On Friday, October 24, Jeff Tweedy and his solo band brought their tour to the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts. Delivering a setlist full of songs off his newly released triple album, Twilight Override, and even a surprise cover song to end the night.
In the week leading up to the Patchogue show, Jeff and his band spent most of their time in New York, performing at Brooklyn Steel and appearing on both The Daily Show and The Late Show, where they played two songs. Despite more than three decades of touring and countless performances across New York, Friday’s show marked Jeff’s first appearance at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts.
Best known as the frontman of Wilco, Jeff has released over 20 albums throughout his career and has won multiple GRAMMY Awards. His latest release may be one of his bravest yet. A triple album titled Twilight Override, spanning 30 songs that contain the Tweedy songwriting that fans would expect, while still continuing to draw listeners in.
Friday’s show opened with a solo set from Macie Stewart, who also performs as a part of Jeff’s band. Stewart began her set at 7:30 as the crowd began to settle. Accompanied by herself on acoustic guitar, the singer-songwriter’s set was a great showcase of why she is a part of the Tweedy band. While also being a talented multi-instrumentalist, Stewart has an expressive voice that suits both her own songs and the Tweedy material perfectly. For the final song of her set, Stewart welcomed fellow Tweedy bandmate Sima Cunningham to the stage to add guitar and sing harmony.
At 8:30, Jeff and his band took to the stage to a warm welcome from the Patchogue crowd. The rest of his band consists of his two sons, Spencer and Sammy Tweedy, as well as Liam Kazar. Starting off with “KC Rain (No Wonder)” off of the new album, a classic Tweedy composition marked by sincere introspection and backed with tender melodies.
The band also reached beyond the new triple album to play a few other songs from previous Tweedy solo albums. Songs like “Low Key” and “Flowering” especially stood out for their refreshed arrangements, breathing new life into familiar sounds. “Diamond Light, Pt.1” provided a perfect showcase of Spencer’s impeccable, in-the-pocket drumming.
“Out in the Dark,” toward the middle of the set, offered a chance for Sammy’s synth work to be featured. The synth’s presence throughout the show helped weave a bed of sound that grounded the band and filled out the atmosphere beautifully.
To end the evening, the band returned to the stage to perform a four song encore that included a surprise cover of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” Jeff explained that the group had been learning and playing a cover that corresponded with each individual stop on the tour, and the Patchogue audience would have to guess at what song would be theirs before kicking into the classic opening riff and unmistakable cowbell played by Sammy. After the song concluded, Jeff shared that the band had only learned the song that same afternoon.
Jeff and his band continue on their tour through the end of the year. For more information and tickets visit wilcoworld.net.
Jeff Tweedy – Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts – Friday, October 24
Setlist: KC Rain (No Wonder), Betrayed, One Tiny Flower, Caught Up In The Past, Sign Of Life, Forever Never Ends, This Is How It Ends, Low Key, Evergreen, Mirror, Stray Cats In Spain, Gwendolyn, Out In The Dark, Ain’t It a Shame, Flowering, New Orleans, Diamond Light Pt.1, Feel Free, Lou Reed Was My Babysitter, Amar Bharati, World Away, Half-Asleep.
Encore: Twilight Override, Family Ghost, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, Enough.
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