Wilco [Live]

So this past Sunday was the culmination of what has been an almost four year love affair with Wilco. Dr. Spiegel, Lance Hill, Chris Kirk and I packed in the Silver Fox (my car) and drove a few hours up to Lansing/Michigan State to see them in concert. I had often heard up to this point that Wilco, as good as they are on their studio albums, is best when digested live. I'll admit, I was skeptical, but Jeff Tweedy & Co. made me a believer. For being in their fourties they played an impressively long set-list of twenty-seven songs:

Bull Black Nova
You Are My Face
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
One Wing (Jeff Tweedy's falsetto is nothing short of beautiful)
Shot In The Arm
At Least That's What You Said
Should've Been In Love
Deeper Down
Impossible Germany (Nels Cline is a musical genius and the guitar solo in the song is epic)
Just That Simple
Handshake Drugs
You Never Know
Summer Teeth
Jesus, Etc.
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Hummingbird
Wilco[the song]
Misunderstood
Heavy Metal Drummer
Passenger Side
Candy Floss
Red Eyed And Blue
I Got You (End Of The Century)
Hoodoo Voodoo

To those who would like to say that Wilco is 100% better live or that it is difficult to listen to their studio albums after you've seen them live, I would heartily disagree. Their music isn't better live, it is just different. Wilco is such a musically talented band that they never play the same song twice, so whether its on a studio album or live, its still only one of a seemingly infinite number of variations that they could come up with. If they seem better live its not the music itself (which is still incredible) but the amazing energy that the band brings to the stage and conveys to the crowd.

If Jesus hadn't already done it, then I would have ventured to say that seeing Wilco live completed my life, but instead, I'll just say that it was the best concert I've ever been to.

Song of the Day: Little Motel by Modest Mouse