I posted this question on Twitter and will ask it again: Was that Wilco's best Twin Cities concert ever? It's hard for me to say, having not been around for the First Avenue shows of the late-'90s and earliest-'00s (I saw some pretty good ones in Austin, though, including their SXSW debut at Liberty Lunch). However, as big a fan as I am of the early Wilco, it never mustered up this kind of masterful, diverse, carefully orchestrated and thoroughly riveting performance. And I don't think the latter-day Wilco was this together and confident on the "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" tour, either. But I know how you Wilco fans like to debate things.
A funny little bit of banter that didn't make the print review (online here), the near-godly Nels Cline proved himself human by botching one part of the rarely played "A Magazine Called Sunset." Jeff Tweedy chided him over it, saying he could lose his No. 82 ranking in Rolling Stone's new list of the 100 best guitarists of all time. "You might deserve to fall to 94," he joked.
WILCO'S SET: One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) / Poor Places / The Art of Almost** / I Might / Muzzle of Bees / Misunderstood / Bull Black Nova / Impossible Germany / Sky Blue Sky / Box Full of Letters / Born Alone / She's a Jar / Pot Kettle Black / Handshake Drugs / Dawned on Me / War on War ENCORE: The Whole Love / A Magazine Called Sunset / Heavy Metal Drummer / I'm the Man Who Loves You / Passenger Side / Red-Eyed and Blue / I Got You (At the End of the Century) / Outtasite (Outta Mind) / Cruel to Be Kind (with Nick Lowe)
NICK LOWE: Stoplight Roses / Heart / What's Shakin' on the Hill? / Raging Eyes / All Men Are Liars** / Lately I've Let Things Slide** / I Live on a Battlefield / House for Sale / Alison (Elvis Costello cover) / When I Write the Book (Rockpile song) / What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love & Understanding (NOT an Elvis Costello cover)
(* = God, what a song!)
