Monday night, September the 28th, Wilco (with opening act William Tyler) played the first rock concert in over a decade at the Orpheum. The Orpheum Theater is a 1,500 capacity Beaux Arts style hall that reopened just eleven days prior to the show. The closure, over a decade ago, was due to severe flooding from Hurricane Katrina.
Located in the heart of the CBD, The Orpheum Theater is the latest downtown theater to reopen in New Orleans, post-Katrina, following behind The Joy (2011), the Civic Theater (2013), the Saenger (2013) and Carver (2014). The Orpheum's renovation went well beyond just some spackle and a fresh coat of paint. The new found glory in the Orpheum is easily on par with that of the Saenger's renovations.
Wilco's performance was a SOLD OUT endeavor and the Orpheum couldn't have been a better place for the nearly three hour show. The sound was pristine and their latest album, Star Wars, a freebie released this year, was the heart of the set list and fits well with their older material and complements Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, A Ghost is Born, and Being There. Quit a fitting opening rock show for this recently restored venue. You can see an extended gallery here: http://jalbum.net/a/1663670