Wilco Performs Entire New Album Star Wars At Pitchfork
By Andy Kahn Jul 18, 2015 • 7:00 am PDT
Just one day after surprising the world with an unannounced new album entitled Star Wars, Wilco headlined the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago Friday night, treating their hometown crowd to a complete performance of the new LP. The new songs were just the start to a typically emphatic Wilco set that also included many of their career-spanning live favorites.
After taking the main stage with the Star Wars lead track “EKG” playing over the PA, Jeff Tweedy proceeded to lead the band through the debut of the album’s 10 subsequent tracks. The new material certainly allowed guitarist Nels Cline to shine. Songs like “Random Name Generator,” “Cold Slope” and “You Satellite” in particular gave Cline free reign to unleash an all out assault of shredding, while “Taste The Ceiling” and “Magnetized” demonstrated his deftness on lap steel guitar.
Midway through the set a spectacled Tweedy declared, “This is the first time we’ve played any of these songs, so thank-you,” before launching the debut of the somber “Where Do I Begin.” They continued with the final three songs on the album, punctuated by Tweedy declaring “Alright, that’s Star Wars,” prior to launching “Handshake Drugs” from their 2004 album A Ghost Is Born, which again offered Cline an avenue to fiercely trade licks with Tweedy. Buoyed by the rock solid rhythm section of bassist John Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche, Cline continued to dominate the set on songs like “Impossible Germany,” “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and “Art Of Almost.”
The Being There trio of “Red-Eyed and Blue,” “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” and “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” followed by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “I’m The Man Who Love You” wrapped up the debut-filled headlining set.
Setlist
One Set: EKG (played over the PA as the band took the stage), More…, Random Name Generator, The Joke Explained, You Satellite, Taste The Ceiling, Pickled Ginger, Where Do I Begin, Cold Slope, King of You, Magnetized, Handshake Drugs, Kamera, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart > Art Of Almost, Via Chicago, Impossible Germany, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You (At the End of the Century) > Outtasite (Outta Mind), Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m The Man Who Loves You
After taking the main stage with the Star Wars lead track “EKG” playing over the PA, Jeff Tweedy proceeded to lead the band through the debut of the album’s 10 subsequent tracks. The new material certainly allowed guitarist Nels Cline to shine. Songs like “Random Name Generator,” “Cold Slope” and “You Satellite” in particular gave Cline free reign to unleash an all out assault of shredding, while “Taste The Ceiling” and “Magnetized” demonstrated his deftness on lap steel guitar.
Midway through the set a spectacled Tweedy declared, “This is the first time we’ve played any of these songs, so thank-you,” before launching the debut of the somber “Where Do I Begin.” They continued with the final three songs on the album, punctuated by Tweedy declaring “Alright, that’s Star Wars,” prior to launching “Handshake Drugs” from their 2004 album A Ghost Is Born, which again offered Cline an avenue to fiercely trade licks with Tweedy. Buoyed by the rock solid rhythm section of bassist John Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche, Cline continued to dominate the set on songs like “Impossible Germany,” “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and “Art Of Almost.”
The Being There trio of “Red-Eyed and Blue,” “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” and “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” followed by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “I’m The Man Who Love You” wrapped up the debut-filled headlining set.
Setlist
One Set: EKG (played over the PA as the band took the stage), More…, Random Name Generator, The Joke Explained, You Satellite, Taste The Ceiling, Pickled Ginger, Where Do I Begin, Cold Slope, King of You, Magnetized, Handshake Drugs, Kamera, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart > Art Of Almost, Via Chicago, Impossible Germany, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You (At the End of the Century) > Outtasite (Outta Mind), Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m The Man Who Loves You
