Golden Smog
Vic Theater
Chicago, Illinois
December 9, 2025

Master: DPA 4060=>Tascam DR-2D
Transfer: Soundforge Audio Cleaning Lab => FLAC front-end (level 8)
Location: 5th row center, balcony

Track list:

(1) Band entrance (0:46)
(2) Looking Forward To Seeing You (3:06)
(3) Lost Love (3:30)
(4) To Call My Own (4:07)
(5) V (3:39)
(6) Glad & Sorry (4:33)
(7) All The Same To Me (3:36)
(8) Love and Mercy (3:51)
(9) Ill Fated (3:58)
(10) Starman (5:05)
(11) Walk Where He Walked (3:15)
(12) He's a Dick (3:24)
(13) She Don't Have to See You (To See Through You) (4:49)
(14) Won't Be Coming Home (4:03)
(15) I Can't Keep From Talking (4:00)
(16) Yesterday Cried (4:30)
(17) Pecan Pie (2:55)
(18) Strangers (3:33)
(19) Red Headed Stepchild (3:21)
(20) If I Only Had a Car (4:36)
(21) Encore break (2:04)
(22) Radio King (3:28)
(23) Listen Joe (5:33)
(24) A Long Time Ago (3:37)
(25) Please Tell My Brother (2:58)
(26) Revolution Blues (6:28)
(27) Do Anything You Wanna Do (4:15)
(28) Until You Came Along (5:44)

Comments: Final date of Golden Smog's three-date American tour (the other shows being in New York and Minneapolis) and to hear the band tell it, the best of the three. This "supergroup" featuring members of Wilco, The Jayhawks, and Soul Asylum has been performing sporadically since the 1990s, but as the years have passed and their careers progressed they have been playing less frequently. Rarer still is the inclusion of Jeff Tweedy, who is arguably the busiest of the bunch by juggling a prolific solo career with Wilco's schedule. This was the band's first Chicago appearance since 2006, and worth the wait. Great mix of originals and covers, with the high points being versions of the Kinks' "Strangers" and Neil Young's "Revolution Blues." Even from the balcony I could tell they were having a great time. With 26 songs packed into 110 minutes, it certainly felt much longer (in a good way).

The sound is very good overall. I was DFC in the front of the balcony, so the mix was good and there was very little crowd interference around me. I raised the high end a bit because I always find the treble on the DPAs to be a little lacking; otherwise I didn't do anything to the recording.

Fans of the band will enjoy this one because Golden Smog shows don't happen very frequently these days.