“Is this really happening?” Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy asked after the band played its first song on the imposing main stage at the Hard Rock Hotel near Cancun, Mexico. After a hiatus forced by the pandemic, Wilco was hosting a weeklong “Sky Blue Sky” music festival for the second time. Organized long before the omicron variant triggered a surge in COVID-19 cases that is gripping North America, this event began to feel uncertain in December.
The organizer, Cloud Nine Productions, added a requirement that all attendees present negative test taken within two days of arrival, in addition to proof of vaccination, and offered refunds to those too nervous to travel, but the company decided to go ahead with the show. When some with tickets complained in the weeks before Sky Blue Sky that the show should be postponed, Tweedy had to defend the decision to proceed in his blog.
On Monday, Jan. 17, as 1,500 joyous fans cheered for the veteran Chicago alternative band at the Hard Rock, Tweedy no longer had to think about apologies. Wilco played a rousing, two-hour set with a nice mix of songs from their 28-year career. They played “Boxful of Letters” from debut album “AM” and “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” from 2019’s “Ode to Joy,” along with cuts from the many albums in between.
It was a happy kickoff for a week of indie music and pool lounging for fans who had flown thousands of miles from Amercian cities and spent thousands of dollars to be here. The mostly middle-aged, white crowd will enjoy unlimited food and drink each day. Soccer Mommy, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Mavis Staples and Spoon all take the stage at some point over the week.
Tweedy composes many a quiet, reflective song, but every number was buoyant last night. Usually a five-piece, Wilco had a couple of added performers and they added heft to the sound. Likely inspired by the adoring crowd and the chance to play live on a large scale, the Tweedy and company seemed to play the numbers at a faster clip, with extra dose of rock ’n’ roll energy.
The fans, many in masks, sang along lustily during “War on War,” one of Wilco’s most popular songs. The chorus – “You have to learn how to die, if you want to want to be alive.” – took on a new meaning.
The pandemic isn’t over yet, so concert tours are still a tricky proposition for many musicians and their fans. But we could all dare to look forward to seeing artists take stages again on this day, the day the music lived.
