On Friday at its Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts, Wilco played a 27-song all-request set that featured exactly one Wilco song… and 26 covers by artists ranging from Television, Bob Dylan and Big Star to the Modern Lovers, Neil Young and even Daft Punk — not to mention The Replacements’ “Color Me Impressed” with an actual ‘Mat, Tommy Stinson.
Below, via the aptly named Geoff Tweaty, you can check out video of Stinson — on guitar, not bass — joining Wilco on stage for the Hootenanny classic, and check out the killer setlist. The festival, incidentally, also featured performances from the reunited Dream Syndicate and Miracle Legion’s Mark Mulcahy.
Plus, you can download a soundboard recording of the entire show via NYC Taper (stream “Color Me Impressed” and “Marquee Moon” below, too).
Wilco with Tommy Stinson, “Color Me Impressed”
Setlist: Wilco, Solid Sound Festival, MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA
1. “The Boys Are Back in Town” (Thin Lizzy cover)
2. “Cut Your Hair” (Pavement cover)
3. “In the Street” (Big Star cover)
4. “New Madrid” (Uncle Tupelo cover)
5. “Dead Flowers” (The Rolling Stones cover)
6. “Simple Twist of Fate” (Bob Dylan cover)
7. “Ripple” (Grateful Dead cover)
8. “Who Loves the Sun” (The Velvet Underground cover)
9. “And Your Bird Can Sing” (The Beatles cover)
10. “And Your Bird Can Sing” (The Beatles cover) (Repeat)
11. “Psychotic Reaction” (Count Five cover)
12. “Tom Courtenay” (Yo La Tengo cover) (with Yo La Tengo)
13. “James Alley Blues” (Richard Brown cover)
14. “Waterloo Sunset” (The Kinks cover) (with Lucius)
15. “Waterloo” (ABBA cover) (with Lucius)
16. “(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (Brinsley Schwarz cover)
17. “Marquee Moon” (Television cover)
18. “Happy Birthday To You” (Mildred J. Hill cover) (to Pat Sansone)
19. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
20. “Cinnamon Girl” (Neil Young cover)
21. “Get Lucky” (Daft Punk cover)
22. “Surrender” (Cheap Trick cover)
23. “Color Me Impressed” (The Replacements cover) (with Tommy Stinson)
24. “Kingpin”
25. “Thank You Friends” (Big Star cover)
26. “The Weight” (The Band cover) (with Lucius)
27. “Roadrunner” (The Modern Lovers cover) (with Yo La Tengo)
Nice!!! And coming right after “Surrender” makes the whole show “Heaven Tonight,” indeed! A little surprised at how tame the crowd seems, but maybe some were bummed that Wilco was almost exclusively sticking to the covers.
And not that we need any more proof, but seeing Tommy up there with the guys is another example of why Wilco sits near the head of the table when the Super Friends get together. Pals with R.E.M., Neils Young and Finn, Beck, and so many more. What a band, what a show!!!
That’s the show, AndyP, covers–they played the songs that were requested–the crowd knew beforehand.
You’re right–Nice. If you’ve never been to North Adams for Wilco’s summer music festival–you’re missing a treasure.
Thanks for clueing me in, Jake. Were you there?! Amazing selection! Have heard Steve Wynn’s cover of “Cinnamon Girl,” so thought he may have joined them for a little extra riffage–not that they needed it! Maybe the fans were just drained from such emotional highs, huh! UNREAL.
Pretty decent cover of Marquee Moon. The drummer’s been paying attention to Billy Ficca’s drumming on the original, and though Verlaine & Lloyd’s incendiary duelling is near impossible to replicate, the Wilco guys have a good stab at it here. Well worth downloading the whole show, I’d guess from the setlist…
Point of clarification: The recording from NYC Taper is from mics he set up inside the fenced off soundboard area, but he did not patch in directly to the soundboard.