Week O' Wilco: Colbert Will Love You, Baby

The entertainment community has rallied around Rock Turtleneck in support of our historic Week O' Wilco. Here friend, Wilco fan and Emmy-winning Colbert Report writer Mike Brumm (pictured below, the one who's not Jeff Tweedy) recalls meeting his hero, the great Jeff Tweedy when his band swung by the show a few days before the 2008 Presidential election. Take it away, Mike.

Looking at this photo again, I have a very similar look to Jeff Tweedy. He probably thought I was a crazed stalker, like he was in a Single White Female type of situation, only with a frumpy, unshaven man. Jeff, I apologize. I’m not a stalker who wants to steal your identity. (Note to self: Buy tight-fitting jean jacket.)

The photo above was taken when Wilco played The Colbert Report on October 30, 2008. They played “Wilco (the Song)” but changed the lyrics from "Wilco will love you baby" to “Colbert will love you baby.” It was pretty great. (I believe you can find an illegal bootleg of the performance on YouTube somewhere. Don’t tell Viacom I told you this, or Sumner Redstone will break my thumbs.)



Anyway, after the show, I was standing around on the set and Colbert asked if I would like him to introduce me to Tweedy. I gave a big, overly effusive nod. He then said, “This is Mike Brumm, one of my writers.” Thus I met the man, my music hero for over 15 years. Our encounter went something like this:

ME: Mumble mumble mumble big fan.

JEFF TWEEDY: Mumble mumble mumble thank you.

ME: Mumble mumble mumble I used to live in Chicago.

JEFF TWEEDY: Mumble mumble mumble cool.

This was followed by a long awkward pause.
Estimated time of awkward pause: 3 minutes.
Amount of sweat released during this awkward pause: 2 cups.

Luckily, somebody came along to take our picture, thereby ending my floundering. The experience was very similar to the awkwardness of my prom night, only Tweedy wasn’t embarrassed to touch me. He put his arm around me and we snapped the photo. Despite all my mumbling and perspiration, I really enjoyed my brief encounter with my idol Jeff Tweedy -- not counting all those times I hid in his bushes. I kid, Jeff. Thanks for the music.

Thanks, Mike for your insightful anecdote. And stay tuned for more Wilcography in the coming days. To wrap things up, Stephen Colbert's interview with Jeff Tweedy, followed by an almost certainly illegal mp3 of "Wilco (the Song)" from the day Jeff Tweedy met Mike Brumm.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Wilco Interview
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

mp3: Wilco: "Wilco (the song)," The Colbert Report, 10.30.08