There’s nothing more fulfilling as a music fan than watching a local band rise through the ranks to progressively bigger and better stages. Whether you saw Phish play nightly shows at Nectar’s or the Grateful Dead score an Acid Test, there’s no denying the vicarious thrill of seeing your guys make it big.
That ascension came full circle on Saturday night when hometown heroes Wilco returned to Chicago for three special performances at Carol’s Pub. The Illinois natives announced a show at the 200-capacity dive bar at noon that same day, eventually adding a second and third by popular demand. Tickets to the shows at 7, 9, and 11 p.m. were sold in person only on a first-come, first-served basis and sold out with ease.
Related: Jason Isbell Joins Wilco For “California Stars” At Beach Road Weekend [Video]
Ostensibly, the three concerts at Carol’s Pub served as a celebration of the new Wilco album, Cruel Country, with the band writing on social media, “When we thought about celebrating Cruel Country in Chicago, only one place came to mind: Carol’s Pub.” While tracks from the band’s first proper country album dotted the setlists for all three shows, the band also dished out a bevy of covers by Bob Dylan, Terry Allen, the group’s predecessor Uncle Tupelo, and more. Wilco even included a take on the Grateful Dead‘s “U.S. Blues”, a holdover from the band’s recent PHILCO set with Phil Lesh at Sacred Rose that has since become a fixture in its live repertoire.
Check out setlists and videos from the Wilco shows at Carol’s Pub in Chicago on Saturday.
Wilco – “A Story To Tell,” “I Am My Mother,” “Cruel Country”, “Falling Apart (Right Now)” [Pro-Shot] – 10/9/22
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Setlist: Wilco | Carol’s Pub | Chicago, IL | 10/9/22 | 7 p.m. Show
Set: Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (Bob Dylan), I Am My Mother, Cruel Country, New Madrid (Uncle Tupelo), That’s How I Got to Memphis (Tom T. Hall), Please Be Wrong, Someday Soon, Hesitating Beauty (Billy Bragg & Wilco), The Death of the Last Stripper (Terry Allen), She’s My Rock (Stoney Edwards), Falling Apart (Right Now), Give Back the Key to My Heart (Doug Sahm), A Lifetime to Find, U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead), Reincarnation (Roger Miller)
Setlist: Wilco | Carol’s Pub | Chicago, IL | 10/9/22 | 9 p.m. Show
Set: Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (Bob Dylan), I Am My Mother, Cruel Country, Far, Far Away, Forget the Flowers, That’s How I Got to Memphis (Tom T. Hall), It’s Just That Simple, New Madrid (Uncle Tupelo), She’s My Rock (Stoney Edwards), Someday Soon, Hesitating Beauty (Billy Bragg & Wilco), The Death of the Last Stripper (Terry Allen), A Lifetime to Find, Give Back the Key to My Heart (Doug Sahm), Falling Apart (Right Now), U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead)