Another day, counting down to my next Wilco show… I can’t resist. Today I’m going to talk about how awesome Nels Cline is (again.)

For starters, check out this preview of Tuesday’s Wilco show in the Columbus Dispatch. It’s a good read, but doesn’t say much in particular about Nels Cline. This review, however, tells a different story.

“Cline is the band’s MVP, in fact, a veteran avant-garde musician passing as rock star who challenges the group constantly and contributes a good many of Wilco’s most exciting concert moments.

The sound he created with lap steel guitar, sometimes akin to the lead line emanating from a sitar, and the steam he generated on country tunes as well as rockers found much of the promise in Wilco’s distinctive style. When the band figured out how to make its unique sound feel fresh on the stage, it was generally Cline who could be thanked.”

Now check out Nels Cline’s solos on this live performance:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STvoZMkpRpY[/youtube]

Handshake Drugs

Cline is clearly on fire. As a guitar player, I see the things he does, hear them, and I cannot reconcile them with anything that I can even begin to perform. That could be largely due to my own ineptitude but… wow.

Have a look at this. I absolutely adore the way the guitar parts intertwine and complement one another:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97IT0-EDTtw[/youtube]

Impossible Germany

The video is from Shake It Off; the DVD that accompanied Sky Blue Sky.

Anyway, it’s Friday and long are the odds against me posting on a weekend so, I’ll catch you next week with a recap of the show! Oh, and somebody has a new album coming out that I want to talk about…