Wilco's alt-country sound and lead singer Jeff Tweedy's characteristically soft voice serenaded audience members on Thursday night, April 16, at the IU Auditorium.
Union Board and Live Nation booked the band, along with their opener, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, to perform, kicking off the sprint to the end of the year.
A Hawk And A Hacksaw opened the night with an hour-long, all-instrumental set at 8:00 p.m.
Made up of four musicians, A Hawk And A Hacksaw performed using a range of instruments, from the violin to the accordion.
Sophomore Robert Funkhouser said the openers also managed to blend a range of sounds, from eastern European folk to polka.
"They definitely had a lot of confidence, " Funhouser said. "Although it is unclear if people got into it, because people still filing in while they performed.
Although attendees filled the auditorium nosily, audience members hushed in respect when Wilco took the stage at after a brief intermission at 9:00 p.m.
"When the lights dimmed, the crowd cheered and then Tweedy on his acoustic guitar and the rest of the band were on stage," Funkhouser said.
The auditorium exploded in applause and praise as Wilco played three songs non-stop before introducing themselves to the crowd.
This sense of community surprised sophomore Katie Taylor.
"I'm usually not a fan of the IU Auditorium because everything feels so disconnected, but it seemed like there was an energy that joined everyone together," Taylor said. "I just enjoyed being inside the belly of the beast. I like the feeling of being engulfed by music and surrounded by hundreds of people who are enjoying themselves."
Tweedy cordially re-introduced himself and the band after their three year hiatus from playing at IU.
"It's good to be back," Tweedy said. "We were almost here exactly three years ago."
After some playful repartee with the audience, Wilco continued to play out their set, sometimes even asking the audience to sing along, like before their song, "Jesus, Etc." off of their best-selling album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
Throughout the night and their encores, Wilco mostly played songs off of their albums, "A Ghost Is Born," "Summerteeth," and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
However, freshman Andrew Cambron's favorite part of the night was Wilco's live rendition of their song "Impossible Germany," off of their latest album, "Sky Blue Sky."
He described it as a beautiful "syrupy haze of lights," and said that the concert was a "pleasing combination of all that is excellent with indie-rock."
Tweedy ended the crowd-pleasing concert with an homage to their performance at in 2006 at auditorium.
Tweedy said to the audience that drummer Glenn Kotche used to stand on the top of his drums before beginning their final song. However, when Tweedy said this, Kotche shook his head as the band began to play, indicating that he would not repeat the act.
"Right as the song began, he jumped up and crashed into the song [with his drums] on time," Funkhouser said. "The crowd went from heartbroken boos to triumphant yells."
After a night of lively performing and uproarious applause, Wilco finally finished their set after a second encore.
"Thank you very much, see you next time, " Tweedy said as the band exited the stage. "Let's meet back here in three years."
-Yahya Chaudhry
