Following the release of their twelfth studio album, Wilco played a triad of sold out shows March 30th-April 1st at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. This string of shows was the debut of a renovated sound that was well received by their following.
Wilco are an alternative rock band formed in 1994 from Chicago, created following the breakup of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo. Ex-Uncle-Tupelo band member Jeff Tweedy then went to start Wilco with original Uncle Tupelo members John Stirratt, Ken Commer, and Max Johnston, and other legendary musicians. Today, the band’s members have changed out from their beginning but Tweedy and Stirratt still remain in the group.
Fellow Chicago rock band Horsegirl opened for Wilco. The group recently did a Zoom interview with headliner frontman Jeff Tweedy, filled with laughs and childlike fervor, bridging the gap between 55 year old Jeff Tweedy and 19-20 year old Horsegirl age. The interview showed the friendship the two bands have developed, and set up the undeniable chemistry on stage. Hosegirl kicked the night off with noisy and rock sounding tunes, full of louder isolated drum riffs transitioning perfectly into Wilco’s following upbeat songs. Throughout their set Horsegirl thanked Wilco multiple times for having them as their opener.
Wilco started their set with “I Am My Mother,” a faster paced tune with punchy vocals from Tweedy. The song showed the range of the band, nodding to a new sound from the group and showcasing the revamp of their latest album Cruel Country.
“Handshake Drugs”, the third song played, evoked shouts of approval from the audience and created a buoyant sound. Lead band members Nels Cline and Pat Sansone, called and responded back and forth between guitar and keyboard. Tweedy was full of jokes, constantly interacting with audience members as he led the band through a 23-song set lasting a little over two hours.
The juxtaposition of the more upbeat tunes, such as “I Am My Mother” and “Handshake Drugs,” was well liked against the more melodic and slowed down songs, such as “Say You Miss Me” and “Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull.” The quieter, more mellow tracks stayed consistent throughout their set while the more fast paced songs filled the gaps in between the set.
They pulled songs from all their albums, except their most recognizable album – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The band’s neglect of the beloved album during this show could be attributed to their 20th anniversary tour they had for the record last year.
Tweedy stuck to his tradition of giving out an award during a show, in the form of a plastic trophy, for the “most behaved fan.” This particular show, Tweedy said he had seen an Instagram post joking that “well behaved women rarely received the most behaved fan award,” and asked if the poster was in the audience. To the singer’s delight, they were. Moments after the award was given out, Tweedy explained he would never reveal his thought process to decide which audience member receives the award, pausing to joke that the award could also be revoked.
Much of the audience was in their 40s to mid 50s, but that did not stop them from rocking out. One woman on the barricade, sporting a wide brim hat, had her hands up the entire show like she was having a religious experience. Another man was dancing at his seat on the balcony, causing Tweedy to stop the show at one point, warning the audience member to be careful.
Beneath the sweetness of Tweedy’s vocals, the other bandmember’s instrumentals shone through. Glenn Kotche, the drummer of Wilco, was methodical and kept the pace of each tune into the next. Solo after solo was performed with the utmost energy paired with a passionate facial expression by Cline.
The stage production was a show in itself. A group of backdrops cascaded between the performers with projected images of vibrant colored symbols of flowers and nature motifs. A smoke machine was coordinated to release during certain beats. Hues of red and blue colored light panned through the theatre, setting the mood for each song.
After a lengthy 18 song set, the band came together from backstage on stage for a five stretch encore. The encore began with the mid-tempo rock song “I’m Always In Love,” then Tweedy switched things up with the Billy Bragg/Wilco cover of “California Stars.” The night’s closing song was “Monday,” an energetic feel good tune that wrapped the show up and left audience members fulfilled. Fans said goodbye to the band as they left the stage.
Though the band decided to play a lot of their deep cuts, the audience retained the overall feeling of glee. Tweedy maintained full control of his viewers and listeners. When he clapped, the crowd clapped; when he motioned for the crowd to cheer, they cheered. Tweedy shouted into his microphone how uncool it was to not sing along, especially if you think it makes you cooler to not sing along – motioning to the listeners to boo the people who don’t sing along. By the end, everybody was on their feet, dancing, singing along, and even a security guard joined in.
The show was a comeback and a demonstration of a revamp for Wilco. It illustrated their ability to be a band that continues to put on such an intricate show, even after so many years. The production was spectacular, to a level that a lot of other artists have not reached yet. The sold out shows and the reactions from the crowd proved that the band had made such an impact and genuine connection with people. Overall, it is clear Wilco is not done, and they do not plan to stop anytime soon.
Have loved this band since Being There came out.
Nice