Wilco, Part Deux

Yes, Tweedy actually did wear that suit (photo thanks to "Wendy" from ViaChicago.org)

For the second time in the last few months, I saw Wilco. For the second time in the last few months, I was blown away. I caught them at the Wexner Theater, located on the campus of The Ohio State University (home of the country's most overrated football team). I am fluffing WIlco to no end these days, so Tweedy could fart in the mic for two hours and I'd think it was a helluva show (not really). My most memorable memories:

+ A fantastic opener of Sunken Treasure and You Are My Face. Sunken Treasure is a melancholy song perhaps, but the emotion and intensity of Tweedy's voice, along with the booming drums of Glenn Kotche and Nels lap steel, make this song very powerful. Tweedy had the entire audience hanging on his words and the chorus just pulls a string -- "I am so out of tune with you." After the closing build up that ends Sunken Treasure, Wilco hit us hard from another direction with an always rocking You Are My Face. This song is just great rock and roll and Nels chops definitely don't disappoint in the live setting. It was a great contrast to Sunken Treasure yet did not drop the intensity.

+ Here's the setlist,, courtesy of Wilcobase:

Wilco
2007-10-16
Wexner Center, Ohio State University
Columbus, OH

1. Sunken Treasure
2. You Are My Face
3. Company In My Back
4. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
5. Handshake Drugs
6. A Shot In The Arm
7. Side With The Seeds
8. Via Chicago
9. Impossible Germany
10. Sky Blue Sky
11. Forget The Flowers
12. Hummingbird
13. Jesus, Etc. (w/ Andrew Bird on violin)
14. Walken
15. I'm The Man Who Loves You
16. The Late Greats

Encore 1:
17. Hate It Here
18. Heavy Metal Drummer
19. In A Future Age
20. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore 2:
21. Airline To Heaven
22. Too Far Apart
23. Red-Eyed And Blue
24. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
25. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Look at all of the Being There and AM stuff. As a late straggler to Wilco, I am not one who is always yearning for old Wilco, but for those of us who missed the Being There days, it's pretty damn cool to see some of these songs in rotation. The boys saved a bulk of them for late in the night and, after finally catching a Red-Eyed and Blue > I Got You > Outtasite, I was a happy camper. No better way for them to send us home.

As I always say with these guys, check them out if they come near. You will not be disappointed. As always, I had many more thoughts on the show, but since 5 days have now passed, I forgot most of them. Although the Columbus show is not currently available (I did not see any tapers), last night's Charlottesville show is and it features the very same Sunken Treasure > You Are My Face opener. Check it out below. Note: this has been converted to mp3. If you are interested in higher quality, go to bt.etree.org and download the flacs.

Sunken Treasure from Charlottesville, 10/20/07
You Are My Face from Charlottesville 10/20/07

[Buy Wilco here]

BK