Wilco's Jeff Tweedy Honored With His Own Day in St. Louis

Posted on Aug 31st 2010 11:00AM by John D. Luerssen
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Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

St. Louis music fans celebrated "Jeff Tweedy Day" on Sunday, Aug. 29, when Mayor Francis G. Slay officially honored the Wilco frontman in conjunction with his solo performance at the city's Loufest. Slay made the announcement just hours before a 90-minute concert by Tweedy, a native of nearby Belleville, Ill.

Tweedy joked to the crowd that the proclamation was "the stupidest thing I've ever heard," according to a report by the Riverfront Times. Although the mayor didn't make the gig, Tweedy told the audience that he was thankful for the honor before performing Wilco classics like 'Sunken Treasure,' 'Via Chicago,' 'Casino Queen' and 'Misunderstood.'

When the Wilco frontman told the audience, "I guess none of you have to go to work tomorrow, 'cause traditionally 'Jeff Tweedy Day' is a three-day weekend," he was met with rapturous applause.

In addition to standards from his songbook, Tweedy delighted hardcore loyalists by performing obscurities like the 'Chelsea Walls' rarity 'When the Roses Bloom Again' and the Golden Smog track 'Lost Love.' He even broke into Uncle Tupelo's 'New Madrid,' a song from the band's 1993 swan-song album 'Anodyne.' Check out video of Tweedy discussing the honor below.