Wilco

Remember Uncle Tupelo? After their breakup in 1994, fans tended to fall into two camps: Son Volt freaks and Wilco worshipers. Son Volt was for people who liked the twang of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco was for the dirtbag in all of us that could appreciate a strong drink and a loud guitar. Let’s face it, drunken dirtbags always win in the end. Touring in support of their new album, A Ghost Is Born, Wilco is that rare outfit whose stage banter is better than most other bands’ actual songs. Maybe it’s the lack of flash combined with his self-deprecating style that has kept singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy shamefully overlooked as a commercial success, when we think he possesses one of pop music’s sharpest ears. The 2002 documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart chronicled the making of their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Fox Trot. Complete with vomiting and band member firings, it was an unflinching look at a band led by music’s most awkward and soulful troubadour. Much of A Ghost Is Born was written while Tweedy was battling depression, and also struggling with a dependency on the pain killers he was popping for his migraines. Lucky for us he can still rock, even with a headache (and some time in rehab). 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-339-7007; www.hennepintheatredistrict.com