Now, I know that over the last few weeks you have all come to anticipate my thoughtful, witty articles about sports and athletics in the district.  But even ESPN’s “Sports Guy” Bill Simmons changes it up from time to time to write about his favorite band (Pearl Jam).  My favorite band came to town last night, so the latest sports news will have to wait.

Wilco, the alt-country-rock-blues-funk-etc. band fronted by the multi-talented and charmingly off-beat singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy, played a packed show at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD (about an hour north of the District).  Even with the occasional bouts of rain and wind, the crowd could not be dissuaded from enjoying the show? And how could anyone not enjoy the highly energetic setlist that seamlessly blended Wilco’s classic hits with new songs from their recent release Sky Blue Sky.

The band took the stage at approximately 8:40 pm, and the pavilion lights did not come up until encore #3 ended just before 11:00.  In their first set, the band featured seven songs off the new album, but also included nine older hits.  The fans in the audience responded enthusiastically to both the new and old.  The set started on a high note, with “A Shot in the Arm” from 1999’s Summer Teeth.  As a follow up, the band played “Side With the Seeds” and “You Are My Face,” both off of Sky Blue Sky, and must have been pleased to see large portions of the audience singing along.  Sky Blue Sky is definitely a departure from Wilco’s last two albums, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) and A Ghost is Born (2004), and at first listen the new sound can come off as a little bit too mellow.  But performed live, the rockin’ guitar rifts of “Impossible Germany” and “Hate it Here” provide evidence that Wilco is hardly slowing down.

On the contrary! Diehard fans who have seen Wilco perform many times over the years have told me that Jeff Tweedy has never sounded better.  The singer, whose stint in rehab may have worried fans who loved the angst-ridden sounds of YHF-era Wilco, joked throughout the night about his aging band and their aging fan base.  But twenty songs and two encores into the show, the band took it up a notch with an incredibly, electrically-charged set that kicked off with “Heavy Metal Drummer,” followed with “The Late Greats,” “Outtasite,” “I’m Always in Love,” and then ended in “I’m A Wheel.”  No doubt, this band knows what the fans want, and truly delivers.  In the third and final encore of the night, Tweedy and company said goodbye with the first single off of Sky Blue Sky, the gorgeously folky “What Light.”  Truly, the perfect ending to a classic summer night with the band.

I’m sure that some of you might wonder why a re-cap of a concert that already took place would be relevant on a blog that aims to present young DCers with fun stuff to do.  So, in addition to hoping you’ll all head to the nearest Barnes and Noble (or iTunes) and pick up Sky Blue Sky, I want to highly recommend catching a show at the Merriweather Post Pavilion before you head out of town.  It’s an awesome venue.  Though you will need to find a ride, the site boasts all of the necessary accoutrements for an excellent summer concert experience—scenic paths, folksy people, overpriced beverages, soft-serve ice cream, and (no small thing) the excellent acoustics of an outdoor stage.  And though you missed this show, plenty of opportunities remain to hang out on the lawn (or in the pavilion) this summer.  Among them:

June 28th: The Fray with Ok Go and Mae

July 14th: The Decemberists with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

July 25th: Warped Tour

August 17th: O.A.R. with Augustana

August 26th: Kenny Chesney