Anti Blog

Daytrotter recently visited Wilco at their Chicago loft-rehearsal space-studio, and captured the band performing a short but absolutely incredible four song set.

“The directory on the outside of the warehouse building has typewritten names next to buttons and their floor simply says, “Foxtrot.” You stop questioning if you’re in the right place anymore. Ascending the steps in the concrete stairway, you can hear the very familiar sound and as you get closer, you begin to make out Jeff Tweedy’s voice. The door opens and you immediately comprehend where you are, but you feel like an intruder, even though you’ve been invited. Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, organist Mikael Jorgensen, guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Sansone couldn’t be kinder or more personable, but you feel like you’re intruding on something that comes close to being a mythological band, in many ways. It feels partly wrong that you’re drinking their spectacularly tasting coffee and snagging handfuls out of their bag of tortilla chips because you shouldn’t be here, peering behind the curtain. You shouldn’t be looking at the prized autographed photos of Bob Newhart and Don Rickles, both made out to who we’re led to believe are each comedian’s biggest fans. There are bunk beds and desks and more privately owned musical equipment than you’ve ever seen – all of it used to make and perform some of this generation’s finest collections of songs.”

The Daytrotter set list includes: ”I Might” ”One Sunday Morning (song for Jane Smiley’s boyfriend)” ”Born Alone” ”Rising Red Lung”

You need to sign in, but it’s well worth it. To read the complete narrative and listen to Wilco perform, just go here.