Live Photos: Okkervil River, Wilco at the Wiltern [Los Angeles, 25 June]

Unfortunately forgoing a San Diego date on this particular tour, it was instead decided upon to mosey up the 5 North for Wilco’s third consecutive sold out show at the Wiltern in Los Angeles last Thursday night. The band’s lineup has never been more solid than it is currently, featuring the extraordinary talents of lead guitarist Nels Cline, Mikael Jorgensen’s owl-clad piano rhythms, Pat Sansone’s musical antics on stage right for both keys and guitar, as well as the long-standing tried-and-true trio of Glenn Kotche (heavy metal drummer), John Stirratt (bass) and leader of the pack, Jeff Tweedy. Just days before they release their seventh studio album, Wilco (The Album), the band showcased some of the long-awaited material to be heard this coming Tuesday, relying on a consistently post-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot setlist for their Los Angeles finale, while including fan favorites from Summerteeth and A.M. Despite the noticeable cloud hovering over the crowd from Michael Jackson’s untimely death only hours earlier, the nearly two and a half hour set contained all the energy and excitement of every other Wilco performance I’ve been lucky enough to witness. Tweedy dedicated Yankee Hotel Foxtrot‘s anthem of love, “I’m the Man Who Loves to You” to wife Suzy, who was present in the crowd that evening, let one lucky fan in the pit riff out on his guitar, and suggested alternative clapping methods for the crowd to attempt (“That was very enjoyable!” or “Oh my God, that’s the best thing I’ve seen in seven years!”). That last exclamation was truly appropriate during the band’s first of two encores as Tweedy invited “Our friend, Leslie Feist” out onto the stage to duet on “You and I,” one of the cuts from the new LP.

All in all, an electric night to be alive and kicking television.

(More pictures and the set list after the jump.)

Set List:

Wilco (The Song)*

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

Bull Black Nova*

You Are My Face

One Wing*

Shot in the Arm

Radio Cure

Impossible Germany

Deeper Down*

Pick Up the Change

Can’t Stand It

Pot Kettle Black

Jesus, Etc.

Hate It Here

You Never Know*

Walken

I’m the Man Who Loves You

Hummingbird

–Encore #1–

Passenger Side

You and I* (feat. Leslie Feist)

California Stars

I’m Always in Love

Misunderstood

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

–Encore #2–

Late Greats

Outtasight (Outtamind)

* from Wilco (The Album)