On the last night of their tour, Wilco are weary yet elated. The songs are so tight and finely honed, they make the performance seems effortless. Rather than toiling, the musicians are relaxed and enjoying themselves.
Tonight’s dazzling two-hour set mines the rich quarries of the Wilco back catalogue: from 1996’s Being There to a generous selection from this year’s fine long-player Sky Blue Sky, reminding us that the craft of songwriting is still alive and well, and Jeff Tweedy is one of its finest practitioners.
The quality of musicianship on display is eye-watering. Mikael Jorgensen and Pat Sansone’s piano and keyboards dress the songs beautifully, and the physicality and inventiveness of Glenn Kotche’s drumming propel and compliment equally. The irrefutably Thin Lizzy-esque ‘Impossible Germany’, with its enchanting twin guitars and impressive solos, is the perfect vehicle to showcase Nells Cline’s prodigious skill.
Jeff Tweedy, despite his many talents, is a reluctant frontman. He appears uneasy manufacturing crowd banter, and when he does, his words seem awkward and ill-chosen. “It’s good to see you again - even the sanctimonious pricks among you we like,” says the silver-tongued devil at one juncture. He seems most comfortable when lost in the magic of the performance – those moments when he is solely a medium for the music.
Nevertheless, the Wilco audience are a loyal breed and display their affection openly. A tricolour draped across Pat Sansone’s keyboard, which at first I cynically surmise is a shot at garnering favour, is in fact a present from fans.
The demand for a second encore is met, and after 120 minutes of sonic bliss we depart reluctantly with “Outtasite (Outtamind)” ringing in our ears. Beautiful.