Wilco is Trying To Break Your Curfew

It Happened Last Night

Wilco is Trying To Break Your Curfew

CHICAGO: Hometown crowd's love affair with its favorite sons is a beautifully long engagement.

By Lizz Kannenberg 09.13.07 3:00 AM

PHOTOS BY LAURA GRAY

If, say, Sufjan Stevens is the pretty face of independent-minded music, Jeff Tweedy is its undeniable spirit. Under the cool Chicago stars last night (Sept. 12), Tweedy and the rest of Wilco held court for more than two hours during a set that spanned the depth and breadth of the band's impressive catalog. The scruffy-faced frontman was engaging and droll, playfully scolding the Jewish members of the audience for skipping Rosh Hashanah and wryly commiserating with the fans at the back of the gorgeous Jay Pritzker Pavillion: "Hey you guys on the lawn, I wish you could see us…we look awesome!"

They sounded even more awesome, as Tweedy calmly delivered his iconic tunes amidst the whirlwind of Glenn Kotche's mind-blowing percussion and Nels Cline's frenetic guitar work. Fan favorites like "Via Chicago" and "Jesus, Etc." laid the groundwork for the incredible second encore, a strut back in time that included a rare live performance of A.M.'s "Casino Queen" and a heart-tugging "Red-Eyed and Blue." Though the crowd was diverse, running the gamut from parents with youngsters in tow to overzealous dude-bros to hardcore Wilco nerds, one thing was as clear as the early fall evening in Chicago: none of the 10,000 people in Millennium Park last evening walked away without knowing that Wilco may be the finest band working today.

We asked: Chicago has always been a prominent theme for Wilco, in lyrics, artwork, and the like. What's your favorite Wilco reference to the Windy City and why?

Name: Aaron Mortenson
Age: 27
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Musician
"It's "Via Chicago," off of Summerteeth -- "I'm coming home via Chicago." It's a sad song that has a lot of hope buried in it."

Name: Anne Sullivan
Age: 34
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Buyer
"It has to be the cover of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot that reminds me of Chicago, because of the honeycomb towers."

Name: Megan Shaw
Age: 27
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Analyst
"The cover of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with the Marina Towers on it."

Name: Eric S. Clarke
Age: 34
Hometown: Vernon, NJ
Occupation: Self-employed
"Definitely 'Kiss and ride on the CTA' from 'Far, Far Away.'"

Name: Mike Betzel
Age: 25
Hometown: La Grange, IL
Occupation: Fruit farmer
"Every time I ride the train or bus, I think of the line about kissing and riding on the CTA. How could you not?"

Name: Beth Page
Age: 45
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Secretary
"From 'Jesus, Etc.,' when Tweedy says "Skyscrapers scraping." Every time I hear that line, I picture the Chicago skyline."

Name: Joanna Peot
Age: 25
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Occupation: PR
"My reason is a little bizarre. I used to waitress, and I was serving this guy and he was really cute. He said he was in a band so I asked which one, and he said, 'Wilco.' I immediately started stuttering and blushing."

Name: Eric Gueller
Age: 29
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Stubhub.com
"The first week after I moved to Chicago, I saw John Stirratt walking down the street in Lincoln Park. Talk about a good introduction to the city!"