Concert Review: Wilco Rocks Star Wars (Seriously) At The Kings Theatre

Jeff Tweedy was staring at an audience member a few feet away from him. Wilco had just finished playing “Hummingbird” during their sold-out show at The Kings Theatre last Saturday.

“You scared me. You sang so loudly. You were louder than Nels,” he said.

No matter how long he’s been at it, singer/songwriter/guitarist/bandleader/producer/and Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy still gets dazzled by the audience.

The “Nels” he was referring to is Nels Cline, guitarist for Wilco (Rolling Stone lists Cline as #82 of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time). And although Cline’s work on “Hummingbird” was relatively calm compared to other songs during the show, Tweedy was both cracking wise and displaying a genuine love for the audience’s commitment to the band.

The fan love grew to a fever pitch last summer when Wilco dropped their new album Star Wars into their fan’s laps — for free — in July 2015. The free download was made available through Wilco’s website.

Star Wars is one of Wilco’s strongest album in years after a few somewhat inconsistent releases — Wilco (The Album) in 2009 and The Whole Love in 2011. Star Wars was the perfect summer gift. As is typical with Wilco, song styles can run the gamut. But the diversity of the songs on Star Wars is actually what knits the album together.

And speaking of crowd pleasing … the cover art also tickled many a fan. With a cat as the main image (insert internet viral pleasure here) and an audacious title — just as (the other) Star Wars fans waiting to meet-up with Han Solo and Chewbacca again — listeners had an instant summer jewel to treasure.

But in a deliciously enigmatic way, Tweedy told Rolling Stone:

“It’s kind of an extension of the thought process behind, I don’t know, staying in touch with some sort of wild energy as much as possible and some sort of an irreverence. But that painting of that cat hangs in the kitchen at the [Wilco] loft, and every day I’d look at it and go, ‘You know, that should just be the album cover.’

Then I started thinking about the phrase ‘Star Wars’ recontextualized against that painting — it was beautiful and jarring. The album has nothing to do with Star Wars. It just makes me feel good. It makes me feel limitless and like there’s still possibilities and still surprise in the world, you know?”

After significant personnel changes between the formation of Wilco in 1994 through their 2004 album A Ghost Is Born, this current line-up has been together for over a decade.

The six-piece band has developed a synchronous live collaboration. In addition to Jeff Tweedy on guitar and vocals, the band includes John Stirratt (bass, backing vocals), Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), Mikael Jorgensen (keyboards, samplings), Nels Cline (lead guitar, lap steel guitar), and Pat Sansone (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals).

The first section of the concert was a victory lap of sorts, as Wilco began their show by playing Star Wars in its entirety (which lasts roughly 34 minutes).

Standouts on both the album and during the show include the sonic sweep and luscious minimalism of “You Satellite,” the creamy hook of “Random Name Generator,” and the fuzzed-out tease of a tune, “Pickled Ginger.” The two-and-a-half minute “Ginger” stops short right before it could kick into a boogie-down overdrive, but that’s kind of the fun of it, right?

The second section of the show started with the minimalist “Spider (Kidsmoke)” from 2004’s A Ghost Is Born. Tweedy simplifies his often expressive voice delivery here — as he sings “This recent rash of kidsmoke / All these telescopic poems / It’s good to be alone.”

Guitarist Nels Cline is able to support Tweedy’s eclectic song compositions — moving effortlessly from the alt-country twang of Wilco’s debut album A.M. to feedback-laden freakouts that are mesmerizing to witness.

Cline’s work stands out on “The Art of Almost” (off 2011’s The Whole Love) — after the electronica beat of the song gives away to about three minutes of his guitar solo. The work is caustic while holding tight on the melodic notes.

As a counterpoint, Cline creates a gorgeous sweep of a solo during “Impossible Germany” (off 2007’s Sky Blue Sky). The guitar work here is evidence of his many years as a jazz guitarist.

Drummer Glenn Kotche — who has a background in avant-garde music composition — propels Wilco with a stunning versatility. Even in the most classic of classic rock tunes such as Heavy Metal Drummer (off 2001’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), Kotche is able to add complex fills while keeping the band very much in line.

Wilco’s encore set featured the band in full acoustic mode, while joyously adapting some of their louder tunes to a quieter medium. “Misunderstood” (off 1996’s Being There) ends in an intense, relentless repetition of Tweedy calling out “Nothing!” Those quiet acoustic instruments grew fangs when necessary.

“It’s Just That Simple” (off 1995’s A.M.) features accomplished bassist John Stirratt’s on vocals. Stirratt’s voice — both soft and gently grizzled — sounds as if he were in a new incarnation of The Band (Check out Stirratt and Pat Sansome’s band Autumn Defense for more evidence of this).

More significantly, Stirratt has been the only other consistent member of Wilco since Tweedy formed the band over 20 years ago. Of course, their band relation pre-dates Wilco, as they were both members of Uncle Tupelo until that band’s break-up in 1994.

And before Wilco disappeared, the band finished with a gentle and keening acoustic version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

The night also concluded the marking of the one-year anniversary of the Kings Theatre opening after its restoration. At one point in the show, Tweedy stopped to gaze up at the ceiling.

“It’s so nice to see that someone cares about making this place new again,” he said. The audience applauded in agreement.

“Then again, seeing us is not as cool as seeing Smokey and the Bandit.”

Set List for Saturday, February 6, 2016. Kings Theatre:

Full performance of Wilco’s Star Wars
More…
Random Name Generator
The Joke Explained
You Satellite
Taste the Ceiling
Pickled Ginger
Where Do I Begin
Cold Slope
King of You
Magnetized

Set after Star Wars:
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Art of Almost
Hummingbird
Box Full of Letters
Heavy Metal Drummer
I’m the Man Who Loves You
Dawned On Me
Impossible Germany
Red Eyed and Blue
I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Encore:
Misunderstood
It’s Just That Simple
War On War
A Shot in the Arm
Space Oddity (David Bowie)