The restless ambition of alt-country heroes Wilco is on full display as the band kicked off their 2023 tour last night (March 24). The band took over Chicago’s Riviera Theater for the first of a three-night residency that will launch Wilco into their extensive 2023 touring schedule. This marks one of three short residencies Wilco will be taking part in to kick off this spring outing, the next two will have the band staying three nights in Port Chester, New York, and Reykjavík, Iceland. The kicker to these residencies is that Wilco promised to never perform the same song twice during their stay, making for career-spanning setlists like the one we saw last night.
Last night’s setlist had Wilco bouncing around their discography that spans decades with a primary focus on their older material. The night kicked off with “Less Than You Think” from the band’s 2004 album A Ghost Is Born. The band also performed “Hummingbird”, “Handshake Drugs”, and “Theologians” from the LP. The album that got the most attention was their seminal sophomore LP Being There, Wilco lifted six of the 23 songs performed from the 1996 release. They pulled hits from the album like “Forget The Flowers” while also playing B-sides like “The Lonely 1”. Wilco then divided their attention to the rest of their discography, performing songs from their Billy Bagg collaborations (“California Stars”) and Alpha Mike Foxtrot rarities compilation (“Cars Can’t Escape”).
This current tour has Wilco traversing the globe to promote their 2022 album Cruel Country. Once the aforementioned residences wrap up, the band will be hitting venues across the southern states of America with stops in Florida, Nashville, and Georgia. Check out the full setlist, tour dates, and footage from their first night at the Riviera Theater below:
