Wilco
National Arts Centre
March 1, 2010
4/5 Stars
On two occasions when asking friends if they wanted to go see Wilco, I got the same response: “What’s Wilco?”
Fair enough.
It’s not exactly your standard band name, but its true meaning makes for a good laugh: Wilco stands for will comply – not exactly what the concept of rock ’n’ roll is rooted in.
And Wilco is no standard band either.
The group’s music could be described as a combination of alternative, country, rock, pop and experimental. And that wacky combination is exactly what makes their music, and especially their shows, so special.
Bursting out onto the Ottawa stage with a rocking “Wilco” (the song) off of their latest release Wilco (the album), a running theme for the night came into effect: “Wilco will love you, baby.”
The group may have arrived in Ottawa towards the tail end of their Frozen Tundra tour, but frontman Jeff Tweedy and co. were clearly in good spirits all night, which made for a laid back environment in which band and crowd were eerily equal.
“You’re starting to sound like Americans,” Tweedy kidded of a Canadian crowd still basking in the glory of their gold medal hockey win.
An early set highlight included a stunning “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” during which Tweedy’s voice softly articulated the feelings of a troubled character who is trying to understand his love relationship: “What was I thinkin’ when I let you back in?” to “What was I thinking when I let go of you?”
The rest of the band must not be forgotten, either.
A very underrated guitarist in Nils Cline frenetically wailed away on his guitar during “Handshake Drugs,” and on “Spiders” keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen could be seen pressing a pillow on the keys for a desired effect.
One criticism of the band is that at times it does is make noise, sometimes hailed as part of its genius by fans, but to the average onlooker, at time some of their songs seemed to drag on.
But that is just one minor criticism from what was an excellent live show.
On the commercially accessible “Jesus, etc.,” Tweedy handed the mike over to an eager and loud crowd, which made for an awesome moment that is too few and far between at the usually subdued National Arts Centre.
Even though Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt are the only originals left in the band, and the band’s music has changed over the years — it has even been accused of dabbling in, wait for it, “daddy rock” — its influence as artists is undeniable.
And as for those seemingly self-loathing words, “Wilco will love you, baby” . . . well they quite simply explain the reason behind the Chicago band’s cult-like following. Whenever times get rough, Wilco will be there to comfort you with their genre-defying music.
On another note, opening act Bahamas, which is guitarist-singer Afie Jurvanen with a touring drummer, delivered a surprisingly good set. Jurvanen almost reminds you of a minimalist John Mayer — without any of the drama.
As an added bonus, he is about as Canadian as you can get, with a song the likes of “Hockey Teeth.” Expect to see Bahamas headlining its own shows shortly.