photo by mbwa kahawa

After 13 years, 6 studio albums, hundreds of shows, and several personnel changes, the collective that is Wilco is having fun. That much was apparent at Wednesday night’s performance.Throughout their albums, a common theme of well-crafted songs is present, though styles have changed drastically and each incarnation of the band shines through with each new release. For this performance at home in Chicago, Wilco showcased all of their styles–unexpectedly playing songs from each of their albums.

Some standouts of the evening were “Pot Kettle Black,” “Via Chicago,” “Too Far Apart,” and an encore that featured 6 songs from their early albums, including “Red Eyed and Blue” and, naturally, “I Got You (At the End of the Century).”

Even if some members of the audience couldn’t figure out exactly what Jeff wanted from them during “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” they were still an energetic bunch: old, young, new, and long-time fans alike. Even the folks on the lawn (who couldn’t see the stage at all) had a good time. The sound quality was great (but that’s expected of Pritzker), and rumors are floating around that this show was professionally video-recorded.

All in all, Wilco displayed their talents, their range, and a strong desire to have fun. They also demonstrated their ability to move as one instead of six, which always makes a live show more enjoyable. And as if that wasn’t enough, proceeds from the event benefitted the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.