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After 21 years and countless shows in front of millions of fans, you know what you're going to get with Wilco — a razor-sharp performance of catchy tunes from the bands seemingly endless catalog of hits — and Tuesday night at Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre in Salt Lake City was a textbook example of the famous Wilco sound.
Yeah Wilco gets knocked for performing dad rock, although the countless dads and moms and their surprising number of kids in tow for the sold-out show didn't seem to mind. And frontman Jeff Tweedy is a little grayer and squishier than on past visits and still looks like he should be bumming change down by the bus station.
But he's still expert at guiding the band through their now-classic repertoire — plus a few previews from the upcoming album, "Schmilco" — with his sardonic humor and a little wink-and-a-nod to the crowd.
To see Wilco at its peak, start at the end of Tuesday's set, the second encore, a six-song acoustic jam session complete with banjo and melodica, a small, wind-driven keyboard. Launching into "Misunderstood" (which holds a special place, since I used to sing it to my baby daughter), they built to a surging, cacophonous finish, following it up with "We've Been Had," an Uncle Tupelo tune (is it a cover if Tweedy wrote it?).
After solid versions of "Passenger Side" and "I'm Always In Love," they turned in a terrific rendition of crowd favorite "California Stars," which became a sing-along, and finished the night a thunderous version of "Shot In The Arm."
It was the perfect finish to a night that saw Wilco the tightest and most on-their-game musically in the six times I've seen them over the years.
Their versions of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "I'm The Man Who Loves You" were perfection, and other highlights included a rich treatment of "The Late Greats," the machine-gun drums on "Via Chicago," the bouncy "Handshake Drugs" and an ornate version of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart."
Unlike last year, when Wilco spent the first half of the night at Red Butte plodding through the entirety of just-released "Star Wars," Wednesday's set featured just three tracks off "Schmilco," and if they're any indication, it should be a gem.
"If I Ever Was A Child," the first single off the album, is vintage twangy, country-infused Wilco. "Someone To Lose" featured a catchy little shuffle beat as the band played it live for the first time, and they also previewed "Locator" from the new release.
Tweedy wasn't his normal, chatty self, but he also didn't scold the audience for chatter or being on their phones. He did, however, deride their clapping prowess during "Spiders (Kidsmoke)."
"This is pathetic," Tweedy said, blaming iPhones for the decline in concert clapping, before reconsidering. "This is probably adequate. That's all we really deserve."
Tweedy threw in a disclaimer near the end of the night, that any offensive comments did not reflect the views of the entire band. After that show, though, it would be hard to be offended.
Twitter: @RobertGehrke