Wilco at Merriweather Post Pavilion 6-21-07

A few rain drops were falling as I walked into Merriweather (just in time to see slo-core pioneers "Low" walking off stage). When Wilco took the stage approximately 45 minutes later, the setting sun was starting to poke through the rain clouds. This was an appropriate metaphor for the evening, since Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy appeared comfortable and even a little playful. During the show Tweedy took time to discuss a macrame owl (telling the crowd he someday hoped to have an entire macrame stage), sing happy birthday, make a mocking reference to Wilco's label of "dad rock", and lightheartedly add a "Hello" after the crowd sung "Goodbye" near the end of "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart".

The first half of the Wilco set favored material from "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", with "I Am Trying...", "Kamera", "War on War", "Jesus, etc." and "I'm the Man Who Loves You" sounding fresh. Tweedy seemed especially interested in "Hate It Here", a Beatles-esque song about a middle age divorcee keeping busy with menial tasks while hoping his lover will return. Wilco wrapped up their primary set with fan favorite "Hummingbird".

Wilco's first encore started with "California Stars" and transitioned to an impressive performance of "Poor Places". "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" followed as an extended jam session before the band walked off stage.

The residents of the Baltimore/DC area were treated with a five song second encore starting with the ever popular "Heavy Metal Drummer". Several older songs satisfied the long term fans, before Wilco wrapped up with the always fun "I'm a Wheel". As I picked up my blanket and started toward the exit, I was a bit surprised that the house lights weren't coming on. No longer had that thought gone through my mind as I saw Tweedy walking back on stage for a third encore. Tweedy thanked the crowd for a great night before starting into the band's current single "What Light" (http://www.myspace.com/wilco), an appropriately mellow nightcap to a night that started with raindrops and ended with a shining peformance.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at 9:30

The once heralded noise trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the stage to a capacity crowd at Washington DC's premier rock club on a hazy Saturday night. The 9:30 club was filled with a strange mix of post-hipsters (Jesus and the Mary Chain influences are so 2003), neo-hippies and at least three generations of one family (who may well have been made up of both post-hipsters and neo-hippies).


Anyway, as best as I can remember (and with the show starting at 11:30, we were well past peak remembering time), BRMC began their set with the opening tracks from "Baby 81", starting with the bluesy "Took Out a Loan", the more straightforward "Berlin" and the apathetic "Weapon of Choice". BRMC had a very businesslike approach to their first 10 or so songs, until relaxing a bit with some older, more "worn in" songs like "Shuffle Your Feet", "666 Conducer" and "Stop".

The encore took a nice turn, as Peter stayed on stage and played a couple of acoustic/harmonica songs from "Howl" (I think "Devil's Waitin'" and "Fault Line"). These songs were very intimate and resonated with the crowd. The rest of the band returned confidently, adding a nice touch with a trombone on "Promise" and rocking through fan favorite "Ain't No Easy Way". As the show continued well past the 20 song mark, the band began taking requests and blistering through early material like "Six Barrel Shotgun". While by no means a historic performance, BRMC left the DC crowd buzzing from nearly two hours of quality Americana rock.