•
Rating: Let's clarify immediately that Jeff Tweedy kept his word: two and a half hours of concert (which passed by in a flash between a chat from the stage and a joke), 32 songs, (including about ten throwbacks from Wilco's repertoire) Add to this, the fact that the songs from the recent Sukirae (where his 19-year-old son debuted on drums) were a pleasure to listen to. What more could you ask for?
Let's try to make sense of this mess and rewind: the European tour is justified by the solo album released three months ago, mentioned earlier. Far from being minimalist and presenting themselves as a duo on stage (that would have been a challenge...), the Tweedys took the stage accompanied by a bassist, lead guitarist, and keyboardist (Jeff Tweedy: "I asked everyone to change their last name to Tweedy, but they haven’t done it yet"). Also, Spencer Tweedy proves to be more than a competent drummer. He's only 19, the future can only be his.
The songs of Sukirae occupied the first half of the concert, and it was delightful to hear: from the meditations of "Nobody Dies Anymore" and "Summer Moon", placed at the beginning of the evening, moving on to the calm episodes of "High As Hello," "Desert Bell," and the serenade "Wait For Love," to the carefree pop of "Low Key" (with a video that is a contender for being one of the funniest of the year), Jeff Tweedy and company chose to tread the path of tradition, despite a sound that on disc is more eclectic and experimental compared to what was heard live. The highlight of the evening materialized when Jeff Tweedy was left alone on stage and performed—just acoustic guitar and voice—about ten Wilco songs. Those who frequent concerts know there's always that background chatter, someone going to the bar for a beer, etcetera, but the silence that accompanied (just to name a couple) "Jesus, etc." and "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" - further emphasized the solemnity of the moment. Not that additional confirmations of Tweedy's greatness were needed; but it strikes the heart and ears how, in this context, the songs taken from the repertoire of the group of which he is the frontman have not lost an iota of their intensity, despite being played solo and having been more than reinvented (let "Hummingbird" serve as an example).
How to conclude these lines: it is rare to listen to live music that can still surprise and move you, and the writer will long remember the fortune of having been present at an evening that can only be described as magical without embarrassment. Concert of the year, without a doubt.
Loading comments slowly
