Concert Review: Wilco at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, 2/7/12

There was a telling comment made by Jeff Tweedy about midway through Wilco's stunning two-hour set this past Tuesday at Seattle's Paramount Theatre, that perhaps best summed up the entire evening. Nels Cline had just finished up a particularly spellbinding solo on "Impossible Germany," when Tweedy turned to the guitarist and quipped, "you keep that up, and you might just become the 81st best guitarist in the world."

The comment was meant in humor of course, but he also made an excellent point.

Although Wilco is often thought of as being Jeff Tweedy's band — and rightfully so, since he is their primary singer, songwriter and overall creative mastermind — it was Cline who provided most of the musical fireworks on this night. On songs like "Impossible Germany," "Bull Black Nova" and "Art Of Almost," the virtuoso guitarist didn't so much play his instrument, as he did attack it.

But watching the way that Cline bashes away at the strings to create those glorious washes of cacophonous noise that he does, is just one of the things that makes Wilco such a great live band.

If "One Sunday Morning" (from their great 2011 album The Whole Love) seemed like an uncharacteristically quiet choice to open a big rock show with, it also provided the rest of the boys in the band their own chance to shine. The pristine acoustics of the Paramount served Wilco particularly well here, as they were able to recreate the delicate layers of the album version perfectly, right down to the more subtle keyboard flourishes of Mikael Jorgenson and Pat Sansone.

Bassist (and co-founder) John Stirratt was another standout throughout the night, providing both the thunderous bottom layer anchoring songs like "I Might" and "Bull Black Nova," and contrasting the lighter shades of "One Sunday Morning" with deeper tones that resonated beautifully throughout the entire building. In addition to providing the big beat which served as the kickstarter for Cline's guitar pyrotechnics on "Art Of Almost" and "Bull Black Nova," drummer Glenn Kotche also played a variety of bells, chimes and other percussive instruments.

Article Author: Glen Boyd

You'll find Blogcritics music editor Glen Boyd sharing his Thoughtmares on his personal blog The Rockologist. Glen is also the author of Neil Young FAQ, published in May 2012 by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard Publishing.

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