Seriously, Wilco? Seriously?

Wilco is playing Fairbanks this summer.

For those of you who don't know, I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska from November 2001 until November 2003. It was an interesting time in my life--first time in the Army, first time a long way from home, and first time completely cut off from the "real world" due to the geographic absurdity of my location (this deployment being the second).

Needless to say, we didn't get a lot of live music acts worth checking out up there. Occasionally someone worthwhile would drop by Anchorage, and just to give you some perspective, we would strongly consider driving the 365 miles through mountain passes filled with snow/ice/treachousness to get there.

We had one sorta-music venue in town--the Blue Loon--which also doubled as the dance club, art house movie theater, Jaegermeister dispensery, home of the only Galaga machine in the city, and the place where crappy comedians would perform their crappy comedy. It's out on the edge of civilization on the west side of Fairbanks, and we all kind of loved it.

As many such places do, it has pictures on the wall of famous performers who had passed through their doors. And I kid you not, the most notable picture I remember is the Gin Blossoms, who had come through in like 2000, years and years after their peak.

And now, nearly 5 years after I bid Alaska farewell, they get Wilco. What the hell, Fairbanks? What the hell?

p.s. Looking through the Loon's summer lineup, it looks like Third Eye Blind is swinging through as well--now that's really more your speed, Blue Loon.