Wilco rocks Merriweather
Anybody see last night's Wilco show at Merriweather Post Pavilion? What did you think?
I decided to go spur of the moment and was glad I did. It was the first time I've seen Wilco, and they delivered a solid set, starting with "A Shot in the Arm" off their album Summerteeth. We also heard "Hummingbird" and "Handshake Drugs," two of my favorite tracks off the last studio album, A Ghost is Born.
We had lawn seats, and it drizzled at first but let up after the first few songs. But we weren't too impressed with the sound quality. Maybe they kept it low because it was a Thursday night, and the neighborhood didn't want to be disturbed. I'm not sure. But the volume needed to be cranked up some where I stood. The keyboards were kind of hard to hear, too.
If one of your friends who loves Wilco went last night, he or she is probably going to tell you that they played three encores. This is misleading. The boys did about an hour set, took a short break, came back for another 20-minute set, and then did two more shorter encores. The last song was "What Light" from their new album, Sky Blue Sky.
I think this is the first tour where Wilco is playing larger venues like Merriweather. They didn't fill it last night, but I'd put the crowd at about 7,000. That's not bad. Front man Jeff Tweedy was in great spirits, teasing and joking with the audience.
Tweedy attracts ridiculously talented musicians, and this tour, the star is guitarist Nels Cline. A couple of the songs were shred-fests, but Cline kept most of his licks tasteful.
So if you get the chance, go see these guys live. If last night was any indication, the rest of this tour is going to be really solid.
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
A really solid, enjoyable show, though at times I felt like I was simply listening to their live release, 'Kicking Television,' at high volume. But you're right - Tweedy seemed to really be enjoying himself, and Cline is a terror on guitar.
I think Wilco is a band that works better in a more intimate setting, but they seemed to make a nice transition to the larger venue. While not great showmen, they still play beautiful music that's just a joy to listen to.
The sound was good, though not great, in the pavilion - I feel like Merriweather always keeps the volume turned down, a bit of an annoyance.
Posted by: Dave | June 22, 2007 9:46 AM
the show last night was great- i loved the mix of the new album and songs from 'yankee hotel foxtrot' and 'summerteeth'. jeff tweedy is a great frontman! this was my first time seeing wilco live and he struck me as a better live singer than the records indicate.
Posted by: sdr | June 22, 2007 10:09 AM