Wilco kicked off the 2022 installment of their Sky Blue Sky destination event on Monday at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The band dug deep into their repertoire as the setlist for the first of three Wilco performances at the event featured a number of bust outs.
Keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen is out for Sky Blue Sky after testing positive for COVID-19. Jeff Tweedy collaborators Liam Kazar and Ohmme (Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham), whom Mikael dubbed “Young Jorgenstein,” took turns replacing Jorgensen in various formations throughout the concert.
Wilco and Cunningham took the stage last night after a set from Soccer Mommy and opened with day-appropriate “Monday.” Sima was also on keys for the “You Never Know” and “Shouldn’t Be Ashamed” pairing that followed. “You Never Know” from 2009’s Wilco (The Album) was last played on December 8, 2014 as per Setlist.FM. Next, Liam Kazar tapped in for “Side With The Seeds” before Cummingham swapped back in for “She’s A Jar.” Next, Macie Stewart added violin to an “Either Way” that also featured Sima Cunningham.
Macie Stewart stuck around for a five-song sequence that included “Company In My Back,” “Cry All Day,” “Via Chicago,” “Laminated Cat” and “One And A Half Stars.” Last night’s “Cry All Day” was Wilco’s first since June 28, 2019. The 23-song concert continued with Liam Kazar on keys for “Whole Love,” “Box Full Of Letters,” “At My Window Sad And Lonely” and “Someone To Lose.” Wilco’s previous “At My Window Sad And Lonely” performance came on December 6, 2014 while “Whole Love” hadn’t seen action since the last Sky Blue Sky event in 2020. Another rarity followed as Wilco dusted off “You And I” after over two years on the shelf with Cunningham providing backing vocals and Kazar on keys.
Wilco’s main set rolled on with Sima on keys for “Love Is Everywhere (Beware),” “War On War” and “Everyone Hides.” Then, Kazar shared keys with Cunningham while Macie Stewart played violin on “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” the only song of the evening to feature all three guests. The first “The Lonely 1” since November of 2019 closed out the frame before Wilco encored with “The Late Greats” and “I’m A Wheel.” Neal Francis played a late-night set to end the music for Day 1 of Sky Blue Sky 2022. The event continues today with another show from Wilco as well as performances from Nubya Garcia, Stephen Malkmus and Ohmme.
Check out photos and video clips from Monday at Sky Blue Sky below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY22thaLnC9/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4UkgzrSeq/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY29p5mo_no/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3I8FslMVF/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY29EmSA2c8/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY28EOCBTsh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY29bQ6N3XQ/
Setlist (via bböp of Via Chicago)
Set: Monday (S), You Never Know (S), Shouldn’t Be Ashamed (S), Side With The Seeds (L), She’s A Jar (S), Either Way (S, MV), Company In My Back (M), Cry All Day (M), Via Chicago (M), Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season) (MV), One And A Half Stars (M), Whole Love (L), Box Full Of Letters (L), At My Window Sad And Lonely (L), Someone To Lose (L), You And I (SV, L), Love Is Everywhere (Beware) (S), War On War (S), Everyone Hides (S), Spiders (Kidsmoke) (S, L, MV), The Lonely 1 (L, MV)
Encore: The Late Greats (L), I’m A Wheel
- S = w/ Sima Cunningham on keyboards
- SV = w/ Sima Cunningham on backing vocals
- L = w/ denotes Liam Kazar on keyboards
- M = w/ Macie Stewart on keyboards
- MV = Macie Stewart on violin
