Wilco (The Gig)

Does the world really need another fawning review of a Wilco gig? Probably not, but here we go anyway.

Some higlights:

• The Radioheadesque (sorry) opener "Art of Almost" - where skittering beats and electronics collide with guitars.
• "Impossible Germany" - *puts on muso voice* for the mind blowing guitar truel
• Nels Clines collection of guitars - bonus points for the use of a double necked guitar on one song.
• "Via Chicago" - and for Jeff Tweedy's ability to sing/play in time while the rest of the band unleash hell in the background.
• The lampshades - nice homely addition to the spotlights
• Jeff Tweedy berating a fan (what a surprise) for complaining about the hiss made by the smoke machine.
• "One Sunday Morning" - a twelve minute song that goes nowhere and you never want it to leave.
• "Handshake Drugs" and the other 14 songs.

So, one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen - they have such a vast back catalogue of live favourites that I left the gig thinking "this was one of the best gigs ever" but at the same time wondering why they didn't play songs such as Spiders (Kidsmoke), Wilco (The Song) or Hate It Here. Maybe they just need to play for longer next time.

And to be contrary, here's a song they didn't play...

Post Script. I bought a t-shirt outside the venue (sorry guys). Photo of it added to this blog.