Wilco will love you baby

The splendid Wilco were in town this weekend. They did a strange deal whereby you could buy a regular ticket for their show at the State Theatre or double down on a "Premium" ticket for the State and the much smaller Factory Theatre. "Bollocks to it" M&I cried as we recklessly picked up the all-inclusive version.

Saturday was indeed wonderful, 2 hours and 15 minutes covering nearly all of the classics, some hilarious stage business for the opening number and a happy Tweedy. I enjoyed the rush forward to the front of the stage from throughout the stalls which had the theatre staff in conniptions. By the time they were stopping people moving from their seats, it was the epitome of stable-door-horse-having-bolted.

The Factory gig was looser, took in more musical byways and lasted even longer. There was also even more between song banter, which Tweedy is very good at (second only to Saint Jarvis imho). The icing on the cake for M&I was an encore consisting of two Big Star covers, presumably in honour of the recently deceased Alex Chilton.

I'm still not sure which night I enjoyed more, but I wouldn't be surprised if more touring acts used this format in the future. Mind you, my back was killing me by the time the second show was finished.