Hidden Track

Rapid Fire Review Week continues with Hidden Track senior hipster correspondent Luke Sacks’ account of Wilco’s 11/24/06 show…

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy recently decked a fan that happened to be dumb enough to jump on stage, getting a little too close for comfort. That solitary action must have released years of hostility, because on Friday night at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater, Tweedy and his Wilco bretheren soaked up every ounce of fun in the room.

Wilco’s sound these days is a bit like Bob Dylan and Radiohead thrown in a blender and pureed. The lyrics — still as poignant and moving as ever — are now cocooned in building electronics and whirling riffs that flow from the all-shapes-and-sizes guitars of Nels Cline. Where Tweedy’s raspy voice and “angry-musician” personality once dominated, Cline’s assault on his instrument and frenetic body language have moved closer to center stage for an increasing share the spotlight. Pulsating and gyrating with each chord, Cline shakes and twitches and produces a spectrum of sound that spirals every which way before coming to a screeching halt in time to let Tweedy’s voice be heard loud and clear.

Tweedy began the show with two slower songs: the new “Shake it Off” and the similar-sounding “Hell Is Chrome” from A Ghost is Born. Unlike most bands that like to start things off rocking and/or rolling, Tweedy is known for beginning shows with slower, more brooding selections that give the show a more intimate feel. It wasn’t until the third tune, “Handshake Drugs,” that the energy between the crowd and band synched up with each other…

Although most of the setlist is familiar to anyone who has seen Wilco since the releases of Ghost and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the songs seem to possess a new zest about them with Tweedy’s newfound joy. “Sunken Treasure,” a Wilco classic once performed as gut-wrenching poetry, has been reinvented as a plodding, build-and-release number with an energetic finale. 

Tweedy’s stage banter included a dedication of “I’m the Man Who Loves You” to his wife Sue, as well as a rant about the importance of crowd participation prior to “Heavy Metal Drummer.” Always one to encourage sing-alongs, the crowd happily obliged during “Jesus, etc.” 

The highlights of the night were two songs from the Wilco/Billy Bragg Mermaid Avenue release, which features previously unheard lyrics by Woody Guthrie: “Airline to Heaven,” now performed with twangy fills from Cline, and the rare “Remember the Mountain Bed,” a song often performed by Tweedy solo but a treat for a full Wilco show. “Via Chicago,” a mandatory Windy City selection, showcased Glenn Kotche’s frenzied drumming at it’s best, with arms and legs flying and cymbals crashing.

In typical Wilco fashion, the encores stretched out almost beyond the length of the original set. During “Hummingbird,” Tweedy ventured to the front of the deep stage and smiled brightly and genuinely. He dedicated the newer “What Light” to bassist John Stiratt’s new baby and insisted on another sing-along to the classic “Kingpin” to close the show. 

At the end of the night, it was hard to tell who had more fun, the band or the fans recovering from the previous night’s Thanksgiving feasts.

Wilco Setlist
Chicago Theater Auditorium
Friday, November 24

Shake It Off
Hell Is Chrome
Handshake Drugs
A Shot in the Arm
Impossible Germany
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
Muzzle of Bees
Company in My Back
War on War
Sunken Treasure
Mountain Bed
Airline to Heaven
Jesus, etc.
Walken
Theologians
I’m The Man Who Loves You

Encore 1
Hummingbird
Via Chicago
What Light
Late Greats

Encore 2
In a Future Age
California Stars
Heavy Metal Drummer
Let’s Not Get Carried Away
Kingpin

Bonus video: Here’s a brilliant version of Jesus, etc. from Leno:

Bonus audio: For the uninitiated or the bored at work, here are some of the Wilco tunes mentioned in this review, courtesy of StreamStash: Handshake Drugs (live), Hell Is Chrome, Jesus, etc., Heavy Metal Drummer, Via Chicago and I’m the Man Who Loves You.