“Sorry, we are closed,” reads the sign on the outside of iconic Chicago music venue The Hideout. Closed, but not entirely empty, as Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and his band (including sons Spencer and Sammy) are on stage, covering Neil Young’s American Stars ‘n Bars classic “The Old Country Waltz” to a roomful of empty chairs. At one point, they cut to a recording from outside the venue so you can hear what this concert would sound like to people walking by: Muddy and muffled, but like you want to go inside. It’s a poignant reminder of what we’re missing, and what could be lost forever.
Tweedy and co. performed the song to raise money for the National Independent Venue Association Emergency Relief Fund. As the oft-used line goes, music venues were the first to close and will be the last to reopen. Learn more and donate at https://www.saveourstages.com/.
