Wilco w/ Grand Ulena @ the Pageant 10/06/01

While standing in line outside the Pageant, a man with a checkered shirt and a large belt buckle was fronting as Wilco’s official spokesperson.

“Since Jay Bennett has left Wilco,” he told one na?ve fan, “the music has got a lot of space to grow. My friend talked to a few guys in the band, and tonight’s show is gonna be magic.” Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, he started talking about his own band. “We sound just like the Old 97’s,” he said. “They are my favorite band in the whole world.”

This conversation was the reason Jeff Tweedy handpicked Grand Ulena to support Wilco on Saturday.

Darin Gray is the best-kept musical secret in St. Louis, and may very well be the city’s top musician. He’s a fantastic bass player who hardly settles for anything conventional. He has played all over the place-from the Meltdown Festival in London to the public library in Clayton, Mo. and is slowly stepping to the forefront. Gray is a member of Jim O’Rourke’s band, and amazingly, that’s about as traditional as his music gets. His solo work mainly relies on improvisation and obscurity while covering a wide range of musical topics.

At the Pageant, Gray appeared with Grand Ulena, an outfit that also features Kotche. They are an explosive, experimental rock trio, boasting an assault of guitar, bass, and drums. When the band walked onstage, 99 percent of the audience wasn’t aware of the pummeling they were about to receive.

The band clearly had some sort of game plan, although it would be impossible to pinpoint. Ear-shattering explosions, which left most members of the audience quite angry, were followed by awkward pauses. The audience shouted at them to “shut up and get off the stage,” but that just added fuel to the fire. Gray clearly seemed to be celebrating their misery, as he clapped and smiled throughout the set. Any objections to Grand Ulena were met with furious musical responses. During Wilco’s set, Tweedy said Grand Ulena might be “the best band you’ll ever see.” Given the circumstances, he may have been right.

Wilco was also in top form, as they closed a mini-tour of the U.S. that was supposed to be in support of their new album. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been shelved indefinitely, allowing Wilco to do some label shopping after being dropped from Warner Brothers earlier in the year. Generously, the band has put the songs up on their Web site so their fans could learn about them before the shows. Seven of the new songs were showcased at the Pageant and they were all fantastic.

Rumors have been flying since last year about the dramatically different direction Wilco have been steering their music towards. Their last album, Summer Teeth, was a beautifully orchestrated pop record that abandoned their Americana ties. After it was announced that O’Rourke was in the studio with the slimmed-down four-piece, critics speculated that Wilco had moved into the art-rock cul-de-sac that Sonic Youth has recently explored.

In reality, the new songs aren’t a departure for the band, but they are a natural progression. The best elements of Wilco’s past have been combined with subtle use of drum loops and distortion. “Ashes of American Flags” is the strongest new offering, featuring the lyrics, “I’d like to salute the ashes of American flags.” The song ventured into a sea of distortion before drawing a huge audience reaction. “Kamera,” “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” and “War On War” are fairly straightforward rockers that fit well with Wilco’s older material.

The closing track on the new album is called “Reservations” and was played during the second encore. “Truth is beautiful tonight,” sang Tweedy as the audience remained deathly silent. It’s a slow, brooding number with a steady pulse lurking in the background.

The new lineup, sans Ken Coomer and Bennett, also rejuvenated tons of older numbers. “I’m Always in Love” featured raunchier rhythm guitar, making it sound even more like the Velvet Underground. “A Shot in the Arm” was louder and angrier with Tweedy shouting, “Baby all I need is a shot in the arm/Something in my veins/Bloodier than blood.” “Sunken Treasure” was jammed out and “Can’t Stand It” relied more on heavy guitar. A number of older songs from their debut, A.M., were pulled out of the vaults. Early in the evening, the band offered “Pick Up the Change” and “Should’ve Been In Love.” Coming out for the first encore, the Pageant erupted during the first few notes of “Passenger Side.” Recognizing that Wilco hadn’t been to St. Louis in a while, Tweedy stepped back and let the audience handle most of the vocals.

Besides “Ashes of American Flags,” the best moments of the night came from Being There. The duo of “Monday” and “Outta Site (Outta Mind)” completed the first encore of sing-a-longs that also featured “California Stars.” “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” closed the evening off on a storming note, with Tweedy promising to come back in the spring.

At the moment, Wilco may be the most capable American band. They’ve shown an ability to remain important as they map out new musical territory and gradually update their image. It will be a disappointment if they don’t continue for years to come. They are on a roll, and should be remembered for making rock albums that are as stunning for their time as Music From Big Pink and Forever Changes were. That’s the kind of success they deserve.