“We’ve got songs to sing and not much to say ” Jeff Tweedy
Wilco was in town for two nights at Massey Hall and I was very excited to be enlightened by the experience. Even though I’ve taken a deep dive into their discography over the years, it wasn’t until seeing Nels Cline dance with his guitar that I truly understood the magic being performed by this wizard. Wilco’s live performances are legendary. The resiliency of the band is a testament to the longstanding relationship they have with their fans.
The setlist was a career spanning assortment mixing in fan favourites like Heavy Metal Drummer, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and Handshake Drugs. They also mined some unique gems from Cruel Country and Cousins. One nugget in particular, Panthers, has been played less than 50 times! Impossible Germany demonstrated Nels Cline’s otherworldly talents. It was a highlight of the evening for me. A Shot In The Arm also had a wonderful explosion of noise as Nels and Mikael Jorgensen smashed and battered their instruments, squeezing every bit of sound out of them. The band also played Annihilation from their latest EP, Hot Sun Cool Shroud. The EP is fresh off the press after dropping June 28th.
A typically subdued Toronto audience slowly got their groove on and by the end of the evening they were on their feet singing, dancing. Jeff Tweedy conducting them like a choir. Speaking of choirs….during the encore, the band welcomed The Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute Chamber Choir to the stage and joined the band on a couple of songs, Cruel Country and California Stars.
At one point, late into the set when Jeff Tweedy exclaimed “here’s one from our first album” and started playing Box Full Of Letters, I realized how long I’d really been listening to this band and had never seen them live until Tuesday night. Now I regret every time I’ve missed them when they’ve come to Toronto. Lesson learned. Never again.
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Be sure to check out Live Nation Ontario to see all of the other great acts that they will be bringing to Toronto this year.