Review: Wilco Outtasite in Brooklyn

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Wilco – Impossible Germany: Live at McCarren Pool

The horn section added depth to Wilco standards like California Stars, Pieholden Suite and I’m the Man Who Loves You and was especially hot on Can’t Stand It, a Summerteeth song that has been revived in recent years, and Monday, which even got the jaded Brooklyn hipsters bopping their heads.

Tweedy, dressed in a lime green jacket that resembled the metallic mint green 1964 Buick Skylark convertible in My Cousin Vinny, bantered with the crowd, danced around the stage and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself, a far cry from the angry and brooding Tweedy from years ago.

Cline continues to demolish every song in his path and at times, with his shaking and quivering, appears to be having some sort of fit on stage. But the man simply owns the Wilco catalog now and is as integral to their current sound as Tweedy. His shredding on Handshake Drugs and Impossible Germany was relentless and filled the entire venue with sonic bliss.

Kotche, with his hair flying and his arms moving non-stop sort of like Animal from the Muppets, thumps his kit with a fervor you don’t really see too often these days. His intros to I am Trying to Break Your Heart and Misunderstood resonated from one end of the pool to the other and throughout the night Tweedy and the crowd seemed to feed off Kotche’s energy.

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Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke): Live at McCarren Pool

At Wilco concerts, there is often a battle between the sitters and the standers. Those who sit want the standers to join them. Those who stand think the sitters are lame. But at the pool, there was room for both. Most chose to stand but those who preferred otherwise could simply retreat to the back and find a place along the edge to relax.

In an odd turn of events, some commotion occurred on the soundboard during Poor Places when A-list actor and music fan Tim Robbins, who was watching the show with his wife/girlfriend/former co-star/whatever Susan Sarandon, appeared to hit the ground. Paramedics and cops arrived on the scene but weren’t moving with much urgency, which led us to believe whatever happened wasn’t serious. Sarandon even clapped along to Spiders as Robbins sat on the ground with a soda. We’ll have to keep our eyes on Page Six for more information on that one.

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Wilco – Far, Far Away: Live at McCarren Pool

Wilco
August 13, 2008
McCarren Park Pool – Brooklyn, NY
Via Chicago, Blood of the Lamb, You are My Face, Hummingbird, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Shot in the Arm, Side with the Seeds, Misunderstood, Far Far Away, Impossible Germany, Pieholden Suite*, California Stars*, Handshake Drugs, Pot Kettle Black, Poor Places > Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore1: Jesus, etc., Can’t Stand It*, Hate it Here*, Walken*, I’m the Man who Loves You*

Encore2: Heavy Metal Drummer, Late Greats*, Kingpin*, Monday* > Outtasite Outtamind*, I’m a Wheel

* – w/ The Total Pros