Credit: Courtesy of Wilcoworld.net
It’s been years since alt-country icons Wilco have played Cleveland, but the Chicago-based sextet has just announced tour dates and will perform at 8 p.m on Sept. 17 at the Masonic Auditorium. The band is touring in support of its new album, Star Wars, its ninth studio album and its first since 2011’s The Whole Love. The album is currently available for free download via wilcoworld.net and anti.com as well as through iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Digital. It is also available through traditional streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music and Rdio.

Star Wars will be available for purchase on CD on Aug. 21 and vinyl on Nov. 27. Digital downloads remain free until Aug. 13. “Why release an album this way and why make it free? Well, the biggest reason, and I’m not sure we even need any others, is that it felt like it would be fun,” Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy says in a press release. “What’s more fun than a surprise? Enough of this 20th anniversary already, here’s something fresh.” Tickets to the Cleveland concert go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday through livenation.com, the House of Blues box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. 

This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2015.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.