Chicago eight-piece blues-soul outfit, The Congregation took the stage first for a half-hour set that showed off, powerhouse vocalist, Gina Bloom's explosive pipes and a solid mix of soulful horns and loosely flung classic rock n roll guitar. The band did a nice job offering a glimpse into what you can expect from their upcoming debut with a rich blues-dipped sound, but the highlight of the set was their memorable, Stax-esque take on The Stooges' classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog".
Violin virtuoso, Andrew Bird and his band took the stage for a full set ahead of Wilco. The quartet did a brilliant job delivering the whimsical chamber pop sound of Bird's deliriously dreamy studio versions in the outdoor setting. The set started with Bird's trademark whistle wrapped in strummy riffs for "Darkmatter", a perfect introduction for the steady stream of starry-eyed folk-rock that would follow. The wistfully plucked violin and carefree whistling from Bird that comes off so fantastically quaint on album sounded somehow tailor-made for the stadium, as his matter-of-fact melodic vocals and the swirling strings making up songs like "Desperation Breeds" stretching effortlessly through the venue.
The band lent "A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left" a bit of southern twang in the jittery riffs, as mix of Bird's crisp whistling and razor-sharp vocals shot through. From the shifting rhythms and anxiously plucked violin of "Give It Away" to the closing swirl of crowd-pleasing glee of "Fake Palindromes", Bird and crew impressively nailed the dazzlingly nimble nature of his songs. Gorgeous ballad "Effigy" held the energy in the stadium well, thanks in large part to Bird's captivating vocals, while the plucky strings dancing through "Tables And Chairs" left you suddenly realizing what an alarming lack of violin there is in indie rock.
If there was a complaint to be had with Bird's set, you were left wanting even more off his killer Break It Yourself album. The setlist stretched across his catalog, leaning heaviest on the new album. Brilliant standouts like "Lazy Projector" and "Near Death Experience Experience" were sadly absent from the set, though strummy pop gem "Eyeoneye" and romantic "Danse Caribe" representing the latest release well. Bird and band made it abundantly clear that his wistful brand of indie folk plays exceptionally well in the outdoor setting, making him a must-see anywhere he lands this summer.
Wilco took the stage just about sundown for a lengthy set, picking up where Andrew Bird left off with the whistle-happy, synth-dipped bop of "Dawned On Me" before marching into the steady acoustic strut of "War On War". For a venue that does not host many concerts, they did an admirable job with the sound. The drums in Wilco's mix felt a tad muted at points, but were not low enough to derail the otherwise great sound of the set. Jeff Tweedy's mellow vocals worked great with the screechy electro-fuzz and rusted xylophone plinks of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart". The band has an excellent handle on the strength of each of their songs, proving willing and able to stretch and re-mold their older fan favorites in unique ways without snapping the poppy elasticity.
With a guitarist like Nels Cline on stage many bands would be all too eager to turn sets into a mind-numbing pile of jams, but to Wilco's credit they only unleash Cline's beastly guitar skills on the tracks that can take it. The frayed riffs kicking off "Handshake Drugs" were but a hint of things to come, as the song unrolled into a blistering guitar-drenched midsection where the band showed their exceptional jam-band chops. The mellow start to "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" found some of the audience starting to chatter, but the crowd got quiet in a hurry when the guitars picked up. Cline was fantastic throughout, though it seemed as though he could have dropped the guitar and walked off stage following the slithering, soulful jazz-laced solo of "Impossible Germany". Cline's ability to pull off a show-stopping solo that is equal parts technical and soulfully melodic is impressive no matter how many times you hear it.
Rarity, "Not For The Season" sadly turned into a bathroom break song, treading much of the same jam band territory without the towering solo of "Germany", but the band got things back on track quickly with Tweedy's pleading, piano-fueled vocal on "Side With The Seeds", before delivering more guitar thrills. Loosely jangling "Candyfloss" and vibrant "I'm Always In Love" were nice diversions, but the star of the back half of the set was the gorgeous "Jesus, Etc.", with Andrew Bird returning to the stage to lend the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot classic his ingenious violin; gracefully breezing along the verses before coloring the back portion of the song with his nimble picking skills.
Fan favorite, "Heavy Metal Drummer" was a definite crowd-pleaser, but "I'm The Man Who Loves You" sent shockwaves through the venue at the first hint of the wailing distortion as the song ended the main set brilliantly with piano frills and snarling guitars, as the song took on a life of its own live. The first encore opened with the obligatory "Via Chicago", complete with kitchen-sink madness breaking in and out as Tweedy's homesick vocals ease along. Things picked up with the fiery "Art Of Almost", culminating in a psychedelic jam, before ending the first encore with the dark pop of "Shot In The Arm"; ripe with twinkling piano melody and some frantic fret work from Cline in the explosive conclusion.
It is hard to argue with a two-hour ten-minute set, but fans of a band with such an expansive catalog are bound to find their own gaps. The set leaned heaviest on The Whole Love and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, though even AM got some attention in the form of twangy "Box Full Of Letters", and there was a rare appearance of the fantastic "Say You Miss Me". What was played was amazing, but ending the second encore with a pair of Woody Guthrie-penned tunes off the Mermaid Avenue album, "California Stars" and "Hoodoo Voodoo", sandwiching "The Late Greats" felt like a wasted opportunity to squeeze in just a few more of their own choice cuts before curfew. Still, it is a tiny quibble with an otherwise exceptional night of music.
Setlist
Dawned On Me
War On War
I Might
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Box Full Of Letters
Handshake Drugs
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Impossible Germany
Born Alone
Not For The Season
Side With The Seeds
Say You Miss Me
Candyfloss
Jesus, Etc.
Hate It Here
Whole Love
I'm Always In Love
Heavy Metal Drummer
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Via Chicago
Art Of Almost
Standing O
A Shot In The Arm
California Stars
The Late Greats
Hoodoo Voodoo
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