Standing at the rail at the Under Himlen stage before Wilco’s set at the Syd For Solen (South Of The Sun) festival, I listened to a few folks nearby talking about their excitement for the set — sharing how many times they had seen the band, discussing songs they hoped to hear and that sort of thing — and I felt both a bit envious of their enthusiasm and some pity they wouldn’t get to experience much of what really makes the group great.
For 10 songs over the course of 61 minutes, from 5:45 to 6:46 p.m., Jeff and Co. did their thing. It was relatively well received, I guess. But did they really make any new fans? I’m not sure they did. And as day turned into night and subsequent acts like Turnstile, Iceage and Lorde took their turns in the spotlight, it sort of felt like Wilco had barely even been there at all.
What was the point of this festival appearance (and the one in Oslo, Norway, the day before and the one in Gothenburg, Sweden, the day after)? Of course I understand that the economics of touring bands in this day and age are such that a few festival bookings cover most of the costs for the rest of a tour and that can be especially great for artists who probably thrive in a festival setting.
Lorde, for instance, had production design befitting a headlining festival performance, from a light show to visual effects to backup dancers. Iceage, which certainly benefitted from being hometown heroes in Copenhagen, saw a mosh pit gradually develop in front of the stage that got bigger and bigger as their set went on. Turnstile also performed to a large mosh pit and I’m pretty sure its lead singer crowd surfed on more than one occasion. Even Paris Paloma, who preceded Wilco on the Under Himlen stage, descended the metal staircase that led from the stage down into the pit between the stage and the barricade and partially sang her final song while interacting with fans in the front row.
Now I don’t expect any of those sorts of things from Wilco — the closest thing to a spectacle that happened during its Syd For Solen set was a smoke machine that got a little too cranked up at one point, about which Jeff quipped, “It might’ve looked like a lot of things caught on fire just now. We’re OK,” — and that’s why Jeff and Co. just aren’t a festival band. Never really have been, though they have certainly played plenty of festivals over the years. And while they can certainly rock out and appeal to a more primal element, I would say one of their biggest strengths is versatility and so they are also much better experienced over the course of a longer set, in a more intimate setting and by an audience that appreciates their collective musicianship and Jeff’s lyrics. Basically the opposite of a European festival, no offense.
But again, I completely understand why Wilco continues on that festival circuit. It’s just something that makes the whole touring ecosystem work, I suppose, and so as fans, we simply have to endure it — or not, and just attend the “regular” shows. I realize it’s a privilege to have that choice, though, and so as I mentioned earlier, I do sometimes empathize with those people who’ve only really gotten to see Wilco in a more impersonal, limited setting.
Whether it was the setting or just the relatively low stakes of the set itself, Jeff didn’t have his best day from a vocal standpoint. He had a flub at the end of the first verse of Via Chicago when he tripped over the “Buried you alive in a fireworks display” line, though he didn’t let on as he sometimes does, so I don’t know how many people noticed. Later, during Spiders, he clearly sang the “This recent rash of kidsmoke/All these telescopic poems” couplet twice (instead of the correct “Fool me with a kiss of kidsmoke/From a microscopic home” the second time), but I’d bet I was the only person who picked up on that one. At least Jeff ingratiated himself to the Danish crowd by uttering tusind tak (meaning “a thousand thanks”) a couple of times. “That’s all I know how to say, but I mean it,” Jeff said.
Without much else in the way of Banter Corner, one was left to ponder things like why Glenn’s drumhead continued to change. One featuring the cat from the Mermaid Avenue Vol. II album cover had been in use at the end of the U.S. tour last month, but a photo I saw from the festival in Norway that kicked off this European run showed a Cruel Country drumhead. One day later at Syd For Solen, a different one that resembled artwork from the Ode To Joy era adorned Glenn’s kit. Who knows what that means, if anything?
Ah, so many things to ponder on such a lovely Danish afternoon. Am I being too harsh about festivals? Can’t we just enjoy being outside with a bunch of other people on a perfect day listening to a great band while clapping and singing ba-ba-ba-ba-bas together? What’s wrong with that? Maybe the sun will shine today and maybe I won’t feel so afraid, as a certain songwriter once suggested. (Oh hey, it would’ve been nice to hear that one. I guess there wasn’t enough time. Bah, festivals. Here we go again…)
Here was the complete setlist, as played, for Wilco’s set at Syd For Solen (there were no changes/omissions from the printed list):
Handshake Drugs
Annihilation
Hummingbird
If I Ever Was A Child
Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull
Via Chicago
Jesus, etc.
Impossible Germany
I’m The Man Who Loves You
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Thanks for the update and insight. Really enjoy your show recaps through the lens of Paul. 😊
Spot on with the festival thing I'm afraid, unless it's a very special one with a particularly great lineup. Ta.