaming/Lossless measure—maybe—but you did it
Audio option still goes for $24.99 again in the 87th measure, which
Longtime readers of this column will recall that, back in October/November monthly ($249.99 annually)— was very satisfying.” Meanwhile,
2020, I discussed the many benefits of nugs.net, a top-shelf streaming meaning, there have been no a more recent entry from Wilco’s
site offering multiple-thousands of soundboard-quality streams and inflationary increases, at least Front of House Series—culled
downloads from a horde of name artists. I admired how nugs.net had been as of this writing. Seeing how from Thompson’s Point in Portland,
able to bring live-show listening (and viewing!) into the hi-res arena where the HiFi option enables 24-bit Maine, on August 25, 2021—is
it rightly belongs. Don’t get me wrong—I love my bootleg collection to MQA-encoded streaming in yet another “Shot in the Arm,” to
no end, but if I can a) get be er-SQ versions of live gigs that are directly addition to 360 Reality Audio, that borrow the title of the snarling,
artist-approved, and b) obtain them in such a way that benefits those artists plan is an automatic “yes, please” galvanizing set opener.
more directly financially, even be er. And that’s where nugs.net shines like in my book. Following the HiFi trial I could go on and on, but the fact
practically no other site can. period, you get additional benefits is, nugs.net continues to supply the
such as a 15 percent savings on breadth of soul-affirming content
Since that 2020 column, I’ve provides upwards of 25,000 live livestreams, CDs, and downloads, that live-music junkies crave. It’s
continued enjoying the scope shows and counting—certainly exclusive access to live audio and more than fair to say nugs.net
of nugs.net offerings whenever I soaring well past an earlier-cited video recordings, and on-demand really is the next best thing to being
can—perhaps even more expo- number of 250,000 individual ad-free streaming. But if you can’t there—and I plan to continue
nentially so of late, given how my song offerings. Plenty of exclusive wait that long, you can activate your accessing its fully stocked
personal live-gig a endance has livestreamed and pro-shot HD 4K full access immediately (and get streaming cabinet as o en as I can.
become relatively sparse (by my video content is also to be had, billed sooner).
standards) during the pandemic many shows of which offer multiple Besides enjoying hi-res
era. With all that in mind, I figured it hi-def camera angles—the la er soundboards from the likes of
was high time to deliver an official concept embodying an essential Metallica, Bruce Springsteen,
nugs.net redux—or “redug,” if you requirement for watching live and Santana, I’ve also been
will—to let you know if the site has shows at home, imo. Rather than able to mirrorcast livestreamed
been able to keep up with the high- just observing a broad-swath view performances via my Roku
quality demands of discerning of the full Dead & Company band Ultra from Billy Strings, the
listeners/viewers like ourselves. onstage, for example, there are aforementioned Dead & Company,
Since my last in-print deep times I prefer the lens to focus on Widespread Panic, and Tedeschi
dive, the nugs.net coffers have John Mayer’s hands and fretboard Trucks Band—something you can THE AUTHOR
only grown by encapsulating a activity during certain critical do using the official nugs.net app. Mike Mettler, a.k.a. The SoundBard, is
broader base of artists beyond the junctures of the livestreamed I’ve also been on a Wilco kick the music editor of Sound & Vision.
jam-band genre, and the site now shows on their current summer of late, seeing how their May 2022

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16 August September 2022 soundandvision.com