Zoran Orlic
The audience will hear “country-ish” and grungy tunes from two very different albums.
Is Wilco a studio band or a live band? “I’d like to think both,” says bassist John Stirratt after a pause and a chuckle.
“We’ve played a zillion shows. I can’t really say one or the other. But in the studio we like to work fast. Jeff likes to work fast, and I appreciate that work ethic,” says Stirratt, who has been with ringleader Jeff Tweedy since the final Uncle Tupelo record. “You could say that just a studio band would be guys that hunker down for long periods. So when it comes to studio/live, you have to have one with the other.”
Speaking of combinations, Wilco will stuff the cannons with songs from not one but two new albums in concert Aug. 19 at Breese Stevens Field. In addition to previewing songs from Schmilco, to be released Sept. 6, Stirratt says last summer’s Star Wars release will also get play.
It’s a typical problem of riches for Wilco: two new volumes of songs from albums that are as different from one another as random riders on the city bus. Schmilco is a “more country-ish record,” says Stirratt. A universe away from the cagey, grunged tracks on the Grammy Award-nominated Star Wars. One delicate, one dissonant. The styles combined should create an aerobic, sweaty night for the Breese Stevens audience.
“I think of these [Schmilco]songs as more weird, spacey folk,” says Stirratt.
Star Wars and Schmilco are the ninth and 10th Wilco albums produced by Tweedy and recorded at his Loft Studio in Chicago. There’s a playfulness in Wilco’s sound, always has been — even in the more dense numbers. There’s also a playfulness in the band’s marketing.
Sirratt says the recordings both came together quickly, something Tweedy insists upon. “Going all the way back to my time with Uncle Tupelo, I was always impressed with the first take. Something about killing a first take without thinking too much,” says Stirratt. “There’s that purity there, that freedom, that you can never get back. Even after tracking a song five times. It’s really illusive. I don’t like thinking about it too much. Anything that’s labored isn’t going to be good in any art form.”
As the band heads out of the studio on a live tour that will span two continents in the coming months, how do they keep that purity intact?
Says Stirratt: “I would say the teamwork of being on stage with really talented musicians and that exchange of energy to a large crowd. That’s something I wish every musician could experience. It’s really beautiful.”
Editor's note: This article was corrected to reflect the fact that Schmilco will be available in digital formats and on CD, not vinyl-only, as previously reported.
