Hometown heroes Wilco launched their spring tour with the first of a three-night stand at the Riviera Theatre on Thursday. Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates will complete the series this weekend, with an enticement for devotees attending all three concerts: An entirely different show is promised each night.
The self-imposed restriction meant that audience members might not get a heavy dose of tracks from Wilco’s “Cruel Country” album on Thursday. The sprawling double album’s “I Am My Mother” was nonetheless a highlight early in the set, with imagery of migrants seeking better lives. On title track, Tweedy expressed a childlike love for his homeland without omitting wry reflection on its faults. “All you have to do is sing in the choir, set yourself on fire every once in a while,” he sang.
