Wilco, part II

So here's my official review (also to be pubished for SLUG Magazine here) from last Monday's fantastic Wilco show for those who weren't able to make it:

Wilco with Fleet Foxes
Red Butte Gardens
8.18

The heat of the setting sun was warm enough to cause slight perspiration, subsequently cooled by the refreshing evening breeze as Wilco took the stage and begin to hypnotize the audience with their unique brand of alt-country and rock.

The diverse sold out crowd-both young and old and from tattoos and piercings to button up shirts and from Dockers to cowboy hats; all of which lay on blankets or sat in ground-level lawn chairs-were immediately enthralled and soothed by Jeff Tweedy and company’s first song, “Remember the Mountain Bed,” a ballad filled with beautiful poetry and imagery, with lyrics written by Woody Guthrie.

From the conclusion of the first song and on, Wilco ran through a large catalogue of songs, some mellow and some with edge, allowing different tastes, from a wide fanbase, to be satisfied and making it hard for anyone in attendance to complain that they didn’t hear, “Their song.”

Tweedy’s banter with the crowd was amusing and kept all entertained in between performing songs and instrument changes. He joked about wishing that he had long Fabio-like hair so that it would blow with the constant cool breeze as they played, which received a healthy laugh from the audience. Tweedy also admitted they were giving the show their all since they don’t play Salt Lake City very often, to which the fans let out a roar in agreement and begging for them to come more frequently.

After a lengthy set list and two encores, one of which included an obvious favorite among those in attendance, “Heavy Metal Drummer,” Wilco called it a night, thanked the crowd once more and ventured off the stage, leaving the audience satisfied enough to go home happy, but still hungry enough to come back for the next sold out show.

The night also began well with a short, but powerful set by Fleet Foxes, whose sound meshed well with what Wilco would bring later and set the overall tone for the evening.
–Jeremy C. Wilkins