Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the unruly sea, it is a place workers gather to unwind after a hard day of labor. Simply put, it is a place where people come together.

When Wilco’s newest album, The Whole Love, came out last year, guitarist and lead singer Jeff Tweedy explained the rationale for making Art of Almost the first track.

For most 17-year-olds, graduating high school is a big enough event. But for singer-songwriter Ruby Jane, it’s just one of two reasons to celebrate in June. The other is CELEBRITY (EMPIRE OF EMPTINESS), her debut album, arriving Tuesday, June 19, on her own Vinyl Records label. To mark that event, she’s making a 5 p.m. in-store appearance at Waterloo Records in Austin, to be followed by a tour that will take her to Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Finland. (But she’ll have to spend Aug.

“I can’t rock without a chandelier…that’s just where I am in life,” joked Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy, commenting on the décor (namely the purple glowing chandeliers) in the Fillmore Auditorium on Thursday night.

Throughout Wilco’s two decades on the scene, the vacillating brain chemistry of frontman Jeff Tweedy has unfailingly fueled the band’s highflying creative trajectory.  Backed by the always vicious electric guitar chops of studio legend Nels Cline, the Chicago band’s 8^th studio LP The Whole Love -self-released on Wilco’s nascent dBpm Records- presents Tweedy at a critical juncture. 

A semi-circle of six acoustic guitars with a microphone in the center shone down on by natural, uncolored stage lights faced the crowd. Show-goers enthusiastically bantered in anticipation and sipped their drinks.

I started off my musical day with two exceptional bands that weren’t on the program. Enchanted Ape and Mountain Standard Time played acoustic sets in the VIP Chill Tent. Enchanted Ape had a guest guitarist join them, a performer who had played with frontman Chris Obrien years before and who added some really nice vocal backups. The regular guitarist will come in Friday just before Enchanted Ape’s slot that day. Chris also added a tenor sax player to this acoustic set.

Summer is almost here and this year’s 10,000 Lakes Festival is just over a month away, taking place July 22-25 in Detroit Lakes, MN.  Leading up to this year’s event, two of the 10,000 Lakes Festival’s headliners are releasing highly anticipated new albums in June with Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and The GooGrux King out June 2 on RCA, and Wilco’s Wilco (The Album) out June 29 on Nonesuch.

With summer just around the corner, the 10,000 Lakes Festival has added Atmosphere and Ozomatli to the lineup and will host four nights of music and camping with headlining sets from Dave Matthews Band, two nights of Widespread Panic, and Wilco for the 7th annual event held at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota July 22 – 25.

The final artist lineup for the 10,000 Lakes Festival features over sixty acts performing on four stages including:

The 10,000 Lakes Festival has confirmed additional performers to the 7th annual music festival held at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota July 22 - 25. The festival, anchored by headliners Dave Matthews Band, two nights of Widespread Panic, and Wilco, has added artists such as Gomez, Mason Jennings, Todd Snider, North Indiana All Stars and many more.