On ‘Wilco Wednesday,’ Tweedy and Co. show how it’s done

It was “Wilco Wednesday” in Omaha on Nov. 20 as the band returned to the state for the second time in a little more than two years.

The band last played an outdoor venue in Lincoln (Wilco launches fall tour), and this time, took its show indoors for a concert at the ornate Orpheum Theater. The band played several songs from its latest album, “Ode to Joy,” while still managing to touch on every era of its career.

The new album is moody and introspective, a showcase for vocalist Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics and Glenn Kotche’s drumming. Songs like concert openers “Bright Leaves” and “Before Us” chug along like the trains from Tweedy’s childhood. The singer’s father worked on the railroad, a topic he writes about in his recent autobiography “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back).”

Photos by Christopher Windle.

But the show really picked up steam when Wilco played songs off its masterpiece, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” The audience sang along with “Jesus, Etc.,” “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,”
and “War On War,” a song the band had skipped playing at its last show in the state.

Around the middle of the set, Wilco threw in another highlight it hadn’t played before, the thrilling “Bull Black Nova.” Fittingly, it played the track about vehicular manslaughter right after another dark song, the dreams-of-murder ballad “Via Chicago.”

There were less moody moments, too, like when Tweedy put his guitar aside for the upbeat “Hummingbird,” or when guitarist Nels Cline let loose on “Impossible Germany,” playing a solo somehow different from but still as great as the one on record.

Most of the last third of the show consisted of “rock songs,” including recent single “Everyone Hides,” “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” and a rousing “Misunderstood.”

Despite already having played 26 songs, the band came back for an encore: “I’m Always In Love,” “California Stars,” and “The Late Greats.”

It was “Wilco Wednesday,” as Tweedy said, “like taco Tuesday, but with Wilco.”

But it was much more than that. It was a brilliant show by a band that has been around for 25 years and just keeps on delivering.

New record review: The Damned ‘Black Is the Night’

The Damned, in its fifth decade of existence, didn’t have an official best-of anthology until early this month. But “Black Is the Night: The Definitive Anthology” (BMG) is finally here, and it’s magnificent.

Spanning two discs, or four LPs, the anthology features 39 songs, from the first British punk rock  single, “New Rose,” to the band’s most recent single, “Black Is the Night.” The new song is a sweetener for seasoned fans; other than that track, “Disco Man,” and “Fun Factory,” the other songs are all available on the band’s studio albums or rereleased version of those records.

Still, there’s a lot here to like for fans new and old. I fall somewhere in between, having gotten heavily into the Damned a few years ago and promptly purchasing the band’s entire studio discography. For music fans feeling curious about the Damned but not knowing where to start, “Black Is the Night” is the perfect gateway.

The anthology lays out how the Damned is best enjoyed. Instead of a chronological track listing, the album is more like a playlist arranged by tempo and mood. The first disc is composed of early songs that helped define punk and post-punk: “Love Song,” “Wait for the Blackout,” “Ignite,” and “Smash It Up” among them. A “newer” song “Democracy?” fits right in, with a timely political message to boot. The Brian James years are neatly compartmentalized on disc one.

While the first disc captures the rapid-fire energy of the band’s live show (The Damned shows punk rock staying power in Chicago), disc two shows the Damned’s theatrical and artistic side. “Eloise” still sounds as amazing as when the band was climbing to near the top of the pop charts, and “Grimly Fiendish” deliciously marks the band’s foray into goth. The centerpiece is the majestic “Curtain Call,” all 17 minutes and 10 seconds of it demonstrating that the Damned was a true musical force, one that could still be kicking around four decades later.

The band shows that it’s survived, and thrived, with recent single “Standing On the Edge of Tomorrow” and the “Black Album”-tinged title track. Both are written by singer Dave Vanian, at a creative peak of late.

Who know what’s next for the Damned? The band brought “A Night of a Thousand Vampires” to the London Palladium, and Vanian (who shaved his head mid-set to portray Nosferatu) has hinted the band may hit the road with a version of that show.

Longtime drummer Pinch departed the band after the show. But with Vanian, dynamic guitar and bass duo Captain Sensible and Paul Gray, and the ever-entertaining Monty Oxymoron onboard, it’s not a stretch to say the Damned might be around to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a few years. It’s a thrilling thought, indeed.

Clan of Xymox, at last, brings show back to U.S.

The U.S. government shutdown early this year had effects that reverberated through all walks of life, including the goth/darkwave community, when Clan of Xymox was forced to postpone its U.S. tour because of delays in processing the band's visas.

But the tour dates set for this past spring are finally happening, with the U.S. stint by the Germany-based band beginning in Denver and hitting Omaha on Nov. 10.

Last year, Clan of Xymox proved that an eight-hour drive wasn't too far to go to see a fantastic live band: Clan of Xymox puts on ethereal show in Denver. This time, the band proved that its delayed U.S. tour was well worth the wait.

The Bellwether Syndicate. All photos by Christopher Windle.

Bolstered by opening band the Bellwether Syndicate, Clan of Xymox had the crowd dancing, singing along, and even laughing. It turns out that frontman Ronny Moorings is quite the comedian, offering his droll insights on the flooding in the Midwest and the city's desolate surroundings.

It might be a stereotype to believe that all Midwesterners have to turn in early to get back home to the farm. But besides one audience member who shouted, "no more cow jokes," the crowd seemed game for Moorings' needling.

Clan of Xymox started off with "Stranger" and its instrumental intro and built the excitement from there. Especially inspired were the four female-themed songs: "Jasmine and Rose," "Louise" ("not about the cow"), "Emily," and "Hail Mary." 

Classic tracks "Muscoviet Mosquito" and "A Day!" got everyone in the crowd dancing, even the Bellwether Syndicate. Clan of Xymox closed the show with an encore of "Cry in the Wind" and "Back Door."

Hopefully, it won't be too long before the band comes back to this area of the country. Clan of Xymox has proved that it's worth seeing time and again.