Wilco at the Riverside in Milwaukee
Celebrating 20 years of the current line-up, WILCO prove they’re ready for Infinity
The current lineup of Wilco is celebrating 20 years together. Guitarist/keyboardist Pat Sansone and guitarist Nels Cline were added to the team when Leroy Bach departed after the recording of “A Ghost is Born.” And while Sansone and Cline didn’t appear on that album, the boys must have felt like celebrating its anniversary Wednesday, June 12, in Milwaukee as they kicked off the North American leg of their “Tour to Infinity.” Five songs from that Grammy-winning effort appeared in the setlist.
After opening the night with “Infinite Surprise,” the opening track from last year’s Cousin, Wilco dove into “At Least That’s What You Said” and “Handshake Drugs.” “Hummingbird” and “The Late Greats” also found their way into the performance with “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” capping a raucous and lengthy encore.
Overall, the evening was a career-spanning smorgasbord that dipped into 1995’s debut A.M. for “Box Full of Letters” and spread on a number of tracks from both 2022’s Cruel Country and 2023’s Cousin. I was expecting to get a taste of new music from the forthcoming Hot Sun Cool Shroud EP that is slated to drop June 28; but it never came.
What did come was plenty of crowd favorites, several sing-a-long moments and some veteran jam sessions. It all combined to prove nearly 30 years in, Wilco is still not only relevant, they remain at or near the top of their game. If the warm welcome they received in Milwaukee is indicative of how they will be received on the rest of their stops, it would seem only their aging bodies could derail a true tour to infinity. Afterall, we are all mortal; but Jeff Tweedy and crew have seemed to tap into something that is more lasting.
After two shows at the Salt Shed in Chicago this past weekend, the tour heads south to Raleigh, North Carolina, June 18; Vienna, Virginia, June 20; and then three nights at the Beacon Theater in New York before Wilco play host to their annual Solid Sound Festival in North Adams, Massachusetts, June 28-30. If you plan on seeing a show, don’t forget to head to wilcoworld.net/shows beforehand to request a song.
Cut Worms opened the show with some really great energy, cool songs, and did right by the fans. https://www.cut-worms.com
Enjoy some of our previous Wilco coverage here: Show Review: Wilco at Westville Music Bowl August 27
Setlist
Infinite Surprise (Cousin, 2023)
At Least That’s What You Said (A Ghost is Born, 2004)
Handshake Drugs (A Ghost is Born, 2004)
Pittsburgh (Cousin, 2023)
I Am My Mother (Cruel Country, 2022)
Cruel Country (Cruel Country, 2022)
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002)
One Wing (Wilco (The Album) 2008)
Cousin (Cousin, 2023)
Hummingbird (A Ghost is Born, 2004)
Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull (Cruel Country, 2022)
Evicted (Cousin, 2023)
Box Full of Letters (A.M., 1995)
Jesus, Etc. (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002)
Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky, 2007)
Heavy Metal Drummer (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002)
The Late Greats (A Ghost is Born, 2004)
A Shot in the Arm (Summer Teeth, 1999)
Encore
20. Via Chicago (Summer Teeth, 1999)
21. California Stars (Mermaid Avenue, 1998)
22. Falling Apart (Right Now) (Cruel Country, 2022)
23. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (A Ghost is Born, 2004)
Excellent Ric!