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By Korry Bonhomme Photos by sprout

WILCO I’m going to go out on a limb and say that those who were there to take in the Wilco show this past Monday on an overcast evening at the Malkin Bowl will agree with me when I say it was fantastic, and I also think they will agree with the following comments:
We all know that we live in an age of instant gratification, low impulse control and shortened attention spans, where for example you can no longer see a rock video that doesn’t make extensive use of cutaway shots coming at you at such a rapid fire pace as to be seizure inducing. Why? Because no one can sit through an entire video that consists of just watching a band play. Another example, different genre, hip-hop. When was the last time you saw a video or heard a song on the radio that didn’t have at least one, probably two ‘guest’ artists on them? Why is that? There are many reasons, some good, some bad depending on your perspective, but in the end the result is the same and it’s contributed to your shortened attention span. We live in a society where CNN is the entertainment news with 24 hour Anna Nicole Smith coverage coupled with ongoing updates on Britney Spears hair re-growth status. We’re always running from one place to the next, always planning our next move and thinking about the next thing when we’re presently doing something that we were only ever present for in the past when we were doing the last activity and thinking about this one. Too rarely are we in the moment. What on earth does this have to do with the Wilco show? Allow me to explain.
Given everything I’ve just stated about the un-used, abused and neglected attention span I find that I don’t always live in the present, and this means that at shows I sometimes tune out. One minute I’m happily tapping my feet to the beat, and then the next thing I know I’m looking at my watch, wondering how long the show will last, what time I’ll get to bed by; and will I be able to get up early enough tomorrow to grab a coffee before getting to work five minutes late as usual? Sadly, this is reality. However this last Monday at the Wilco show when I looked down at my watch I wasn’t thinking any of these things. For the first time in a long time I wasn’t thinking about ‘what’s next, or what do I have to do’, I was instead very much in the present, I wasn’t wondering how much longer the show would last, but how much longer I had to enjoy the present moment with my full focus.
The performance, a mix of their older material and new songs from their recently released Sky Blue Sky clocked in at a respectable hour and a half - not including their extended encore – which provided ample time for the audience to enjoy what was very likely one of the better shows to come through town this year.
Unlike myself and my work ethic Wilco are very punctual and arrive for work on time. Wasting no time on introductions, they got right down to business. For the first couple of numbers, apart from impeccable timing, the band didn’t have much interaction with one another. They were very cohesive and were clearly enjoying themselves but apart from a couple of moments throughout the show the members of Wilco never seemed to completely gel with one another. Perhaps this was in part due to Vancouver being the last stop on the Canadian leg of their tour as we were informed by Jeff Tweedy, band leader, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and official on- stage band spokesperson whose interaction with the audience did increase as the night went on. The sound quality of the show was full and rich, which at times was pushed to the limit as the band embraced a ‘wall of sound’ approach created by the six band members who at times consisted of three guitarists, two keyboardists and drummer. In those moments the sound would build to the point of near in-comprehendible noise, and then like a wave breaking the song would level out and the soothing sound of cohesion would wash out of the speakers and over the applauding audience. At points they sounded a little Skynard-esque if you were to listen to ‘Free Bird’ at about the half way mark, the triple guitar plus bass combo proving to be as lethal sounding and visually impressive as ever. They also sounded a little inspired by Radiohead when they were at the end of the OK Computer era, and just getting to Kid A which I’m sure may sound kind of, well, crazy - and that’s ok because it was. Wilco are an amazing live band, and it’s a good thing the show was outdoors, because if the Malkin Bowl had had a lid, they would’ve blown it off.
As the reader you may be thinking that it’s a bit of a stretch to draw such diverse comparisons because the Wilco you know are an Alt Country, Folk-Rock, band whose sound is clearly defined and therefore the band fits nicely into a category. If you made this assumption, you’re not wrong, but you’re not entirely right either. They are that, but they are also so much more, and that’s why they can’t be put into any one category. Not anymore anyway.
Making these comparisons could also lead one to conclude that Wilco are an unoriginal act, and it’s important to clarify that this is not the case, and in fact, couldn’t be further from the truth. The point being made is that Wilco consists of a group of very talented musicians who were able to weave intricate tapestries of sound and lyric into kick ass songs which captured the attention and imagination of the audience and hold it captive for two hours.
The crowd was an intelligent looking bunch, and for the most part they appeared to already know everything I’ve said here. However, for the previously un-initiated and for those who’ve never seen Wilco live, let it be known that this show was a real eye-opener. This about sums it up, I went to this show as a fan and was expecting to see a good show. What I wasn’t expecting was to see a truly great show, or to leave as a Super-Fan.

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