Willkommen Wilco

Hey, we saw Wilco in Belfast and it was beautiful. In a big marquee with fairy lights and happy faces, willing to let Jeff Tweedy and his combo follow their contrary drift. So the free jazz was tolerated, the Krautrock superdrone was indulged, the Memphis soul was a wow and when a well-formed song came out of the ether, it was even more of a joy.

Blimey, Jeff looked like he was enjoying the sense of occasion, remarking about a view of Belfast from the Cave Hill and rebuking an ask for the old fave 'Passenger Side' - he had already played it, dude.

Then like a magician fetching an armadillo from the top hat, Tweedy starts up 'Jesus Etc'. He sustains the tune for a bit, but then when he senses that his audience is utterly into it, he lets them carry the verse, a bit of chorus, some spontaneous cheer. Every stadium lag in the world will do this to schedule, but with Wilco, it really was a surprise and a bonus.



Later in the night, the tender theme is reprised on 'You Never Know', a call for love and understanding, a note from one befuddled generation to another. And while the Americana mob might have preferred more songs from the 'Being There' period, he bats off a fun version of 'I Got You (At The End Of The Century)', still sassy beyond its years. Quality.