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Video: A Wilco Night At The Opera

Frank E. Lee

Frank E. Lee, Concertgoers Blog,Music,Music News
12/13/2011
10:30 am

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Filed Under: Wilco, Civic Opera House

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Jeff Tweedy (photo: Nate Azark)

Photos: Wilco At Civic Opera HouseChicago weather and sports teams are variable, but the architecture and music are consistently good and they came together last night when Wilco began their 5 night, multiple venue December residency of sold-out XRT shows at the storied Civic Opera house.

Wilco: 50 Things You…The six piece band was in fine form, relaxed and playful and supremely confident as they delivered a generous set that included virtually every track from their latest album The Whole Love . (They opened with the ambitious closing song, the 12 minute opus “One Sunday Morning”.) The poppy “I Might” received a somewhat more ominous arrangement than the studio version and they didn’t neglect solid XRT fare like “Heavy Metal Drummer”, “Outtasite” and “Box Full of Letters”. Jeff Tweedy was obviously happy to be playing opera songs as he called them in the opera house, made a reference to a strong non-classical herbal odor and even coaxed some theatrical snow out of the hanging cloth macrame ghosts overhead. Nick Lowe played a fine opening set accompanying himself on guitar and he returned for the stirring encore of his “Cruel to be Kind” along with guest star Mavis Staples (Tweedy produced her last album) who belted out “You Are Not Alone” and everybody sang “The Weight” by the Band to send the capacity crowd home in a transcendent mood. (Thanks to Kaitlin Montes for her help with this post.)