Jeff Tweedy- March 5, 2005
The Vic Theater; Chicago, IL

Opener: The Autumn Defense
Listen to Political Science [Randy Newman cover] from this show [.wma format]

SETLIST:
1. Someone Else's Song
2. Remember The Mountain Bed
3. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
4. Airline To Heaven
5. (Was I) In Your Dreams
6. Wait Up
7. Black Eye
8. Radio King
9. Chinese Apple
10. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard
11. Someday Some Morning Sometime
12. Blasting Fonda
13. Someday Soon
14. Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)
15. Summer Teeth
16. ELT
17. I Can't Keep From Talking
Encore 1:
18. Gun
19. We've Been Had
20. Candyfloss
21. Henry & The H Bombs
22. Acuff-Rose
23. I'm The Man Who Loves You
Encore 2:
24. Misunderstood
Encore 3:
25. Not For The Season (with Glenn)
26. The Family Gardener (with Glenn, Mike and Pat)
--rest of songs with all of Wilco minus Nels--
27. How To Fight Loneliness
28. John Wesley Harding [Bob Dylan cover]
29. Political Science [Randy Newman cover]
30. Hummingbird
31. The Late Greats
Encore 4:
32. Passenger Side
33. California Stars
34. I Shall Be Released [Dylan & The Band cover]

Many things about this show will stick out in my mind for a long time. First, I have never done a back to back "double header" concert like this before...and don't know that I will do it in the same way if I do it again.  I drove three hours up to Chicago on Friday night  for the first show and drove back afterwards (arrived home around 4am).  The next day, I left to head up again, this time with Brianne, someone who I never thought I'd be able to get within an hour of a Wilco-related show. I think promises of Chicago food and a trip to the Field Museum eventually won her over...

In any case, after the first amazing show the night before, I was ready for another great experience.

We ended up being able to snag a chair and bring it to the front row of the balcony...very close and a great place to sit for a show like this.  The Autumn Defense, despite some sound problems at the beginning of their set, played a great selection and basically played what I had hoped for (with the exception of "Iowa City Adieu").  Since two of the members of the band are also members of Wilco, there was high suspicion that part of the night might turn into a Wilco show...although after they were finished they took away their instruments and stands, etc.  Oh well.

Honestly, the Tweedy set started out slow for the first 4-5 songs as most of them had been  played the night before.  That changed suddenly with Wait Up, Radio King, and others that haven't been played in eons. After that, the set became more exciting as the show continued.  He seemed a bit more friendly than the prior night and the crowd was more into it (singing along and what not).  The main set was about the same length as last time, and ended on another nice rarity- "I Can't Keep From Talking".

The (first) encore was nice.  "Henry and the H-Bombs" was my personal favorite selection, and "Acuff Rose" and "Gun" sounded even better than the night before. By the time the encore finished, the crowd was really hopping...

The second encore was odd.  Tweedy did a muted version of "Misunderstood"...instead of the usual shouts of "NOTHING!" during the finale, he more or less did a standard take on the song.  He then walked away...one song for a second encore?

After a second or two of disbelief, some roadies came out and laid down a rug...a rug for a drummer...this was met with applause that I thought would bring the place down.  Glenn (the drummer of Wilco) came out and played a song with Jeff as the crew set up the rest of Wilco's gear on stage. What followed...two full encores with Wilco on stage for a good 45 minutes, was something special. Brianne commented that we got three shows in one. A full set from the Autumn Defense, a 90 minute or so Tweedy solo show, and a 45 minute Wilco show (about the time they'd play for a festival gig). Especially nice were the choice of songs for the full band...Bob Dylan covers and a Randy Newman song with some more obscure Wilco mixed in. Afterwards the crowd was breathless and everyone there seemed downright giddy. A truly special show for anyone who has followed this band and their gigography...couldn't have asked for a better set or a better show. I definitely couldn't have asked for a better concert going weekend.

It made the long drive back to Iowa after the show that much more bearable  :) .