“The next time we’re in town, we want outrageous, rambunctious behaviour right off the bat”.

So said Jeff Tweedy the last time Wilco came through town almost a year ago and remembering that dressing down (watch the 10MB AVI of him berating us), Saturday night’s Wilco show at Massey Hall started with a good old-fashioned stage rush from the floor seats that pretty much set the tone for the night – and we didn’t even have to yell, “Enough with the artsy-fartsy sombre numbers, man”. This was the last night of a two and a half week North American tour and while that’s barely a walk in the park for road warriors like Wilco, they were prepared to leave it all on stage. Every last bit.

But before I get into that, Low deserves mention. Of all the bands I’ve seen open for Wilco over the years, they were the first I was really excited about rather than curious and it’s a shame they’ll probably never be big enough to play a venue like Massey on their own because they sounded magnificent. The acoustics of the room suited them perfectly, their spare and solemn hymns ringing out like it was a cathedral. It’s kind of funny that a band that’s released what’s arguably their darkest, bleakest record in Drums And Guns should tour with one who just released their lightest and breeziest (Wilco and Sky Blue Sky, if you need cue cards) but whatever, whyever, I’m grateful for it. Wilco axeman Nels Cline came out to lend lap steel on a couple songs including a stunning reading of “Pissing” and when their too-short 40-minute set wrapped, they left the stage to a standing ovation from the audience.

And back to the main event. Considering this was my ninth time seeing Wilco – four times in support of A Ghost Is Born alone – it was a very real risk that what used to be an event was starting to feel a bit routine. After all, the set list over the past few years hasn’t changed that much, gradually evolving with the introduction of new songs rather than offering many surprises from the band (and Jeff Tweedy’s) expansive back catalog. And so it figures that just when I’m starting to get a bit complacent in my appreciation for Wilco (I like – but don’t love – SBS), they turn around and remind me why and how much I love the band.

I thought they were tight before, but somehow, somewhere, they managed to find yet another level and make it seem effortless. I had thought that I might be tired of hearing the same songs as the past shows played yet again but not so – I still got excited at the opening drum fills of “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”, the crashing crescendo of “Via Chicago”, Nels Cline’s sublime solo to wind out “Ashes Of American Flags”… I guess I forgot it’s not just the song, it’s the performance. As mentioned, this was the final date of the current tour and as such, the band was in a particularly loose and jovial mood, joking and goofing about. Moreso than any other time I’ve seen them, they seemed to be having an obscene amount of fun onstage and that carried over to the audience, who were basking in the glow of a band of supremely talented musicians in absolutely top form. Tweedy was chattier than ever, calling us the best audience of the tour (a nice change from being chewed out for being too polite), flaunting his t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Sellout” during “Hummingbird” (sponsored by Volkswagen?) and inciting Pat Sansone to take on Cline in a guitar solo showdown during show finale “Hoodoo Voodoo”. Normally I’d say anyone who goes six-string gunning for Nels Cline is a fool and a half but damn if Sansone didn’t hold his own.

Since their August 2004 show at the Mod Club, that has been my indisputable best Wilco show – how could you possibly top the specialness and intimacy of seeing them play a 550-capacity club? Well it took almost three years, but they did it. MAN did they do it. What a night.

The Toronto Sun and The Globe & Mail have reviews of the show.

Photos: Wilco, Low @ Massey Hall – June 30, 2007
MP3: Wilco – “What Light”
MP3: Low – “Breaker”
Video: Low – “Breaker” (YouTube)
Video: Low – “Belarus” (YouTube)
Video: Low – “Hatchet” (YouTube)
Video: Low – “Breaker” animated version (YouTube)
Video: Low – “In Silence” (YouTube)
MySpace: Wilco
MySpace: Low

The Sun has an expletive-laced interview with Ryan Adams that manages to touch on the usual expletive-inducing topics: his substance abuse, label difficulties and his prolificness.

Meanwhile, The Sydney Morning Herald has a typically monosyllabic conversation with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.

The Vancouver Sun has a conversation with Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell, who will be at Lee’s Palace on August 11 and whose second album is due out in October – details at Pitchfork.

Glide talks to Jason Isbell about his solo debut Sirens Of The Ditch, due out July 11. He’s got a show at the El Mocambo on July 24.

Somehow Spinner knew I’m about two hours away from having season four of The Wire downloaded as they pointed to this MP3 of Tom Waits performing “Way Down In The Hole, aka the theme song of the show, accompanied by the Kronos Quartet in a 2003 live performance in support of the Healing The Divide foundation.

MP3: Tom Waits with The Kronos Quartet – “Way Down In The Hole”

CMJ has got Fall tour dates for Brazilian dance-rockers Bonde Do Role including a date in Toronto on September 19 at the Cabaret… which begs the question – where’s the Cabaret?

Happy Canada Day statutory holiday day, everyone! Unless you’re working today in which case… sucks to be you!

This is me celebrating Canada Day with an all-Canuck edition of Sunday Cleaning. Happy birthday, Canada! You rock! Yah!

The Assistants / The Assistants (independent) I first saw Toronto’s Assistants last Summer at the shoegaze tribute show I sorta DJ-ed (made mix CDs and hit play, basically) and they didn’t make that much of an impression. I commented at the time that “their pedigree (is) more C86 than shoegaze” and they seemed to be about five or six years out of time, as far as the eras they drew influence went. On their debut album, however, they sound immeasurably more “in time” and impressive – while name-dropping the Jesus & Mary Chain and Smiths as influences might be more fashionable, I’m more taken with the Go-Betweens, Lloyd Cole and even Dire Straits in their music (are Dire Straits still the epitome of uncool? Because they really shouldn’t be). Janglesome, melodic and far more assured than you’d expect from a debut, file this one under bands I’m proud to share an area code with. Recommended. MP3: The Assistants – “This Time” MP3: The Assistants – “Planet News” MP3: The Assistants – “Free To Believe” MP3: The Assistants – “White” MySpace: The Assistants

Fox Jaws / Goodbye Doris (Chaulk Records) I barely missed catching Barrie’s Fox Jaws at last year’s Over The Top Fest (when they were still known as the lawsuit-inviting Doris Day) by a number of metres – namely, they were playing on the roof of the Drake and I was in the basement. Fast-forward a year to their debut full-length (slyly named for their identity change) and alls I can say is better late than never. The six-piece turns out taut and hooky rock with an energy and effervescence that belies the density and sophistication of the music but their secret weapon is singer Carleigh Aikins, whose whiskey-shot voice evokes a classic soulfulness without sounding out of time or place in a gang of young, indie-rock toughs such as these. Big things are inevitable. The band’s next show is July 20 at the El Mocambo. MP3: Fox Jaws – “Karmonica” MP3: Fox Jaws – “Quarantine Girl” MySpace: Fox Jaws

Immaculate Machine / Fables (Mint) Since I first saw them some three or four years ago I’ve been convinced of Immaculate Machine’s potential but not that they were delivering on it. Well their third full-length is finally delivering on that promise – it’s entirely possible that they’d have gotten to this point on their own but you can’t discount the education vocalist/keyboardist Kathryn Calder has gotten in both songwriting and performance from being a member of The New Pornographers the last couple years. But wherever the schooling came, Fables is a top-notch slab of power pop, blending upbeat boy-girl vocals with jangly guitars, burbling synths and melodic hooks aplenty. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel but it does offer a pretty good example of what a well-executed wheel can be. MP3: Immaculate Machine – “Dear Confessor” MySpace: Immaculate Machine