Ah, to be Wilco. They’re one of those forward-thinking bands that always make the right moves for fans. Whether it’s giving away extra tracks for those who already purchased this year’s Sky Blue Sky, doing pre-sale tickets for shows, or streaming live concerts—not to mention playing flawless shows every night—consensus has it that Wilco are the bee’s knees. Perhaps that’s a bit too much fawning. But do you know anyone who actually doesn’t like Wilco? That’s what we thought. See, that’s the thing—they’re one of the only bands that everyone can like and still feel cool.
Further upping the cool factor, Wilco announced a five-night Chicago residency this February at the gorgeous, mid-sized Riveria Theatre. The webpage proclaims “Five Shows Exploring the Band’s Complete Recorded Works. Each Performance Featuring a One-of-a-Kind Set List.”
Wilco fans scrutinized the wording and received further clarification last night from an email sent out by Wilco HQ:
Chicago in mid-February. Those of us who’ve spent a few winters there can attest that it is not for the meek or easily intimidated. That said, there’s nothing like walking out of a venue post show to a howling 30 mile an hour arctic wind off the Lake (a few short blocks from the Riv...), icy snow blowing in your face. In the old days, we 
usually opted for the Green Mill while the crowds thinned. Anyway, now that we’ve weeded out the less ambitious among you, we’ll also explain what makes this a sort of “don’t miss” week for Wilco fans. Over these 5 nights the band will endeavor to perform every song in their now extensive oeuvre (or is that canon)? This includes all the studio recordings and their contributions to the Mermaid Avenue records. Plus, who knows what else? To further clarify, the plan is NOT to do the material sequentially or chronologically. Rather, they’re just going to attempt to cover it all over the 5 shows. It’ll be a real blast, we’re certain.
Now, for those a bit geekier and Wilco-obsessed, the following questions arise: does this include material from the disc included with 2004’s The Wilco Book? (Our guess is yes). Does this include B-sides from European, Australian, or Japanese singles? (Again, our guess is yes). What about band-recorded material that falls under a different name: The Minus 5 (Down with Wilco), Loose Fur (Loose Fur, Born Again in the USA), and Jim O’Rourke (the oft-overlooked Insignificance)? Certainly some material from those four albums will make an appearance, and we suspect so too will a few of Wilco’s pals from those projects (particularly O’Rourke since he’s part of Loose Fur and produced Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born; that he lives in Japan is a solid knock against the theory).
After Chicago, the band begins a surprisingly rigorous one-night-stand tour through March that ends with a six-show stint in Australia and New Zealand.
Here are Wilco’s confirmed 2008 dates:
2/15-20 – Chicago, Illinois – Riviera Theatre
2/22 – Cleveland, Ohio – Lakewood Civic Auditorium
2/23 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Tower Theatre
2/24 – New Haven, Connecticut – Shubert Theater
2/29 – Charleston, South Carolina – North Charleston PAC
3/02 – Nashville, Tennessee – Ryman Auditorium
3/03 – Mobile, Alabama – Mobile Civic Center
3/4-5 – New Orleans, Louisiana – Tipitina’s
3/07 – Houston, Texas – Verizon Theater
3/08 – Tulsa, Oklahoma – Cain’s Ballroom
3/09 – Des Moines, Iowa – Val Air Ballroom
3/18 – Sydney, Australia – Enmore Theatre
3/19 – Brisbane, Australia – The Tivoli
3/20 – Byron Bay, Australia – East Coast Blues Festival
3/22 – Auckland, New Zealand – New Zealand Festival
3/23 – Wellington, New Zealand – TBA
3/26 – Melbourne, Australia – Metro Melbourne (Palace Theatre)