It's not where you'd expect to find Wilco on a typical day. However, the band placed themselves in the center of the action in a roller rink courtesy of their newest music video, "Meant To Be," from 2023's Cousin.
Wilco "Meant To Be" Official Music Video // The Rink, Chicago 🪩🛼
Filmed by director Joey Garfield (Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box) at Chicago's famed the Rink, the venue is a neighborhood landmark that has been in operation since 1974. Made famous by "JB skating," a smooth, laidback style, often done in synchronized groups to the music of James Brown (hence "JB") the video features a dozen locals in the shoot, including the originator of JB skating Calvin Small, and Darius Sanders, the No. 1 ranked roller skater in the U.S.
Frontperson and songwriter Jeff Tweedy has noted, surprisingly, that "Meant To Be" was written a number of years ago with an Echo & the Bunnymen via Cure vibe. However, the version that made it to the album operates firmly in the Americana vein the group has mined since they formed 30 years ago from the ashes of country-alt rockers Uncle Tupelo.
Putting the pieces together. Wilco, 2023.
The 10-song album Cousin of which "Meant To Be" is the last track, was released last September and has been universally lauded by the music press. And for the first time since 2009's Wilco (The Album), the group ceded producer duties to an outsider, Cate Le Bon.
Le Bon — herself a musician — has worked in several musical genres (folk, indie, Baroque pop) as a solo artist and as part of the experimental duo DRINKS. Tweedy remarked in a 2019 interview with Pitchfork that Le Bon "is one of the best out there making music now. It’s really rare for people to have a specific sound anymore, but I can always tell when it’s her playing guitar. Whenever I try to figure out her guitar parts, they’re way harder than they sound."
Wilco – Evicted
Tweedy published his third book in November, World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music, and has a few solo dates lined-up:
Apr. 20-21 – Boulder, CO — Bluebird Music Festival
May 31 – Chicago, IL — Vic Theatre
Jun. 1 – Chicago, IL — Vic Theatre
Meanwhile, Wilco is heading to Japan and Australia for March and April and will return to the U.S. for a festival in June.
Wed. Mar. 6 – Tokyo, JP — Ex Theatre
Thu. Mar. 7 – Tokyo, JP — Zepp Haneda
Fri. Mar. 8 – Osaka, JP — Hatch
Tue. Mar. 12 – Brisbane, AU — Princess Theatre
Wed. Mar. 13 – Brisbane, AU — Princess Theatre
Fri. Mar. 15 – Canberra, AU — Canberra Theatre
Sat. Mar. 16 – Melbourne, AU — The Forum
Sun. Mar. 17 – Melbourne, AU — The Forum
Mon. Mar. 18 – Melbourne, AU — The Forum
Thu. Mar. 21 – Sydney, AU — Opera House
Fri. Mar. 22 – Sydney, AU — Enmore Theatre
Fri. Jun. 28 – Sun. Jun. 30 – North Adams, MA — Solid Sound Festival
