reCAP :: Wilco :: 2014.10.28
Wilco are classic rock revivalists. Much like 38 Special and The Black Crowes are renowned for bringing back great southern rock, Wilco has brought back great songwriting and melodic, dulcet melodies and harmonies akin to The Band and The Eagles and more, to a large contingent of passionate music fans.
Beginning just moments after 8 p.m., the band ran through a 30-song set, and were done by the oh so early hour of 10:30 p.m. Opener “Wilco (The Song),” got the residency started with booming walls of loud, yet not heavy guitar, as Tweedy, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and jazzy experimental guitarist Nels Cline all drew melodic thunder from electric guitars. It was easy to pin the sound to a more harmonious Crazy Horse era Neil Young. And later, on the countrified “She’s A Jar” Tweedy sang with a harmonica dangling below his chin and blew a mellow, sweet solo on the instrument that struck a solo Neil, Harvest era chord.
The timbre of the songs flowed throughout the single set from hard rocking party favs like “Must Be High” – one of many songs on which the crowd sang along in unison with the band on the chorus – to the more experimental and progressive rockers such as “At Least That’s What You Said” – with Cline again drawing wailing feedback through his instrument – to mellower and more easy on the ear candy rock of “Side With The Seeds”. On “Handshake Drugs” – a Beach Boys –esque sunny pop rocker, the packed house sang along on the chorus with the band while drummer Glenn Kotche pounded a snare with one hand and shook a tambourine in the other.
As a performer, Tweedy has certainly come a long way from his days of hiding behind prescription painkillers. He was in a jovial mood throughout the performance, joking with the crowd; “I’m going to make one amendment to the show. Could the one person with the single lighter stop doing it? How old are you? 22? Oh, you’re learning how to behave at a concert. That’s as good as a sarcastic clap. Impish is what you are.” And later, asking the crowd if they were coming every night, and a fan responded that they should charge less for tickets (all three nights were sold out in advance), he responded with a lightheartedly delivered “Fuck you, man – it’s not that expensive,” and then realizing the ticket prices, he followed with, “It’s okay though, were the best – that’s an inside joke!”
The hardest working band members may have been the guitar techs, as both Tweedy and Cline handed of one guitar for another between most every song. Mid-set the band got on a mellow groove and Tweedy held a beautiful acoustic for a period. “Sunken Treasure” was dark in mood, with purple hues of light bounced off the backdrop behind the band and ambient spirals of piano and guitar melodiously meshed. “Muzzle of Bees” saw tempo changes go up and down with swirling yellows and blues. And despite its somber tone, “How To Fight Loneliness” was one of the loveliest songs of the night, with Tweedy’s vocals aching with despair.
After a big-rock-show-ending encore of “Kingpin” and “I’m a Wheel”, the band returned for a second encore, sans amplification, and reached back to the band’s debut recording, the far twangier A.M. Both “Too Far Apart” and “Casino Queen” got the striped down approach, with xylophone, brushed percussion, lapped steel guitar and banjo. It was an awesome way to hear those early numbers. And lastly, they dusted of an old Uncle Tupelo classic, “Give Back The Key To My Heart,” with Tweedy taking Jay Farrar’s lead vocals backed by John Stirratt – who was Tweedy’s bandmate in Tupelo as well. It was a lovely and moving way to close the opening night’s performance. With a gracious wave and thank you Tweedy and the band bid fans a good night and said “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
