That vibe continued through “I Might” and “Bull Black Nova,” both of those also significantly rocked up. This was the Wilco I wanted to see, passionate and moody. Those moods seemed to turn on a dime as the slow sadness of “Side With the Seeds” washed away the menace of the previous songs. Then came the fan favorite “California Stars,” from the album of Woody Guthrie songs Wilco did with Billy Bragg. Even that gentle tune had some added sonic muscle, or at least a turned-up tempo.
The rest of the set continued like that, weaving through highlights like “Box Full of Letters” and “I’m Always In Love.” It was a band showing off their chemistry, confidence, versatility and power.
For the closers ”It Dawned On Me” and “Shot in the Arm,” they mounted one last sonic offensive, ending with the same intensity they (eventually) started with.
Perhaps the most telling moment came in the encore when they played the title song from the new record. Tweedy sounds happier now, everything seems to be going his way. He’s embraced that in new songs like “The Whole Love,” which is downright jaunty and had him bobbing back and forth as he played it. But he hasn’t gotten complacent or boring—that song, for instance, sounds like some serious out-of-left-field blues retrofitted for alt-country. If Wilco is in a better place as a band these days, they’re also in a better place musically.
.Review: Wilco at San Jose Civic
