skradiate

Released in 1980 on Chicago's own Alligator records....for Mardi Gras Day

To pay homage to the four night run I offer up…

WILCO CHICAGO RESIDENCY 2017: THE FINALE IN FOUR PARTS

PART ONE: WILCO LOVES YOU BABY

Hey Wilco fans, if I were to tell you the band would perform a mini set for you consisting of the following but all you had to do was listen to them repeat other great songs from the Wilco catalog for a couple nights in a row, wouldn’t you give a resounding yes?!?

On and On and On

Muzzle Of Bees

A Magazine Called Sunset

Say You Miss Me

Monday

I’m A Wheel

Those are the half dozen songs we were delivered on Sunday night at the Chicago Theatre that had not been played at any of the previous 3 shows this past week.  Now add these to your list and see if you are even more excited:

Bull Black Nova

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>

Art Of Almost

Reservations

Via Chicago

Box Full Of Letters

Heavy Metal Drummer>

I'm The Man Who Loves You

These are the songs that appeared Sunday night that were not repeated all 4 nights.

My point being, once you break it down, there were a ton of great songs with decent variety played over the course of the Chicago Theater residency.  With that in mind here are my thoughts on the last show of the run Sunday night.

PART TWO: THE GIG or I UNDERSTAND I’M JUST A FAN

Pat's side, about 12 rows from the stage.  Excellent vantage point to watch all band members do their thing.  I’m a huge fan of the Sky Blue Sky record so when Wilco opened up Sunday’s show with “On and On and On” I was encouraged that this was going to be a special night.  It’s one of those dramatic openers that moves from Tweedy on solo acoustic guitar singing in hushed voice to a textured and powerful full band finish.  The next three selections were the standard opening stanza songs on the run, all three are very strong songs that will certainly stand the test of time as they age; a fully enjoyable triad of tunes.  Up next was our second debut of the run, fan fave “Muzzle of Bees” followed by another dark and brooding “Bull Black Nova”.  This version was equally as haunting as Wednesday’s take on this tune.  Another welcome return from Wednesday’s set was the “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart>Art Of Almost” power combo.  I really continue to like “Pickled Ginger” off of Star Wars, it’s a quirky little rocker.   A couple of 4 night repeats followed and were played with grace and purpose.  A fan from Japan requested the rarity “Magazine Called Sunset” that doesn’t appear on any proper Wilco record other than the 20 year retrospective Alpha Mike Foxtrot and Jeff was very gracious in thanking said Japanese fan for making such a long journey to be at the show.  Another pin drop “Reservations” graced the old theater before jumping into the mid set staple that is “Impossible Germany”.  If I were ranking the 4 versions I would say that Thursday night was the strongest of the run.  Sunday’s version was more in tune with the subdued vibe of this Sunday night crowd.  A huge bustout of “Say You Miss Me” off Being There was next and was easily one of the high points of the run for me.  Great cut off of a legendary album.  They followed with two strong selections in “Via Chicago” and “Box Full of Letters”.  Can never get enough of either of those songs.    The main set closed out as expected with the band again goading Glenn to stand on his drum kit before slamming down to the start of a funky “I’m the Man Who Loves You”.   The first encore section kicked off with a couple oft repeated cuts including the expected “Jesus Etc.” including a hearty sing along by the fans.  But it was the next trio of tunes that really brought this whole run home for me: the band clapped us right into the straight up rock and roll of “Monday”, a definite highlight of the whole run, right into a fiery “Outtasite” before crashing through with a pleasant surprise of Ghost Is Born rocker “I’m A Wheel”.  The encore section of this show proves why you ‘Never miss a Sunday show’.  Wilco left it all out there on those and all that was left was the singing guitar riff return of “Spiders” to send Julie and I out the door and on the road back to Milwaukee fully satisfied as this show lasted a few minutes longer than preceding nights.

PART THREE: I’VE GOT RESERVATIONS ABOUT SO MANY THINGS BUT NOT ABOUT YOU

I would be remiss not to mention how grateful I am to have shared this run with so many friends.  Each night brought new, special people into our Wilco universe which really added to the overall success of this run.  Thank you to all of you for being part of this crazy quest to catch some inspiration in a bottle for even one song, one night or one run of shows.  However if not for my best friend, wife and fully able running partner Julie at my side every night, I could not be dancing my way through this crazy world from one show to the next.  She is the best.

PART FOUR:  I’M NOT GONNA GET CAUGHT CALLING A POT KETTLE BLACK or FINAL THOUGHTS

First, I can't wait to be on the sacred Jazzfest grounds in a couple months to hear this band live again.

Finally, Jeff Tweedy spent quite a bit of his banter time over the course of four nights alternately imploring us to resist and persist and to work together for the common good.  We all (or most of us in the theater) had the common enemy of the current executive branch to rail against as we all cheered in unison in resistance.  But ultimately, Jeff left us with these words which summed up the Wilco experience over the past two decades as well as any:

"Don't get discouraged. We can be pessimistic during better times."

Well put, Mr. Tweedy.  And bravo!

With One Detective's Daughter,

(what's the next line??....I hear "My powers shine on" but I know it's not right)

Maybe my verses

Ain't that free

Cause there'll be no more poetry

Can anyone help with that one lyric?  I'm loving playing this one but just cannot decipher that one freakin line!  argh

Thanks folks.

sk

I was lucky enough to attend one of the Cabin Fever shows at Levon's studio in February 2009 which yielded the deep and rootsy Before the Frost...Until the Freeze records.   Even after seeing many, many Crowes shows through the 90s &00s this session was a mind shifter for me.  I loved Warpaint when Luther joined the band but the live gigs after BTF...UTF really started to get very tight.  The "final" tour after they released Croweology (highly recommneded as well) with the acoustic and electric sets were some of the most satisfying Black Crowes I ever did see (and there were a lot of great nights with Marc & Eddie in the band).  Loved it so much that we flew to Amsterdam to catch the real last shows with Luther the summer after the *almost* last shows at the Fillmore in SF.

FWIW - Rich Robinson's last release "Through A Crooked Sun" and the subsequent tour which brought him & band to Schubas was one of my favorite releases of 2012.  Looking forward to his next release this spring....along with more CRB.

Freak n roll brothers & sisters!

sk

Did anyone record Saturday night?  Friday was great and as fun as any Vic academic benefit show that I've attended but Saturday was totally exceptional. 

You could tell Jeff was woodshedding all Saturday afternoon to polish his playing for that evening.  He even metioned how a certain song sounded great that day in his basement so you know he was putting in some time.  Friday night he seemed to be struggling a little (more to the eye than to the ear) with his playing -  lot's of playful but frustrated/pained facial expressions....Saturday the playing was fierce and nearly flawless.  Would love to have a copy of that show.