Wilco at Beacon Theatre (March 19, 2017)

Longstanding Chicago rock staple Wilco have proven themselves to not only be one of America’s most reliable bands in terms of studio releases, but one of the great live acts of rock music. They seem to tour non-stop, but the demand always stays at feverish levels because you know that you are always going to get a top quality show from Jeff Tweedy and co.

Although they released Schmilco last year (via their own dBpm Records), they hadn’t properly brought the tour to us in New York, save for a special Rough Trade NYC in-store performance last fall for fans who bought the record. They righted that this month, with a four-night run of shows at Beacon Theatre.

We caught the second night of the four shows, on March 19. Tweedy and the rest of the band were in top form as usual, while Tweedy was in a particularly chipper mood, proving plenty of his typically hilarious mid-song banter (telling fans who were sitting in the front rows that standing up for a few hours is good exercise and that the Beacon’s exit signs reminded him of the Black Flag font) that made the night even more enjoyable. Not to mention ,the nature imagery that the beautiful backdrop provided was an extra nice touch.

I’ve seen Wilco enough live now that I have to take a few seconds to gather myself when I compile just how many times I’ve seen them (though I’m nowhere near our very own, Bauer). Yet, the setlist at night two was one of the best that I’ve seen from Wilco yet. It did its due diligence with tracks off of Schmilco, but they also comfortably weaved in and out of their ever-growing discography, giving us gem after gem (“Impossible Germany” continues to be impossibly good thanks to the shredding of Nels Cline).

For most bands, after years on the live circuit, usually a few albums get excluded from the setlist to make room for new stuff. But not Wilco. They stay loyal to every one of their albums, and find a way to not only include it into the setlist, but they do it in a way that seems seamless and not forced. It’s an impressive feat, one that I wish more bands would do.

But then again, most bands aren’t Wilco.

Find the setlist posted below, along with some more photos from their performance.

Wilco Setlist:

1. Normal American Kids
2. If I Ever Was a Child
3. Cry All Day
4. Radio Cure
5. Company in My Back
6. The Joke Explained
7. Misunderstood
8. Someone to Lose
9. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
10. At Least That’s What You Said
11. Reservations
12. Impossible Germany
13. California Stars @Cover[Billy Bragg & Wilco]
14. We Aren’t the World (Safety Girl)
15. Forget the Flowers
16. Jesus, Etc.
17. Locator
18. Dawned on Me
19. Theologians
20. I’m the Man Who Loves You
21. Hummingbird
22. The Late Greats