Wilco at the Schubert Theatre, New Haven, CT 2.24.08

Wilco is a great Rock and Roll band. Period. Perhaps even America’s finest at the moment (among relevant bands, sorry Bruce and Tom). They have the players, the front man, the right gear and most importantly a vast, brilliant repertoire. This tour is unlike any other recent Wilco tours because they are not directly promoting an album and thus are playing a mixed bag of all 8 of their studio albums (including the Mermaid Avenue records). They are even soliciting requests via their website and playing the top choices at each different stop. The tour kicked off with a five night stand at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago where they played 96 different songs (out of a total 160 played - just to give you an idea of what I mean by vast repertoire). As a huge fan of the band, I was pretty psyched to see what they were going to play at the Schubert.

The Schubert is a (relatively) small theatre in the run down Connecticut city of New Haven. Home of Yale and a grotesque waterfront filled with huge gasoline refineries. The venue, which usually houses plays (Camelot featuring Lou Diamond Phillips was coming up later in the month. Really? Lou? Remind me to miss that one) is a historic venue with two balconies and 12 small private boxes lining the walls. It’s small, has great acoustics and a 19th meets 21st century decor. Perfect for a Wilco show.

The band opened with the sweet lullaby “Remember the Montain Bed” (which was nice because I was still waiting for a beer in the lobby) before launching into the fan favorite sing-a-long “California Stars”. Of the first 9 songs, 8 were off of different albums. Ah, now that’s a quality set list! It was interesting to see how the new guys interpreted the older material because only 2 of the band’s current members are on their first 5 albums. New guitarist Nels Cline added wonderful lap steel lines to the older more county-fide material and drummer Glenn Kotche infused his distinct style into the older straight ahead rhythms of Ken Coomer (Wilco’s original drummer).

The main set of the show conveyed how versatile this band can be. From the bluegrass tinge of “Airline to Heaven” to the riffy jams of “Impossible Germany", the meloncholy space of “Radio Cure” to the county funk of “Walken” and even the barn burning rocker “Always in Love". Wilco can do it all. Unfortunately this can also lead to many slow songs next to fast songs in such a way that the crowd never gets into a groove and wants to dance. Until the encore that is. The band played a 6 song feverish encore that kept the whole place on its feet for the remainder of the show concluding with the epic trifecta of rockers from Being There.

The John Doe band opened the show with their brand of predictable rock that is as about as original and exciting as their name. Needless to say, I spent the opening set wandering around the lobby with my vodka tonic.


Set List:Remember the Mountain Bed, California Stars, Company in My Back, Pot Kettle Black, A Shot in the Arm, Radio Cure, You Are My Face, Side With the Seeds, Pick Up the Change, Hotel Arizona, I’m Always in Love, Impossible Germany, Jesus Etc, Misunderstood, Airline to Heaven, Theologians, Walken, I’m the Man Who Loves You, On and On and On

E: Hate it Here, Heavy Metal Drummer*, Red Eyed and Blue, I Got You, Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind)

* w/ alternate verse that starts "She lifted up her shirt at the Battle of the Bands..."