Wilco

Wilco, Live Music Hall, May 23, 2007
Originally uploaded by pneyu

This dude's name is Nels Cline. He plays the electric guitar in a band called Wilco.

Prior to last night, when Wilco performed a set of musical songs for citizens of the Greater Toronto Area Who Enjoy Rock And Roll Music, The Tasteful & Well-Executed Guitar Solo (TWEGS) had been in retirement since February 16th, 1979, following a performance of "La Villa Strangiato" in which Alex Lifeson pushed TWEGS a little too far, effectuating a post-concert meltdown which concluded with TWEGS's self-induced ostracism from the world at large.

Last night, TWEGS appeared at the entrance of Massey Hall, proceeded down the main aisle and onto the performance stage during a performance of "Impossible Germany", calmy infused itself with Nels Cline's 51-year-old fingers, and proceeded to shred its first of eleven guitars for the evening.

Sub-molecular bits of fingertips and guitar picks gather themselves into exhausted piles on the stage floor at Massey Hall this morning. Despite the approaching push broom, the bits share a smile.

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Low was the opening act. If you are a new reader, perhaps you do not know that Low is my favourite band of all time. Even though the struggles involved with caring for young children and having midlife crises are currently hindering their usually poignant output. Plus, whenever an act plays the opening act role, they are doomed with bad sound and the distractions of a large crowd who are wholly uninterested in them. Liz pretended to have the patience necessary for observing Low, which was very nice of her. So it was my fifth time seeing Low, and the last two times it has been Radiohead and Wilco headlining, so they have been relegated to irrelevance on these occasions. Poor Low.

Today is Canada Day.