Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Jeff Tweedy- Pabst Theater, 6/16/14

photo ©2014 CJ Foeckler
©2014 CJ Foeckler
Simply put, Jeff Tweedy is a storyteller.  Whether he is playing with his main musical outlet, Wilco, by himself, or with his son and several other musicians, Jeff's songs create sweeping landscapes and tales. Taking in the show from the second row of the beautiful Pabst Theater was quite an experience to behold, as I was literally looking up at my favorite singer-songwriter.  While I've seen Tweedy solo on several occasions prior, the show Monday night at the Pabst Theater was perhaps his most unique solo venture to date.  Tweedy opened with a set of tunes from his forthcoming album Sukierae which is slated for release in September.  This portion of the show saw the troubadour backed by a group of younger musicians, including his son Spencer on the drums.  Tweedy's new material was excellent, and despite not knowing any of the songs aside from the opener, "Down from Above," I, along with the rest of the crowd was thoroughly engaged.  Jim Elkington, the touring guitarist at times invoked the spirit of Wilco axe man extraordinaire Nels Cline with some of his riffs and arrangements.  Much of this newer material varied from darker timbres to more pop-rock numbers that were, in general, more straight forward than Wilco arrangements.  Simply put, the new stuff was good, and I can't wait for Tweedy's record to drop later this year.

The second half of the show was more of what we've come t expect out of Jeff Tweedy solo... Jeff, alone with his guitar, telling stories and playing songs.  Tweedy is known for his crowd banter, and I was pleased to be acknowledged from the second row by my favorite singer regarding my retro Brewers hat, which was a sign that "he was in Wisconsin."  Tweedy also made comments throughout the evening about whether or not Neil Young would get so many "good jobs" in between songs.  This lighthearted friendly demeanor would make Tweedy's songs and stories appropriate for both the Pabst Theater as well as your front porch. Tweedy's acoustic set featured songs spanning his work with Wilco, Uncle Tupelo and Golden Smog.  Highlights included a splendid start to the acoustic portion with "Via Chicago," "Spiders (Kidsmoke)," "Muzzle of Bees," and the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot classic, "I'm Trying to Break Your Heart" kicking off the show.  Other highlights were a jingly version of Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," and  slightly rearranged, "Jesus, Etc." The set closer, "Pecan Pie" was exceptionally well-played as a dedication, to his wife Susan Miller who is battling lymphoma.

For his encore, Tweedy really wowed the crowd, with a cover of Doug Sham's "Give Back the Key to My Heart," a tune that was performed regularly with Uncle Tupelo, with Jay Farrar taking the lead vocals.  It was a somewhat eerie selection as it was the very last tune Tupelo played together at their May 1, 1994 Mississippi Night performance in St. Louis before disbanding (#wilconerdforknowingthat).  Finally, to cap off the evening, Tweedy stood before the crowd with performing an un-miced version of "Misunderstood," one of my favorite tunes from Wilco's catalog of tunes.

Overall from new material to older classics, it was a night of wonderful music and stories shared by all.  

©2014 CJ Foeckler; check out the guy with the Brewer hat in the second row :)
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