Tweedy Goes Solo (Updated 12/6/2013)

Back on November 26, Jeff Tweedy performed a solo show at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. For the frontman of Wilco, it was a rather intimate setting that truly showcased his lyrics. And though the local press wondered if it was a bit of risk for someone not known as a classic singer/songwriter, it played well and spoke, perhaps, to Tweedy's chameleon-like ability to adapt to the stage and the environment.

Tweedy, in fact, is doing the one-man-band act completely different from Wilco's musical flair and its stage shows. These songs and his performances are of the stripped down, bare bones variety. In all, on this tour, he will run through nearly two dozen songs a night mostly drawn from his Wilco catalog, but a few from other projects. Fans will hear tracks like "Solitaire" and "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart."

Another thing that has become a staple of Tweedy's tour, which runs through December 19, is his unkempt appearance (jeans, rumpled shirt, wild hair and a bit of scruff) and his back-and-forth banter with his feisty fans. In between he commands their attention by revisiting side projects like Golden Smog and the song "Long Time Ago" or Loose Fur and "Chinese Apple." At the KC appearance he even placed a couple tracks by Uncle Tupelo, the band that preceded Wilco.

Tweedy's solo tour continues with stops in Denver, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and a four-night run in Los Angeles, wrapping up at Largo at the Coronet.

A History of Wilco tickets

It's difficult to categorize Wilco, and that's a good thing. Alt-rock, alt- country, indie rock?the band's sound changes from album to album, concert to concert. That's just fine with the band's millions of fans, who embrace Wilco's musical adventurism and inspiration from so many genres. Buying Wilco tickets guarantees a night of interesting, thoughtful, broad-based music, though what specifically it will sound like is not predictable.

Beginnings

Risen from the ashes of Wilco's predecessor, the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Wilco is led by frontman Jeff Tweedy. Former Uncle Tupelo bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer and multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston joined Tweedy and released their first album, A.M., in 1995. Since then, Wilco has steadily built its reputation, discography and collection of Grammy Awards with eight more album releases, including Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), Sky Blue Sky (2007), and their most recent recording Get Well Soon Everybody.

No Telling What You'll Get

With Wilco tickets, you'll definitely hear some country sounds, some hints of 1970s rock, and folk. You might also recognize echoes of the Beach Boys, and you might be treated to some free jazz or just walls of noise rock. That's one of the things Wilco fans love about the band: It doesn't allow itself to be pigeonholed or constrained by mainstream music categories. It's also one of the reasons music lovers and music critics keep heaping praise on this unusual collection of musicians.