Will comply

What was I thinking when I considered skipping Wilco's Columbus concert date in support of their latest album Sky Blue Sky? I'd seen them four times--not to mention lead singer Jeff Tweedy solo once--and never been disappointed. Tonight's sold out concert made me glad I wised up and bought a ticket before it was too late. Wilco was on fire this evening.

If it matters, I might as well tell you that there will be no knitting related content today other than I considered taking the scarf with me to keep me occupied while I waited. I didn't. I took the newspaper instead, although it's indicative of how busy I've been yesterday and today that I accidentally brought Monday's edition.

So, the concert... The only misstep the band took was a literal one. At the start of the show guitarist Nels Cline took a spectacular tumble on the way to his spot on stage right. He wasn't injured, most likely because the band understands the importance of wrist awareness, and it paid off with a banana peel being brought onto the stage for the encore. Good one, guys.

From reworked opener "Sunken Treasure" to the pop-rock blast of closer "Outtasite (Outta Mind)", Wilco tore through a two-hour set that drew more songs from Being There than I expected. "Handshake Drugs" climaxed with a roar of guitars that sounded like (and nearly felt like) standing in front of a jet engine. I thrilled to the recognition of what sounds like a circular saw tickling piano wires near the start of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" and Cline's ripping solo on "Impossible Germany". "Spiders (Kidsmoke)", in which I heard some Byrds overtones for the first time, provided a blazing conclusion to the first encore.

I realize the whole encore business isn't spontaneous, but tonight's audience would have earned the two encores with its thunderous approval for the six-piece band's performance. The crowd was loud when Wilco left the stage and louder when they returned. And why not? These were professionals at the top of their game.

Not even my great luck in sitting a row behind and just to the side of the only three people in the back of the balcony who wanted to express their appreciation throughout the show so everyone would know could ruin the experience. Standing despite no one else in the section doing so? Check. Randomly screaming "woooooooooo!" in the middle of songs? Check. Singing along loudly and out of key? Check. Bad dancing, flailing arms, and clapping hands? Check. The word "douchebags" was directed their way by more than a few people, which only emboldened their expression of true fandom...until they left early in the first encore. I'll never understand.

I enjoyed opening act Andrew Bird's forty-minute set--he joined Wilco to play violin during "Jesus, Etc."--and umm, that's all I have to say about that.

Great show. Back to knitting or something more on topic tomorrow.