Tweedy kicked off their 2015 North American tour with a two-night stand in their hometown of Chicago at The Vic Theatre. The latest side project of Jeff Tweedy (who is best known as the frontman for Wilco), Tweedy is very much a family affair: Jeff’s eldest son, Spencer is the drummer and their debut album, Sukierae is affectionately named after Jeff’s wife, Sue Miller Tweedy.
The songs are as solid and sincere as you’d expect from Jeff, who is one of the most prolific and premier songwriters of our time. And you get the sense that the band—Jeff, Spencer, Darin Gray (bass), Jim Elkington (guitar), Liam Cunningham (multi-instruments), and Sima Cunningham (backing vocals)—has been playing together for years. They are smooth and relaxed live, perhaps because they’re a mixture of new and old family friends who happen to be bandmates now.
Between Jeff’s standard witty commentary and the excitement of hearing new material live for the first time and oldies-but-goodies during the encores, the crowd left thoroughly sonically and spiritually satiated.
THE MINUS 5
