September 17, 2015 – Cleveland, OH – Wilco, William Tyler

Venue:  Cleveland Masonic Auditorium

This was the third time that I saw Wilco.

I have always been just enough of a fan of Wilco to go see them live, but not enough of a fan to exhaustively acquire and listen to all of their music.  However, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot remains one of the favorite albums of the first decade of this century.

Wilco and I have a casual relationship.  I kind enjoy not knowing all the songs I am going to hear, and then working things in reverse.  For example, they played a rare B-side called Panthers at this show, that I had never heard and really liked, so I came home and found it online.

Their show in Akron the previous year was really good, and they played my favorite Wilco song, Poor Places.  It was unfortunate that while they seemed genuinely happy to be in Akron, they seemed a little on edge, and maybe even a little tired this night in Cleveland.

The Masonic Auditorium (a beautiful venue) was only about 2/3 full, and seemed to send back the same tired and semi-interested vibes.  Not that Wilco didn't play well or have energy, but just that they sent out a vibe that kept things muted and distant.

I went with my friend Chuck, and we were surprised to see an acquaintance of ours there with a group of girls that he always hung around.  His name is Steve, and at the time I harbored an only half-joking hatred of him, because he would occasionally beat me and my team at trivia at a local bar.

At one point, Steve wanted to go out a side door and get some fresh air, and I was watching from a distance as Wilco were going through the motions.  Steve is over on the side of the pit and trying to convince a security guy to let him outside and he grabs the guys arm in a non threatening manner and the security guard almost punches him.  Steve back off and they go back to watching the show, only to disappear a few songs from the end.

This was also one of the many shows where a stumbling drunk moron was dancing like a maniac one minute and then being hauled off the floor the next by a bunch of angry vigilante crowd members.  I remember overhearing that the drunk guy touched a girl inappropriately.

There was a lot of crap going on at this show, but I sadly remember little of Wilco's part in it.

Impossible Germany and Via Chicago were good!