By Peter Thomas Ricci<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hardly controversial, at this point, to label Wilco Chicago\u2019s definitive rock band. After 22 years, 10 studio albums, and countless tracks defining the discreet agonies and ecstasies of Midwest life, the band has become a Chicago institution, and its phenomenal concerts \u2013 including night one of its 2017 Winterlude at the Chicago Theater \u2013 are ground zero for its fans.<\/p>\n
But before Wilco even took the stage, concertgoers were treated to a remarkable opening set from The Flat Five, a local supergroup composed of top-notch Chicago musicians. Featuring Kelly Hogan, Nora O\u2019Connor, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough, and Alex Hall, the group is, as Hogan described it during the show, \u201ca positive pop band,\u201d and its five-part harmonies, delectable melodies, and sugar-sweet instrumentation left the audience enchanted. In an era of music where aggression is all around us, the welcoming sound of The Flat Five \u2013 equal parts Beach Boys, Brazil 66, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, with some kazoos and other modern sounds thrown in \u2013 was a most welcome breath of fresh air, and I cannot wait to see them live again.<\/p>\n
Wilco took the stage shortly after \u2013 shoutout to the band\u2019s crew, which set everything up in remarkably short order \u2013 and from its first song, the classic (and hauntingly prescient) \u201cAshes of American Flags,\u201d the band reaffirmed why it is performing four sold-out shows at such a large and historic venue: Tweedy\u2019s voice remains a phenomenal instrument, capable of wringing hidden meanings and narratives out of his literary lyrics; Nels Cline\u2019s guitar lines defy gravity; Pat Sansone\u2019s multi-instrumental brilliance covers everything from banjo, to organ, to glockenspiel, to his own guitar heroics; and the rhythm work of Mikael Jorgensen, John Stirratt, and Glenn Kotche is as focused and driving as ever.<\/p>\n
The true pleasures of seeing Wilco live \u2013 and by this point, I\u2019ve probably seen the group perform a dozen times \u2013 is picking up on the subtle variations in familiar territory, hearing how the group\u2019s latest evolution has re-formed old classics. Like how the alt-country elements of \u201cMisunderstood\u201d were emphasized, or how \u201cPot Kettle Black\u201d took on prog-rock touches, or how a stripped-down \u201cBull Black Nova\u201d was even more threatening and unsettling than its angrier, louder iterations, or how the instrumental breakdowns of \u201cVia Chicago\u201d and \u201cSpiders (Kidsmoke)\u201d verged on Coltrane-esque free jazz, or how the eccentric folk beat of \u201cCry All Day\u201d (from the band\u2019s latest album, \u2018Schmilco\u2019) segued\u00a0 beautifully to the ever peculiar \u201cI Am Trying to Break Your Heart.\u201d This is truly a band at the top of its game, and seeing it perform on its home turf is a pleasure.<\/p>\n
=========================================================================================================<\/p>\n
For more information about Wilco, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more info about The Flat Five, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n