Wilco — 12 June 2026, Grand Rapids, MI (Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheatre)

[note: Your humble correspondent did not attend one show since the previous Wilco post: 9 May (Denver, CO; benefit for Colorado Academy)]

Jun 15, 2026

And…we’re officially on the road to Solid Sound, both myself (in my weathered but reliable Honda HR-V) and the Wilco caravan (which now consists, I think, of three tour buses and a semi tractor trailer). Just over a month after last taking the stage together inside ~~a theater in Albuquerque, N.M.~~ a high school field house in Denver, Jeff and Co. began their path to the Berkshires with a delightful Friday night outdoor show in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Indeed, summer was in the air (if not yet officially on the calendar) at the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheatre, which saw the majority of attendees seemingly sporting shorts and sandals and toting their own folding chairs and coolers into the picturesque venue, which featured stadium-style grassy tiers gradually sloping away from a concrete bandshell. Fortunately there was a pit area in front of the stage — which, as you might expect in a botanical garden, was separated from the audience by a decent-sized flower bed instead of the typical metal barricade — in which standing was allowed.

Fortunately for the band, as Jeff noted, the sun was mostly in the eyes of the audience rather than the performers for a change. And given the earlier-than-usual start time (6:30 p.m.), that was indeed a factor for much of the show. “What I’m looking at is everyone wearing sunglasses, and those who aren’t are squinty,” Jeff observed near the end of the first set. “Usually we’re the ones facing the sun, so this is refreshing.”

Jeff didn’t pay too many visits to Banter Corner during Set 1, or really throughout the show as a whole. Probably his most noteworthy effort in that regard came near the end of the first set when he went back to a reliable old line — “we’re getting pretty close to the end” — but put a new twist on it. “We’re getting pretty close to the end of this one,” Jeff said, meaning the first set but then instead half-jokingly saying “democracy.” Jeff continued: “That’s not funny,” and then in a kind-of singsong-y tone. “No, democracy’s safe — as long as you give a shit. I know I do.”

Also catching Jeff’s eye early on and prompting a complimentary comment was a woman in the front row wearing a black baseball cap with what appeared to be an image of a Chicago-style hot dog on it. “I’m jealous of your hot dog hat,” Jeff said to her. “Father’s Day’s coming up…” (I happen to know the cap wearer, who is from Chicago, and she told me that it was actually a Fruit Bats merch item commemorating their My Sweet Midwest weekend in 2024 and you can still get it here.)

In some ways, this was a fairly typical first show of a tour in the sense that Jeff struggled with lyrics a few times during a show that clocked in at 2 hours, 56 minutes (including an 18-minute intermission). Or, more specifically, lyrical cues. So, for instance, he initially came up blank on the “Why can’t they say what they want” verse in Spiders (Kidsmoke) that comes after a guitar freakout. And then again on the “The greatest singer in rock ‘n’ roll” verse in The Late Greats.

There were also minor flubs on Forget The Flowers and Shouldn’t Be Ashamed. And perhaps most importantly, I thought he was going to completely miss the opportunity to change the lyric in Kingpin from “livin’ in…Pekin” to “livin’ in…Michigan,” which would have been kind of tragic, but he finally came around and did it on his final chance. At least Spiders was already on the setlist. I mean, you gotta play Spiders in Michigan, of all places, after all. (Then again, I have literally seen a show on a landing in the summer during which Jeff and Co. failed to play Heavy Metal Drummer, so who knows?)

I doubt too many people noticed the flubs, however, especially in the second set, which really ascended to another level with the jammy version of Kingpin that debuted earlier this year and features a great Nels and Pat guitar duel. It really seemed like both guitarists were enjoying themselves on this one, with Pat even doing some lunges and other “rock star” moves and Nels just smiling as they traded riffs for several minutes. Unlike a previous guitar duel on Hoodoo Voodoo from years ago, there was no element of one-upmanship (even jokingly); not that there wasn’t before, but it just seems like there is even more of an element of mutual respect between the two “newest” members of the band than ever before.

Of note to guitar nerds, I did notice that Nels wasn’t playing the gold Gibson Les Paul on Kingpin that he used on the April/May run. Instead, he employed a brown Gibson Firebird (I think) that I actually don’t remember him playing live with Wilco very often, if ever. Also, Jeff’s so-called Fender “Marvel Mustang” made a return appearance on Everyone Hides and seems to be in the current rotation.

In the end, I guess the best adjective I can come up with to describe this sold-out show is simply ‘pleasant.’ Despite the sellout — for what it’s worth, there were hardly any tickets available for non-members of the Meijer Gardens — I’m still not sure how many people were even really all that into Wilco, or just joining family and friends for a perfect late spring evening out. Not that it really mattered much by the time most everyone was clapping and ba-ba-ba-baing together on Spiders to close out the second set. And rocking out on an impromptu Outtasite (Outta Mind) to bring the show to a rousing conclusion.

Amazingly, given that it’s only about a three-hour drive from Chicago, this was only Wilco’s third-ever performance in Grand Rapids (and first since 2019) and those in attendance just seemed generally elated to have the band there and to be there themselves — and, if we’re being honest, to be home probably before 10 p.m.

Here was the complete setlist, as played (didn’t get a look at a printed list for Set 1, but Outtasite (Outta Mind) was played in the encore despite not being on the printed list for Set 2):

Set 1