Jeff Tweedy Live In New Jersey

Written by: Geoff Tischman

After a slow start to spring–it’s been cold and rainy in New York for weeks–I figured the weather for the solo Jeff Tweedy show at the McCarter Theatre, in Princeton NJ (4/18) would follow suit.

And at first, it did,

The day started freezing cold but by the time I got to Princeton at 5PM, the sun was out and I was surprised to find cherry blossom trees in bloom all over the beautiful Ivy League campus. I was happy to be there no matter what the weather was like and when I ran into several fellow Wilco fanatics before the doors opened, I got the feeling I was in for a very special night.

To hear the Wilco songs that I love stripped down to just Jeff Tweedy on an acoustic guitar really made me love them in a whole new way.

I’ve always loved Tweedy’s interactions and stories between songs at Wilco shows but in such a spare setting his banter and his back and forth with the crowd were a whole other level of entertainment, providing the audience with some much needed light moments and laughs. He gave one person in the front one of his harmonicas, he told a story of about he and his crew being handcuffed and detained for hours in Canada when his bus was searched for contraband, and he got the whole crowd to join him in a sing-a-long on “Noah’s Flood”

He even skillfully handled a fan who heckled him about his hat.

These are just a few of the memorable moments from a rather incredible night.

Setlist:

One Sunday Morning (Wilco)

I am Trying to Break Your Heart (Wilco)

New Madrid (Uncle Tupelo)

Hummingbird (Wilco)

Jesus, etc. (Wilco)

Bull Black Nova (Wilco)

Impossible Germany (Wilco)

Unknown – New song ?

Laminated Cat (Loose Fur)