Wilco Welcomes Robyn Hitchcock For Beatles & Soft Boys Covers In Chicago

Wilco began this year’s Winterlude residency at The Chicago Theatre in their hometown of Chicago on Sunday night. The band’s first of four shows came to a close with Robyn Hitchcock leading Wilco through a Beatles cover and a song from Hitchcock’s days in The Soft Boys.

Earlier this year, Wilco released their latest studio album, Ode To Joy, and Sunday’s concert featured live renditions of eight of the 11 tracks on the LP. The band also performed five songs from 2001’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot including “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” “War On War,” “Reservations” and “Jesus, Etc.” Additionally, last night’s 23-song main set contained such classics as “Box Full Of Letters,” “Handshake Drugs,” “Via Chicago” and “Misunderstood.” Guitarist Nels Cline, who appeared on the latest installment of The JamBase Podcast, was showcased on “Bull Black Nova” and “Impossible Germany.”

Wilco returned to the stage to kick off the first encore of the run with “I’m Always In Love.” Jeff Tweedy and company then performed “California Stars” and “The Late Greats” before welcoming Hitchcock to the stage. Robyn was on hand as the opening act for the first two nights of this year’s Winterlude residency. Hitchcock channeled John Lennon on Wilco’s first cover of “Tomorrow Never Knows” since they collaborated with Bob Weir on the song that closes The Beatles’ Revolver LP at the 2016 Sound Summit festival. All previous Wilco versions of “Tomorrow Never Knows” took place during the 2013 AmericanaramA tour and featured a variety of special guests. Last night’s concert came to its conclusion with Hitchcock belting out the Wilco debut of “I Wanna Destroy You.” While Wilco hadn’t performed the Hitchcock-penned opening track from The Soft Boys’ Underwater Moonlight LP prior to last night, Tweedy covered the song during his time in Uncle Tupelo.

Watch a series of fan-shot videos captured by Kamera Camera at last night’s show below:

Tomorrow Never Knows

I Wanna Destroy You

Misunderstood

Impossible Germany