Wilco kicked off a special run of eight concerts celebrating the 20th anniversary of their iconic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album on Friday in New York City. The band followed a main set featuring a complete Yankee Hotel Foxtrot performance with an encore consisting of three rarities, two of which were dedicated to the late Jay Bennett.
Last night was Wilco’s first of five Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 20th Anniversary 2022 Tour shows at NYC’s United Palace Theatre before the brief excursion ends with a three-night stand in Chicago April 22 – 24. The sextet was joined by string section the Aizuri Quartet and the Total Pros horns including Trey Anastasio Band trombonist Natalie Cressman at Friday’s concert.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco’s fourth studio album, was initially available for streaming on the band’s website starting on September 18, 2001 and was officially released on April 23, 2002. Director Sam Jones documented the harrowing process making and releasing the album in his 2002 documentary, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco.
Wilco and their guests started last night’s concert by performing the 11-song Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in its entirety. Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates tweaked some arrangements to fall more in line with studio versions than live takes that have evolved over the past two decades. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was presented on Friday in the same order as found on the album beginning with opener “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and continuing through the LP’s closer, “Reservations.” Other beloved songs featured on YHF and played last night include “War On War,” “Jesus, Etc.,” “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “Poor Places.”
Tweedy acknowledged Wilco “really didn’t know what to do for an encore,” as per bböp’s recap of the concert for Via Chicago. “We kind of wanted to let (the album) sit.” However, the band decided to play three special songs to end the concert.
The encore began with Wilco’s first cover of Bill Fay’s “Be Not So Fearful” since April 22, 2015 according to Setlist.FM stats. The song was initially performed by Wilco in 2002, making it fit into the theme of the evening. Jeff went on to discuss multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett’s crucial role in the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Bennett, who parted ways with Wilco shortly after the completion of the album, tragically died in 2009 at age 45.
Tweedy noted that while he wished Jay was on hand to help commemorate the LP, the band decided to honor his memory by performing two Wilco songs closely associated with Bennett. Both the strings and horns added to the show-closing pairing of “Pieholden Suite” and “A Magazine Called Sunset.” The former was last played live by Wilco during their 2014 Winterlude run at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, while the latter was dusted off last night for the first time since the band’s Solid Sound Festival in 2017. Wilco continues the run tonight.
Watch fan-shot video clips from last night’s concert below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcZbXCFuLRe/
https://www.facebook.com/angela.b.thornhill/videos/431617795395306/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcZH8VLFnxR/
Setlist (via Setlist.FM)
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Set: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera, Radio Cure, War On War, Jesus, Etc., Ashes Of American Flags, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m The Man Who Loves You, Pot Kettle Black, Poor Places, Reservations
Encore: Be Not So Fearful*, Pieholden Suite**, A Magazine Called Sunset***
- * – Last Time Played April 22, 2015
- ** – Last Time Played December 8, 2014
- *** – Last Time Played June 24, 2017
[Hat Tip – bböp]
