Watch Jeff Tweedy Cover Arthur Russell & Perfume Genius In Des Moines

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and his solo band landed in Des Moines, Iowa, for a concert at Hoyt Sherman Place on Tuesday night. The concert’s encore featured covers of noted Iowans, with takes on songs by Perfume Genius and the late Arthur Russell.

Tweedy’s tour in support of his 2025 solo album, Twilight Override, has kept up a continuous theme of covering songs by musicians associated with stops along the way.

During the encore at Hoyt Sherman Place, Tweedy dialed up a cover of “I Couldn’t Say It to Your Face” by Arthur Russell, who was born and raised about an hour’s drive southeast of Des Moines, in Oskaloosa. Russell tragically died from AIDS in 1992 at age 40, leaving behind an eclectic and influential body of work.

“I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” was posthumously released on the 2016 compilation Love Is Overtaking Me. Tweedy shared a recording of the song last July through his “Starship Casual” newsletter.

“This is one of my favorite songs by Arthur Russell,” Tweedy wrote on his Substack. “I recently figured out how to play it on an acoustic guitar with the same kind of suspension that he has on the piano, which I’ve always found interesting and beautiful. That’s the kind of thing that makes me excited, learning how to recreate a melody like that. But anyway, I love this song and I thought I’d share it.”

Jeff Tweedy’s son, keyboardist Sammy Tweedy, handled lead vocals on “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face.”

After covering Arthur Russell in Des Moines, Tweedy then covered “Queen” by local native Perfume Genius (singer-songwriter Michael Alden Hadreas). The song comes from the third Perfume Genius album, 2014’s Too Bright. Guitarist Liam Kazar took up lead vocals on “Queen.”

Tweedy and his band continue their tour tonight in Omaha. Watch the group cover Arthur Russell and Perfume Genius from videos posted by @silasmatthews8373: