What’s Up With Wilco (2022 Year-End Edition)

 

2022 was a very busy year for everybody’s, at least mine, favorite band from Chicago. Over the last trip around the sun, Wilco played 59 shows, released their 12th studio album, Cruel Country (a double record with 21 tracks); released a 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (featuring 84 previously unreleased tracks), and, maybe most importantly, appeared with comedian Nikki Glaser on Carpool Karaoke.

We’ll start with that as it’s the most recent Wilco activity having dropped in early December via Apple TV. The 19-minute segment, which was Episode 9, Season 5, from the spin-off of the popular Carpool Karaoke series hosted by James Corden on The Late Late Show featured super Wilco fan Glasser meeting her musical heroes – that is the three members who took part: Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, and Glenn Kotche - and driving around the windy city singing along to their songs “Casino Queen,” “Random Name Generator,” and “Heavy Metal Drummer.”

The gushing Glasser got Tweedy to relay his off-told Springsteen story – i.e. how as a kid he told his third grade classmates that “Born to Run” was his creation – which led to a sing-a-long to that classic Boss song, then we got a Mavis Staples cameo with a bit of her Staples Singers hit, “I’ll Take You There,” and they concluded with a visit to the float used in the parade scene in the 1986 Chicago-shot FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF for a “Twist and Shout” performance complete with Glasser wearing Ferris’s pink vest, and dancers re-creating the steps moves in the background. Que it up on Apple TV+.

 

Tweedy and company both celebrated their past, and gave us new music in 2022. With their round of shows in April performing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in full (with a smattering of encore songs), and releasing unearthed material from the album’s early aughts sessions in various Deluxe Editions in September, alongside putting out the double LP, Cruel Country, on May 27, on which they performed it in full at their Solid Sound at MASS Moca (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, Massachusetts.

I must also plug the upcoming vinyl release of Cruel Country on January 20, 2023. Like many fans, I've been looking forward to this physical release since last summer so click here to pre-order in various bundles 'n whatnot:

We also celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Sam Jones’ 2002 documentary, I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART, which captured some insightful moments during the YHF sessions to say the least.

Wilco's next scheduled live events are a three night residency at Eldborg Hall located at the Harpa Center in Reykjavik, Iceland (April 6-8, 2023), and then at the High Water Festival in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 16, 2023 (I hope to be there).

I didn’t attend any of the nearly 60 shows that Wilco played in 2022, but I did see Tweedy perform a wonderful solo show in Lexington, Kentucky on October 19. 

Tweedy appeared as part the Kentucky Theater’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, and played a sweet set which featured, fittingly, nice helpings of Cruel Country, and YHF (five songs each), plus choice cuts like the solo song “Gwendolyn” from Love is the King (2020), and the long-time crowd favorites like Uncle Tupelo’s “New Madrid,” and “California Stars” from the Mermaid Avenue project with Billy Bragg. 

 

I shot one video at the show: “Hummingbird” from A Ghost is Born, a song I’ve seen Tweedy perform a lot, but it’s a good one:

Lastly, The Tweedy Show just ran its 217th episode on Monday, December 26 and it was a doozy! Here’s Jeff covering Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” in tribute to the recently departed Christie Mcvie, who wrote the song with Richard Dashut:

As this is Wilcopedia (The Blog)’s last entry of 2022, thanks to everybody for their support! I’m working on the second edition of Wilcopedia (go to Amazon to rate and review the book too!), with hope due for Wilco’s 30th Anniversary in 2024 so sales of the first edition have helped to that goal.

 

So until next time, I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, and will have a Happy New Year!

 

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My Annual Wilcopedia Makes A Great Christmas Gift Post

Hey folks, here’s my annual shameless plug for my book – you know, the one this blog is based on - Wilcopedia: A Comprehensive Guide to The Music of America's Best Band - on sale now at a super low price on Amazon. The sales of this 2019 first edition will help make way for the second edition, ideally set for 2024, which will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Jeff Tweedy and company’s Wilco work.

Wilcopedia contains entries for every album, including entries for every song from A.M. to Schmilco, sections on each member, live material, film and TV appearances; covers, etc. It offers insights and background into the superb Chicago band's canon unavailable in any other book on the band (and now there are quite a few). And there are color photos too!

 

So If you’re a fan or know somebody who is, Wilcopedia, which Mojo said was “a useful tome for the fan to crack open whenever a Wilco record blares through the speakers,” consider this great gift idea at its low price.

 

Okay, enough of my hyping – such shameless plugging always wears me out.

 

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Watch Wilco's Surprise Show At Chicago's Carol's Pub 10/9 W/Poster, Set-lists, & Tweets!

Original Show Poster Designed by Evan Wachowski/Printed by Kyle Baker

Not even two days after I had pondered whether Wilco’s Cruel Country tour had come to a close came about a surprise show announcement. Actually three shows, as Jeff Tweedy and company ended up performing three sets at Carol’s Pub in Chicago on Sunday, October 9, at 7, 9, and 11 pm. Here’s the tweet that kicked off the event:

Here’s a CBS News segment about the shows:

And now let’s get into the set-lists for the dream show for fans that had Wilco going back to their small club roots. This was evident in the covers that appropriate for the intimate performance like Bob Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” and Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got To Memphis,” and in the ole Uncle Tupelo tunes like “New Madrid” that were sure crowd pleasers. Considering the capacity at Carol's is around 200 people for each show, several hundreds of lucky Wilco fans were certainly in heaven on Sunday night. Here’s what they heard:

The 7pm show:

“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” (Bob Dylan) / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “New Madrid” / “That’s How I Got To Memphis” (Tom T. Hall) / “Please Be Wrong” / “Someday Soon” / “Hesitating Beauty” / “Death of the Last Stripper” (Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band)/ “She’s My Rock” (Stoney Edwards) / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Give Back the Key To My Heart” (Doug Sahm) / “A Lifetime to Find” / “U.S. Blues” (Grateful Dead) / “Reincarnation” (Roger Miller)

 

The 9pm show:

“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “Far, Far Away” / “Forget The Flowers” / “That’s How I Got To Memphis” (Tom T. Hall) / “It’s Just That Simple” / “New Madrid” / “She's My Rock” / “Someday Soon” / “Hesitating Beauty” / “Death of the Last Stripper” / “A Lifetime To Find” / “Give Back the Key to My Heart” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues”

 

The 11pm show:

“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “Far, Far Away” / “That’s How I Got To Memphis” / “Forget The Flowers” / “It’s Just That Simple” / “New Madrid” / “Story To Tell” / “Someday Soon” / “Hesitating Beauty” / “She’s My Rock” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Give Back the Key to My Heart”/ “A Lifetime to Find” / “U.S. Blues” / “Reincarnation”

And finally, videos of the show, courtesy of Susie Tweedy, and SoabTtirb:

Whew! Whatta great Wilco event all around. Stay tuned as it’s pretty clear that this band ain't finished with providing Cruel Country in 2022.

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Wilco’s Cruel Country Tour Wraps Up For 2022 – Or Does It?

Last night, Wilco played their last scheduled show on their Cruel Country tour for 2022 in Columbia, Missouri. Now there are just under three months left in the year, so there’s plenty of dates that could be scheduled, but for now the next date for Jeff Tweedy and company is set for a residency in Reykjavik, Iceland on April 7, 2023. Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dates, most likely Chicago-set, of course, could very well be announced, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Tweedy is going to be serving up a solo show at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, KY on October 19, 2022, which I’m going to be attending. The performance is part of the Kentucky Theatre’s 100thAnniversary Celebration so I’m pretty psyched about the event. Of course, there will be more about this in future posts.

But for now, let’s look back at what might be the last several sets of songs Wilco played this year:

Radians Amphitheater, Memphis, TN 10/2/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “California Stars” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”

The following shows were both streamed by nugs.net. You can watch clips of the opening songs from both nights, “Misunderstood,” and “Handshake Drugs” below.

Civic Theatre, New Orleans, LA 10/4/22

Official show poster by Nate Duval

“Misunderstood” / “Cruel Country” / “Far, Far Away” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “Cry All Day” / “Via Chicago” / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Whole Love” / “All Across the World” / “Born Alone” / “Ambulance” / “Sunken Treasure” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Red-Eyed and Blue” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “U.S. Blues”

Civic Theatre, New Orleans, LA 10/5/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “A Shot in the Arm” / “The Universe” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “Kamera” / “Random Name Generator” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Laminated Cat” / “Poor Places” / “Reservations” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Everyone Hides” / “Hummingbird” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Impossible Germany” / “Forget the Flowers” / “Mystery Binds” / “Box Full of Letters” / “It’s Just That Simple” / “Theologians” / “I’m the Man Who Loves You”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Monday” / “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” / “U.S. Blues”

Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival 2022: Stephens Lake Park, Columbia 10/7/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “California Stars” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”

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Wilco Gives The Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues” The Cruel Country Treatment

This week’s Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight shines on a cover that has been currently cropping up in the band’s encores:

“U.S. Blues” (Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter)

The Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues,” which opens their 1974 studio album, From the Mars Hotel, isn’t really a blues tune. It’s more of a rollicking anthem with its punchy verses and sing-a-long chorus, as can be witnessed in the blazing rendition from the Winterland Ballroom in Oct. ’74 that opens THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE (1977):

The Grateful Dead performed the crowd-pleaser, “U.S. Blues,” well over 300 times in their touring career up until the death of founder/front man Jerry Garcia in 1994, and then has been continued life through performances with such Dead off-shoots as Dead & Company, Furthur, the Phil Lesh and Friends, etc.

Last August, Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy, and his band’s lead guitarist, Nels Cline, performed with Phil Lesh & Friends at the inaugural Sacred Rose Festival at the SeatGeek Stadium outside Chicago under the banner of Philco. The one-off (for now) supergroup performed a 14-song set of mostly Dead classics, with guest appearances by Wilco’s “Via Chicago,” and “Airline to Heaven” from Tweedy and company’s Woody Guthrie/Mermaid Avenue collaboration with Billy Bragg.

The event featured Tweedy’s debuts on the Dead classics, “Dire Wolf,” “Franklin’s Tower,” and his lead on the show closer “Ripple,” a song which he’s performed multiple times since the ‘90s. But “U.S. Blues,” also a first for the Wilco front man, was an early stand-out in the set as can be seen in this cool clip:

When Wilco’s Cruel Country tour resumed after Sacred Rose, “U.S. Blues” made the transition from Philco to a prominent spot in their show’s encores for almost every show they’ve played since. As Tweedy expresses such sentiments as “I love my country, stupid and cruel,” on Wilco’s latest studio offering, Garcia/Hunter’s cynical digs at nationalism in the mid ‘70s rocker thematically fit like a glove in the band’s present-day repertoire.

When “U.S. Blues,” which is populated by the likes of Uncle Sam, Charlie Chan, and P.T. Barnum, comes off as a sarcastic call to “Wave the flag, wave it wide and high,” it could easily be coupled with Tweedy’s “Adjust your eyes to the light/Let them roll with pride,” from Cruel Country’s “Hints.”

Tweedy and Cline’s premiere performance with Philco of “U.S. Blues,” and its following nine encore appearances by Wilco have cemented the song as a crucial cover in the band’s catalog. An entry based on this post will be added to the Wilco: The Covers section in future editions of Wilcopedia.

I’ll conclude with the most recent performance by Wilco of “U.S. Blues” at the Fargo Brewery in Fargo, North Dakota on September 11, 2022:

 

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Wilco Delivers Cruel Country To The Pacific Northwest

Official show poster by Kate Bingaman.

Wilco’s Cruel Country tour rolls on into the fall with dates in Oregon, a few in Canada, and a stop in Montana over the last half a week. Jeff Tweedy and company are now taking a break until they return on October 2 in Memphis, Tennessee for Mempho Fest at Radians Amphitheatre, with two shows following that on October 4 and 5 at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, that will be livestreamed on nugs.net.

But let’s catch up with what they played at their last four shows:

Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Bend, Oregon 9/20/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “The Universe” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada 9/21/22

                                                     Official show poster by Violet Reed.

“Handshake Drugs” / “The Universe” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am My Mother” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “Story to Tell” / “Via Chicago” / “Hummingbird” / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “It’s Just That Simple” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB, Canada 9/23/22

Official show poster by Violet Reed.

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “The Universe” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

The ELM, Bozeman, Montana 9/24/22 

Official show poster by Peter Cardoso for Ghost Town Studio.

“Handshake Drugs” / “The Universe” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”

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Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight: “Many Worlds”

This entry of the Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight shines on a track from Jeff Tweedy, and company’s latest album, Cruel Country. It is the first song to be covered from Wilco’s 12th studio release in this series, so this serves as a preview of its future entry in an updated edition of my book, Wilcopedia:

“Many Worlds” (Jeff Tweedy)

Smack dab in the middle, kicking off the second LP or CD of the Cruel Country album, is this seven minute and 53 second pensive, light piano dirge, which initially recalls Tweedy’s meditations in such songs as “Reservations” and “Solitaire.” A slight crackling static opens the track’s aural synth background (courtesy of Mikael Jorgensen), then the haunting keys to cradle Tweedy’s soft vocals: “When I look at the sky, I think about stars that’ve died.”

It only goes to show that in what the Atlantic’s Spencer Kornhaber called a “eight-minute-long new-age cryfest,” even Wilco is in on the big multi-verse trend (as evidenced by Marvel movies, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Tik Tok whatnot et al) of the day as Tweedy concludes, “Many worlds collide, none like yours and mine.” Its following the similarly themed and toned track, “The Universe,” on the album makes that case too.

After three and a half minutes of these simple, repeated lines, the strands of this melody fade into the slight crackle as a lone acoustic guitar strums into the mix. Then Glenn Kotche’s drums, John Stirratt’s thudding bass, and more twinkling axe action via Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone joins in, until a rich Grateful Dead-style jam is in full progress. It flourishes, and fleshes out the tune for several minutes until wearily winding down into silence, the crackling having fully passed.

Technically, Wilco has only performed “Many Worlds” once in full when it was premiered at their Solid Sound Music Festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2022, but its instrumental coda as the outro to “Via Chicago,” has been performed around 20 times at every show following its debut.

Watch the live premiere of “Many Worlds” at Solid Sound (distant but still decent quality):

And witness the song’s coda as added to the Wilco classic, “Via Chicago,” at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 18, 2022:

It will be interesting to see if the lyrical section of the song will return to performances of the song in the future. The first half of the song before the jam seems a shoo-in for Tweedy solo gigs so it’s likely we haven’t heard the last of our vocalist’s lament about the stars on a live stage yet.

Until then, “Via Chicago” gets enhanced by a lush outro that casts a lovely spell over Wilco’s current concerts. Whether it’s a permanent addition of a new trick to an old dog is yet to be seen.

 

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Wilco’s Cruel Country Tour Conquers The West

Official show poster by Zoca

Last Wednesday, Wilco’s Cruel Country tour hit Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, for their tenth show since 1997 at the historic venue. After that rapturously received performance that featured a guest appearance by opener Margo Price, Jeff Tweedy and company were joined by Texas country artist, Terry Allen, in Santa Fe, for a few versions of a few of his tunes; and the Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues” continues to pop up in encores, a welcome addition since the Philco show at the inaugural Sacred Rose Festival at the SeatGeek Stadium outside Chicago on August 26th.

Here’s what when down with Wilco’s shows out west:

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO 9/14/22 

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “I’m the Man Who Loves You” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

The Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM 9/15/22

Official show poster by Matthew Decker

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Company in My Back” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Amarillo Highway” / “The Death of the Last Stripper” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, San Diego, CA 9/17/21

Official poster by Justin Froning/The Housebear

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Muzzle of Bees” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Mystery Binds” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach, CA 9/18/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “War on War” / “Via Chicago” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “California Stars” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “U.S. Blues”

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Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight: “Hold Me Anyway”

Most of the previous entries have been excerpts from Wilcopedia, but since the band has released two records, Ode to Joy and Cruel Country, since my book’s release in 2019, songs from those albums are now being included in this series. This will give folks a bit of a preview of the second edition of Wilcopedia (btw the first edition is at a cool discount price on Amazon!).

This installment of the Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight shines on the next to last song on Wilco’s eleventh studio album, Ode to Joy (2019):

 

“Hold Me Anyway” (Jeff Tweedy)

 

The delicious hook in the form of an infectious chorus helps to make this the album’s most friendly and personable song. Like many of the tracks on Ode to Joy, “Hold Me Anyway” commences with Tweedy’s lone guitar which goes on to accompany the singer’s ponderings. In a couplet reminiscent of “Theologians, Tweedy soberly states “I’m like a hologram / Light is all I am.”

 

While I wrote that this track is a warm one, it does have dark lines about “freaking the fuck out,” and equating oneself with a plastic bag ‘high in an old dead tree.” Such thoughts clear away when the chorus comes around to answer the question, “Are we all in love just because’ with the joyous refrain: “No! I think it’s poetry and magic / Something too big to have a name.”

 

The seemingly bleak lines that follow about how love is still tragic, and wondering who’s to blame when you die, are sung in the same uplifting manner as the “poetry and magic” moment, with Nels Cline’s fuzzy guitar riffing coming in to punctuate the proceedings. The chorus is repeated three times, with no further verses added, but it’s still a winning song structure that results in one of the album’s most memorable moments.

 

“Hold Me Anyway” made its live debut at USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway on September 7, 2019 and, like most of the songs on the album, it has been performed over 60 times through the Ode to Joy tour of 2019-2021. 

Watch the third live performance of “Hold Me Anyway” at Den Grå Hal in Copenhagen, Denmark on Sept. 10, 2019:

“Hold Me Anyway” has also popped up three times on The Tweedy Show, the popular Instagram program featuring the songs and shenanigans of the Tweedy family. Tweedy responded to the many requests for the song from viewers, who the family refer to as “clients,” with a sweet solo version of the song on Episode 20 (April 9, 2020), then it was performed (again solo) as the opening number for Episode 92 (September 3, 2020), dedicated to a client named Kathy; and was lastly strummed on Episode 183 (June 10, 2021).

But since the song concluded Wilco’s set before the encore at the KettleHouse Amphitheater, in Bonner, Montana on August 7, 2021, it has gone into hiding.

 

During the tour for Ode to Joy, a large sign held up by a fan, or a client, quoting the song’s key line, “Thanks for the poetry and magic,” appeared at a few shows. Certainly it’s a sentiment that all Wilco fans can agree with.

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Wilco’s Cruel Country Tour Continues In The Midwest & We've Got Set-lists & Posters To Prove It!

Official poster by Matt Pfahlert/TheSilentP.com.

After a brief break, Wilco’s Cruel Country summer tour continues with stops in Madison, Wisconsin; Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, so let’s catch up with what they played and some of the fine art that accompanied the shows. Yeah, there’s a lot of same-ness here, but some cool tunes revolve in and out, and there’s the highlight of the cover of the Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues.” 

Wilco founder/front man Jeff Tweedy first performed the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter-written song when he and his band’s lead guitarist, Nels Cline, performed with Phil Lesh & Friends at the inaugural Sacred Rose Festival at the SeatGeek Stadium outside Chicago on August 26th. There’s a video of the performance by the band dubbed Philco of the song, which theme and vibe-wise fits well with the Cruel Country material, included below in the setlist entries.

So have at ‘em:

The Sylvee, Madison, WI 9/9/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “ If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (w/ “Many Worlds” outro) / “At Least That's What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere” (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Kicking Television”

Grand Rapids Area Library, Grand Rapids, MN 9/10/22

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “ If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That's What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere” (Beware) / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “I’m the Man Who Loves You”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Outta Mind (Outta Sight)”

Fargo Brewing Company, Fargo, ND 9/11/22

Official show poster by Zach Pape.

“The Plains” / “Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Shouldn’t Be Ashamed” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “All Across the World” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “I’m Always in Love” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “U.S. Blues” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD 9/12/22

Official show poster by A. Micah Smith.

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “How to Fight Loneliness” / “ Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “I’m the Man Who Loves You”

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Monday” / “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”

Next up, Wilco brings Cruel Country to Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colarado. I believe it'll be their 10th time performing at the historic venue so it ought to be a blast.

More later...

Wilco Setlists: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, & Massachusetts

Wilco’s Cruel Country tour continues with dates in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Here's what they played and a few of the cool poster prints that accompanied the shows:

Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY 8/21/22

 

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

 

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

 

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard, LaFayette, NY 8/23/22

Official show poster by Rene Clairin.

“I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “Handshake Drugs” / “Story to Tell” / “Either Way” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Hummingbird” / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” 

 

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Box Full of Letters” / “The Late Greats” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

 

The Green at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT  8/24/22

Official show poster by The Housebear Design.

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War”/ “If I Ever Was a Child”/ “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Tired of Taking It Out on You” /” Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Heavy Metal Drummer” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” 

 

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

 

Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook, Gilford, NH 8/25/22

Official show poster by A Micah Smith.

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda)/ “At Least That’s What You Said” / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

 

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”

 

Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT 8/27/22

Official show poster by Brian Methe.

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Hearts Hard to Find” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” / “California Stars” / “A Lifetime to Find” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

 

Encore: “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” / “Kicking Television”

Veterans Memorial Park, Vineyard Haven, MA 8/28/22

 

“Handshake Drugs” / “I Am My Mother” / “Cruel Country” / “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” / “Hints” / “War on War” / “If I Ever Was a Child” / “Via Chicago” (with “Many Worlds” coda) / “Story to Tell” / “Hummingbird” / “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull” / “Jesus, Etc.” / “Impossible Germany” / “California Stars” / “Box Full of Letters” / “Falling Apart (Right Now)” / “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”

Wilco now takes a break, but the Cruel Country tour will return on September 9 (my Birthday!) when Jeff Tweedy and Company play at the Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin.

More later...