It’s appropriate that Wilco’s multi-concert residency in their hometown of Chicago was scheduled for December. The first of the band’s five sold-out shows felt like a huge holiday gift for their large fan base. Early in the set at the picturesque Civic Opera House, Jeff Tweedy uttered, “It’s great to be home … I’m sure we’ll all have time to catch up later.” The approximately 3,500 people in the audience responded with a round of laughter and applause. By the end of the three-hour-plus concert, it was clear that the band had done more than “catch up” with its dedicated listeners. Wilco had proven that after eight LPs and more than 15 years on the road, they haven’t lost any of their dynamism. They’re better than ever.
You know you’re in for a memorable experience when the “warm-up” act is Nick Lowe, the astounding English singer/songwriter/producer. Lowe has been described by Jeff Tweedy as a personal hero, and it doesn’t take much to detect the influence of Lowe’s tunes of heartache and loss upon some of the best Wilco songs. Lowe accompanied himself with just acoustic guitar. At age 62, his gray hair reflects his many years in the music business, yet he sings with a youthful passion many twenty-somethings struggle to capture. His brief set consisted of songs representing the many stages of his illustrious career, including wisdom-filled tunes from his latest record like “Stoplight Roses” and “I Read a Lot.” His versions of the songs “Alison” (which he produced) and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (which he wrote), both made famous by Elvis Costello, reminded the audience what an unsung hero Lowe really is. He’s the man behind some of the past three decades’ most endearing songs.
With Lowe having more than adequately prepped the audience, Tweedy and company took the stage. The audience responded by rising to their feet, ready to move to whatever energetic opener Wilco might throw their way. Instead, the band started with “One Sunday Morning,” the 10 minute, country-inflected closer from new record The Whole Love. The sprawling, subtle tale of a father and son’s emotional inner journey proved a perfect transition from Lowe’s introspective, often quiet songs. Rather than rocking right out of the gate, the band eased into its set. With second song “Poor Places,” the group showed its more experimental side, foregrounding atonal synths and screeching guitar noises. With “Art of Almost” and “I Might,” the opening two tracks from The Whole Love, the group kicked into full-on “rock band” gear, with the pounding grooves and distorted guitar riffs reflected in the audience’s more animated response.
The band reminded us that they were making great music long before 2001’s beloved Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by incorporating several songs from their debut and sophomore LPs, A.M.and Being There, respectively. “Misunderstood” was especially arresting, as Tweedy belted out the word “nothing” in the line, “I’d like to thank you all for nothing at all” something like 20 times as the crowd worked itself into a modest frenzy. “Far, Far Away,” a tune not performed that frequently, was a pleasant surprise, given that it’s one of the band’s best songs set explicitly in Chicago.
By the time the band got to “Impossible Germany,” the standout track from 2007’s lukewarm Sky Blue Sky, Nels Cline proved his justifiably hyped virtuosity. His hands dance across the strings and he gets sounds out of the instrument that are at once intimately familiar and different than anything you’ve ever heard before. He can play the most whacked-out, frenzied guitar solo, as he did on the aforementioned tune, and then provide subtle background textures that support the rest of the band.
The set began to lag just a bit near the end. “Capitol City” felt a little too twee, “Box Full of Letters,” a rather forgettable A.M. cut, felt stilted and “Dawned on Me” felt strangely perfunctory. The band quickly made up for it, though, with “A Shot in the Arm,” the crowd favorite that ended the set proper. As the entire audience screamed out, “Something in my veins bloodier than blood” and the sounds of Mikael Jorgensen’s infectious piano riff bounced off the back of the hall, there was no doubt that this Wilco concert had achieved the kind of epic quality one would hope for in an opera-house setting.
The show wasn’t over, though. The band returned for an assortment of old standbys, including radio song “Heavy Metal Drummer” and the always robust “I’m the Man Who Loves You.” The group performed a jaunty holiday version of “Outtasite (Outta Mind),” complete with jingle bells and falling snow on the stage (Tweedy mockingly asked the audience, “Did anyone check the weather forecast today?”).
The show was already creeping towards the three-hour mark, but nevertheless the band returned for a second encore, sharing the stage once again with Nick Lowe for a spirited version of his hit “Cruel to Be Kind.” Lowe left the stage, and Tweedy said that someone else was going to do a song or two with the band. As the audience waited in eager anticipation, Chicago soul legend Mavis Staples stepped into the spotlight. Once the cheers and gasps of surprise died down, Staples performed “You Are Not Alone,” the title track from her 2010 record produced by Tweedy. Finally, Lowe came back on stage and Wilco, Lowe and Staples all joined in a heroic version of The Band’s classic “The Weight.” The song was an ideal capstone, since it highlighted the talents of all three musical artists. Staples’ gospel-style voice soared to the highest balcony. Lowe’s folky harmony style proved a perfect counterpoint. Wilco’s talented instrumentalists, Tweedy, Cline, Jorgensen, John Stirratt on bass and Glenn Kotche on drums, played as an unstoppable, cohesive unit, even when covering someone else’s song. It was like a beautiful bow on that gift you’ve always wanted.
[Photos: Mireia Martínez Marsal]
