Lauded Midwestern band pleases fans its own way
Published: July 23rd, 2008 09:56 PM
Last Modified: July 23rd, 2008 11:00 PM
Photo by MARC LESTER / Anchorage Daily News /
Wilco performed for a crowd of thousands that turned out despite the steady rain that fell throughout the show on Saturday evening, July 26, 2008, at the Moose's Tooth parking lot.
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Bassist John Stirratt has seen more band lineups in his 14 years with Wilco than a 17-year-old girl’s mom sees dresses during prom season. Heck, there are almost as many former members of the band (five) as there are current (six).
While parting with old friends has been tough, the change has allowed the Chicago-based band to evolve from it’s alt-country start into a less definable but ultimately more popular style and sound after six studio albums and countless hours on the road.
“It’s absolutely reflected (in the sound) with all the different personalities that have come through the band at different times,” Stirratt said via phone last week.
Only Stirratt and singer Jeff Tweedy are left from the original incarnation, a four-piece that rose from the ashes of relatively popular alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo. Joining Tweedy and Stirratt in the current lineup, which has been together since 2003, are guitarist Nels Cline, drummer Glenn Kotche plus multi-instrumentalists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen.
That versatile group is on a roll: Wilco’s 2007 album, “Sky Blue Sky,” garnered the band a Grammy nomination for best rock album. And 2004’s “A Ghost is Born” nabbed two trophies including one for best alternative music album.
The accolades and a still-growing fan base are a sign of the band’s growth and staying power, which can be traced Tweedy, to its creative center.
“Luckily Jeff is sort of a fountainhead for a lot of really great material and we work hard to present it in an interesting manner,” Stirratt said.
After a show in Fairbanks today, the band will make its Anchorage debut Saturday during at the Moose’s Tooth 12th Anniversary Party with local favorites The Whipsaws as openers. It’ll be quite the contrast in crowd size when the band plays its first gig after its Alaska dates: Lollapalooza.
Stirratt said Alaskan fans will get more Wilco for their buck than those shelling out in Chicago.
“It’ll be a lot longer and more in-depth,” Stirratt said. “I think we’ll do like 90 minutes at Lollapalooza, and this show will be a few hours. This lineup can kind of cover every stage of the band’s career. That’s been the cool thing about this lineup; we’ve really mastered the Wilco back catalog.”
We asked the Wilco veteran to touch on the band’s success, record label troubles, fan-friendliness and the joys of touring:
Q. You joined Uncle Tupelo in 1993, and since then the band has reformed as Wilco, been the subject of a film, produced a book, had a book written about it and won Grammys. Did you ever anticipate this? Do you pinch yourself sometimes?
A. Like daily. ... As time goes on, I’m just eternally grateful for everything. I run into people from the early days all the time, and they ask me the same question. I’m amazed, to be honest. I knew I would always play music, but I didn’t expect to do it for a living.
Q. There’s been a lot of different labels tossed around about Wilco, whether it’s alt-country, alternative rock, Americana, indie rock, roots rock or even the American Radiohead. Is there a label that fits best?
A. I can’t really think of one. There’s never been any label like that that I’ve been completely satisfied with. At least it indicates that someone cares and is writing about the band. But I don’t think there are that many musicians out there who are into a certain label. It’s kind of not congruous with what you think about yourself.
Q. You guys have always stayed true to your independent aesthetic. Was that a stated goal of the band’s from the start?
A. It was the climate of that era, ruling out anything that was somewhat mainstream. We were a product of the times, I think. Jeff (Tweedy), myself and other people our age were weaned on your — you know — what we called underground music; an era of “this music can be your life”, you know. Bands like Black Flag, being into the SST (Records) roster (which included bands like the Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr.). They were sort of uncompromising. It was during such a bleak, bleak era of hair bands, and I always embraced bands that were sort of losers, whether it be Hüsker Dü or the Replacements or later bands like Badfinger or Big Star ... bands that never really reached their potential. I always thought there was something romantic about that.
Q. You and lead singer Jeff Tweedy are the only remaining members of the original lineup. With band members coming and going, label troubles, Tweedy’s issue with addiction and depression, how has that evolution been for you?
A. It’s been painful at times. There’s a lot of drama around most bands, and we’ve had our share. To come out of that drama at a higher level than we’d been is gratifying. Generally a lot of bands don’t get to that. Traditionally there’s sort of a chaotic early- to mid-period for bands that they usually don’t survive. We feel lucky we’ve made it through to other end.
Q. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” was streamed for free on your Web site while you were between labels, which put you at the forefront of artists who embraced the Internet, and it ultimately helped get the band picked up again by Nonesuch Records. You’ve done the same with albums since then. How much has that helped you guys establish yourself with the fans?
A. If you feel really good about your music, you want to get it out there and you expect the cream to rise to the top. That was the goal for us; we just wanted to give people a chance to hear it. We still had to tour cause it has always been our bread and butter. That was the way we could get some new Wilco songs to the people. It was pretty much as simple as that. The response was great.
Q. Pick one album to best represent Wilco to a fresh set of ears.
A. I’d probably have to say “Sky Blue Sky” just with where we’re at now. It’s the current line-up, you know. But its funny how pervasive the live album is with the taping and trading and how many people know the newer versions of the old material. A lot of people have that album and haven’t heard an original version of “Shot in the Arm” from “Summerteeth.”
Q. What do you like better: touring or recording?
A. Um, God, I wanna say recording but I still really enjoy traveling, even with a family and a young child. It gets way harder to leave, but I enjoy the live feeling and the shows. It’s awful not to play in front of 3,000 really excited people. That’s sort of the essence of my dream situation. I’m reminded of that the first show of every tour.
Q. Is there a soundtrack to a Wilco tour?
A. Not really. It’s funny because the older we are, we really try to rest our ears when we’re not on stage. People definitely listen to music privately and occaisonally someone will say, “Check this band out,” but it’s generally movies on the bus after the show. Something a little quiter than music.
Q. This is probably one of those interesting tour dates for you guys, right?
A. Totally. You live for it when you’ve done this for 14 years. I definitely look forward to it more than a Midwestern gig.
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