Wilco In Brooklyn

Wilco is one of my top ten bands based on any measure you want to use. Its been that way for the past six or seven years

When Jeff Tweedy comes to town, I go see him play. And he never lets me down

This week Wilco played two shows in NYC, last night at The Hammerstein in Manhattan and tonight at The Warsaw In Brooklyn

Even since Jackson told me about eating perogies, drinking polish beer, and listening to Paul Westerberg, I’ve wanted to see a show at The Warsaw

Tonight it happened courtesy of Basquali, the owner of a hipster cafe in fort greene brooklyn called Smooch. You see the Warsaw show sold out in about five nanoseconds. You don’t get to see Wilco very often in a venue that small

But thankfully Basquali makes the best coffee in Brooklyn and as a result he knows a few people. One of whom got him and a few friends into the show. I was fortunate to be one of his friends

The current Wilco lineup is the best yet. Nels Cline and Glen Kotche in particular are master musicians

The version of Ashes of American Flags that Wilco does these days is vastly superior to any other simply because Nels Cline lays down a mesmerizing solo, ala Jerry Garcia, at the end

But as strong as the band is, I couldn’t help but think that Tweedy may never write songs like the ones he wrote on Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Writing songs that intense and personal could kill a man and maybe it almost did. Jeff’s a happier person now and his songs reflect it. I enjoy the new stuff for sure, but it doesn’t give me the chills like the those two amazing records, the ones his label hated, btw

Wilco played something like eight encores tonight and ended with Woody Guthrie’s Hoodoo Voodoo and The Replacement’s (actually Wilco’s) Outtasite (Outta Mind)

They rocked and I loved it. Like every other Wilco show I’ve been too

I’ve been seeing a lot of 20 something bands lately and often am among the oldest people in the room. It was nice to be back among my generation. The Wilco generation that still loves rock and roll.

Misunderstood – Wilco – From Kicking Television They opened with this – a gift to all of us who still love rock and roll

Thanks to muzicspy for the photo that decorates this post. That was taken last night at the show, a bit closer to the front than where I was. Here’s the whole photoset from the show.