With all the news both confirmed and unconfirmed about bands reuniting, one thing is certain for now: Uncle Tupelo has played their final show.
In St. Louis on May 1, 1994, the final Uncle Tupelo lineup of Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Ken Coomer, John Stirratt, and Max Johnston performed their last show at Mississippi Nights. As we all know by now, after the break-up, Tweedy, Coomer, Stirratt, and Johnston began to perform under a new name (maybe you’ve heard of them), while Farrar founded a new band named Son Volt.
While you can argue that Son Volt’s Trace is better than Wilco’s A.M., Tweedy enjoys the stro
nger career commercially and critically speaking. From Tupelo’s debut, No Depression, through their swan song in Anodyne, you could hear Farrar’s growth as a musician. That being said, content wise, Jay Farrar was king within Uncle Tupelo.
Below is a video of a Farrar composition from that final show. It’s the final performance of an Uncle Tupelo song by the original line-up (the final song performed at the concert was an all-star jam of “Gimee Three Steps” with the Bottle Rockets). With a nod to the past, former drummer Mike Heidorn was invited up to play with the band for “Looking for a Way Out”, off of Tupelo’s sophomore effort Still Feel Gone.
Take note of young Tweedy playing bass while Stirratt accompanies with acoustic guitar in the background. Thank whoever you believe in that we are lucky to have this performance on video, and we were lucky to have had the band at all.
What’s unfortunate is that Farrar and Tweedy don’t talk anymore. Friends grow up and apart all the time, and the same goes for successful rock bands. As much as I would love to see an Uncle Tupelo reunion, I don’t see it happening. Of course, a black man is president, the best rapper is white, and the Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series, so then again, I guess anything is possible.
P.S. Son Volt’s The Search is better than Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky. Discuss.
“Looking for a Way Out”
