Wilco In Naarm 16-17-18 March 2024

Live At The Forum Naarm

Mar 20, 2024

As many of you know Wilco has not graced the Australian continent with their presence since 2013. I was at a couple of those shows. The last time I saw Wilco was in Connecticut in 2022 on a beautiful summer night outdoors.

I can never get enough of this band so we have signed up for all 3 at The Forum.
Night 1 at The Forum started with Hell Is Chrome and the slow build commenced. One of the original Love Police promos said “No Repeats” here in Melbourne so tonight my savoring of each song was spiced with the idea I would only hear them once this run. I was unsure if this was the case because I never saw “No repeats” on any Wilco post.

Wilco ventured heavily into jam band territory tonight. Cruel Country was just out when I saw them in 2022 and hearing Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull the first time removed parts of my brain with the lengthy jam they ventured into. They delivered that again this evening and it took all of us away. Far, far away.

Impossible Germany is the showcase for Nels Cline as he displays his virtuosity on guitar. The rest of the band lays down something like a JJ Cale groove behind his soloing. He is a master of whatever guitar he picks up.

Jeff said, “We were in your nation’s capital last night. They set us straight, thank you.”

Some folks were yelling from the crowd and he said to one guy, “Are you American?”

He replied in the affirmative and Jeff told him we came all the way here to hear from Australians, so shut the f$*& up. This got a cheer from the somewhat odd crowd tonight. They just did not seem like your regular Wilco gathering.

The night it ended with A Shot in the Arm, Via Chicago, California Stars and Spiders (Kidsmoke). That was an encore from heaven.

In the past, I have seen Patti Smith, Nick Lowe and The Pogues on St.Patrick’s Day. Mind you, not the same night. Jeff tonight asked the crowd if they were celebrating and a few people made some noise, but otherwise, no one cared. “Stupid question, I guess”, Jeff shrugged.

The humans in attendance were a much more focused Wilco crowd. The first night, the 16th of March, was the last show sold, so maybe that was why even Jeff said something about the audience the previous night. Not once, but twice he brought it up. No matter, they always give us 100% or more whomever has bought a ticket.

You know what else was a load of joy at these concerts? There was minimal phone usage during the gigs as people immersed themselves in the concert.

3 songs into the night they repeated Handshake Drugs. The hopes of no repeats were dashed, but Wilco loves you. They loved us up with a rock and roll fever tonight. As the first night was a slow build, jam band sort of night, tonight we were thrown into the deep end of guitar heaven.

Impossible Germany was fabulous and as always Nels paints it differently with his guitar each evening. How To Fight Loneliness from Summerteeth was a joy and again we got one song, Shouldn’t Be Ashamed, from A.M. that kicked into Dawned On Me from The Whole Love record.

From that point on they turned it up and threw in a rollicking Falling Apart (Right Now) that made ya think of other cosmic cowboys. Slipping into Red-Eyed and Blue they turned it down for just a few minutes.

As on the album Being There, they followed that track tonight with I Got You (At The End Of The Century) and another from the same record, Outtasite (Outta Mind).

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9…yeah, “I’m A Wheel brought the night to another joyful close.

It was a repeat Sunday for 9 songs but as per usual they were played with a different energy and style. Which night was better? It all depends on which Wilco you love the most.

I love all of them so there is never a need to call out requests as they know how to write up a setlist.

Although there are a few I am hoping to hear during night 3.

Kicking TV, Monday, Misunderstood, One Sunday AM and Sunken Treasure. This was my wishlist for night 3.

Monday came along and I was lucky enough to get Misunderstood to kick off proceedings and Monday during the encore. Tonight even Jeff knew what he had to play when he said “Some nights we know what songs we have to play” and they filled in some gaps with 11 songs not played the previous 2 nights. All in all, we were served up 71 numbers over 3 nights and 48 were only played once. I was pretty sure I was not going to get One Sunday Morning, it is a very long song.

Amazing guitar solos were coming from Pat, Nels and Jeff. Mikael was rolling over the keys and John Stirrat on bass and Glenn Kotche on drums kept it all together. There were 5 songs I had never heard Wilco perform live but the one that made me grin the most was How To Fight Loneliness. Yeah, you know, “smile all the time”.

Pat Sansone donned a Greville Records T-shirt and the warmth of the crowd, Melbourne and Wilco all dissolved into one fine mess of music and joy.

What else do you want from 3 nights of Wilco? For now, the songs echo through my being, and bits and pieces come out of my mouth as I sit here drumming my fingers to Infinite Surprise.

There is nothing better than a Wilco hangover.

Wilco has 2 more shows in Sydney on the 21st and 22nd of March. Check out Tixel or go down and stand outside and try and get a ticket.

Take A Step Outside My Inside

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