Daddy Rock

Hello, little Isla! How are youuuu? There's a sweet little smile from my little girl!

OK, Isla, Daddy needs to talk to you. You're just 3 months old, so Daddy doesn't know how much of this you'll understand, but it's important to try. OK? OK! Yaaaay!

On Sunday, we're going to see Daddy's favorite band, Wilco. Can you say, "Wil-co"?

This is a big event for both of us, Isla. You get to see Wilco for the first of what will surely be many times. And Daddy finally gets to experience dad rock as it was meant to be: as a dad. Yaaaay!

If you've been listening along to the band's new record, Star Wars, or paying attention to Daddy's bootleg of the Red Rocks show from July, you know how interesting this concert is going to be. Did you notice that new, organ-tinged arrangement of "Jesus, Etc."? And Nels is truly killing the "Impossible Germany" solos. Oh, man. Daddy wishes we could go to the Bend show on Saturday and the Seattle show on Tuesday, but Mommy is not into it. Next time!

Daddy has seen a lot of Wilco shows. He first saw them waaaay back on the Being There tour, when they were a basic alt-country band. He's ended up liking every iteration of the band a little more than the last. Back in 2007, Pitchfork dubbed them "dad rock" and they'll never, ever escape that label, even though Pitchfork used to be really funny and snarky but now just writes a bunch of overwrought think pieces about crappy electro-smooth jazz made by dudes in tank tops. Maybe Daddy is getting old, but he doesn't like Thundercat!

Anyway, Daddy wanted your first concert to be Wilco, so you can brag to all of your friends once you can talk. But when we were in Salt Lake City, they offered us free tickets to see Death Cab for Cutie. In Utah, your entertainment options are pretty limited. We showed up late and left early, so if you later want to tell your little friends Wilco was your first real concert, that wouldn't be a lie!

And don't worry, Daddy will buy you a Wilco onesie. Sorry about your outfit for this one, options are very limited in the 0-3 size. Mommy said you couldn't have the Peter Tosh onesie with a giant weed leaf on it, and Daddy worries you wouldn't yet appreciate the irony of the little Metallica shirt and someday end up on the back of some dirtbag's Harley. Sorry, Isla!

Now, you're probably wondering about the most convenient times for Daddy to attend to your basic biological needs. The encore break, obviously, would be ideal. Just behind that would be "Laminated Cat (Not for the Season)," which is a poopy song Daddy doesn't want to hear anymore.

If you could please, please try to stay calm through the Sky Blue Sky-era stuff, and Daddy would extra super-appreciate it if you were quiet through any of the Star Wars stuff, especially "More..." and "Taste the Ceiling." That solo break on "Taste the Ceiling" is really gonna be epic. You must be so excited, little Isla! Yaaaay! Dad rock!

GO: Wilco plays Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale, with Speedy Ortiz, on Sunday, Aug. 9.
6 pm. Sold out. All ages.

WWeek 2015