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Wilco with Low at Bayfront Festival Park on 9/4/07

By: Jon Behm

 
 Jeff Tweedy of Wilco - Photo by Jon Behm

Duluth is somewhat colder than Minneapolis. In fact the difference last Tuesday was about 45 degrees, as some found out the hard way (me), by showing up at the Wilco show at the Bayfront Festival Park in t-shirts and sandals. After many an erect nipple was swiftly buried under sweaters, Gore-Tex or whatever was available, a few thousand crowded in front of the stage to wait for the much anticipated show.

“Hey bro! Hey bro!” the long haired guy next to me hollered in between taking pulls on his one-hitter. “Dude, bro! Bring out the Tweeeeeeeed!” The targets of his command were the roadies onstage tuning “The Tweed’s” various guitars. Fortunately, they didn’t pay him or any of the other numerous loud hippy-frat boys in the audience any mind. To my relief, when the band finally took the stage everyone quieted down. This was possibly due to the calming effects of Marijuana, which there seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of near the front of the stage. 

My first Wilco show was an impressive one. After taking a few songs to warm up, Jeff Tweedy and company played as if they were trying to make up for August’s canceled show by jamming longer and harder than anyone expected. Nels Cline, the towering Norse God of Guitar, was especially awe-inspiring on his Fender Jazzmaster. At one point I heard someone in the audience whisper “I can’t believe that his strings don’t break.” Cline also had a stuffed Loon that produced a call when squeezed, and he occasionally held it by the guitar strings, producing that strange wailing cry that Minnesotans know so well over his playing. 

Wilco - Photo by Jon Behm

Standout tracks from the regular set included “Hummingbird” and “Impossible Germany.” For me, the best track of the night by far was “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” both because it was performed well and because it happens to be a favorite of mine. What sounded like soft thunder over many of the songs was actually the effect of the wind blowing into the microphones as the weather got worse. Mist and fog rolled in over the stage as well and gave the band an impressive backdrop of swirling water particles.  The stage lights even got into the act, swinging around in the wind like a ship’s lanterns on the stormy sea. 

Though the audience was full of shivering Twin Cities wimps like myself (people from Duluth don’t shiver), they kept asking for seconds and third helpings. Their exuberance was rewarded with two big encores—one of which contained two great Mermaid Avenue tracks, “Hesitating Beauty” and “California Stars,” and a second encore that included a pretty decent “Heavy Metal Drummer.” 

 Wilco was joined onstage at one point by members of the opening band Low. Though Alan Sparhawk at first appeared to have a difficult time getting into the groove, he eventually scored a blistering guitar solo of his own. The local band did us proud as well by opening the show with an impressive set that included perhaps the loveliest rendition of “Silver Rider” that I have ever heard. 

Alan Sparhawk of Low - Photo by Jon Behm

About halfway through Low’s opening set, Sparhawk directed the audience to turn around and look at Duluth behind them. “Isn’t that the most beautiful city you have ever seen?” he asked us as we gazed at the mist-enshrouded buildings on the hill.  With the sun going down over the skyline, I have to admit that the city did look pretty enchanting. Inviting even.   

That isn’t to say though that I wasn’t happy to slip back across the Arctic Circle into Minneapolis later that night to recount happy concert memories from the warmth of my apartment.

 

Location Info: Bayfront Festival Park
Artist Info: Low, Wilco

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