Wilco’s June 16 stop in Lafayette, NY was part of the band’s East Coast run culminating in their bi-annual Solid Sound festival in North Adams, MA. Presented by DSP Productions, at Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, An Evening with Wilco featured two sets with no opening act.

Surpassing 30 years, Wilco is as dependable as gravity and continues to defy description. Believe it or not, this Wilco line-up has enjoyed two decades in its current incarnation. It’s longevity a testament to its refusal to kowtow to trends and the continued satisfaction in creating and performing.

The evenings concert pulled from a deep catalog of 13 studio records confirming that each Wilco performance is different and of the moment. Heavy on their standards and deckled with deep cuts, the 30 plus song set was a testament to Jeff Tweedy’s prolific creativity and the group’s wealth of material to pull from. The almost three hour performance featured pensive acoustic cuts and extended melodic jamming, touching both poles of Wilco’s abilities.

It’s always been about the music for Wilco; pretentiousness is not part of their ethos. Their performances are a constant reminder that concerts are for sharing art and joy together with both the band and fellow music lovers. No one is too cool to sing, dance, or clap along and that’s exactly the expectation if you buy a ticket to see the show. You are part of it.

Songwriter and Wilco “CEO” Jeff Tweedy was in particularly spicy form chatting with the crowd about getting the correct name right for the venue, (fields vs. orchards) while voicing his concern that a senior dog in the crowd may be affected by the volume and recommending that it should have headphones on.

The opening set was country mellow with Tweedy on acoustic guitar for most of it. Even the opening “Handshake Drugs,” took a leisurely walk for its downtown handoff before bursting into its signature feedback drenched conclusion.

Of course, there was the expected electric guitar fireworks courtesy of Nels Cline and Patrick Sansone in “Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull,” and “Via Chicago,” but the overall feel was that of a summer family gathering, laid-back and easy. Special note goes out to Pat Sansone who has acted as the special sauce for the band since 2004. A stellar producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist in his own right, Sansone always provided the perfect lick, tasteful texture, or well-timed addition to the performance of the songs.

Tweedy is a poet, his songs just one avenue of his creativity and the opening set provided a diverse display of his deep narrative abilities. The well placed duo of “Cruel Country,” and “Forget the Flowers,” reminded me of the band’s early roots and Americana leanings while the mellow acoustic/lap steel reimagining of Summerteeth’s “I’m Always in Love,” illustrated Tweedy and the band’s constant creative restlessness and search for different musical expressions.

The closing combo of “California Stars,” and “Falling Apart (Right Now)” told tails of both hope and deliverance and was an appropriate send off in preparation for set two.

It must be mentioned, that one constant of the evening was the foundational prowess of Glenn Kotche, the machine that runs the ship, Kotche’s playing constantly levitated each any every arrangement through tasteful dynamics and powerhouse pounding.

The dreamy first set was informed by the agrarian setting and was reflected in the playing until night fell on the orchards. The second set began with the electric delivery of “Box Full of Letters,” kicking off an intense array of memorable Wilco cuts including the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot duo of “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and “War on War.” Five songs each from the band’s seminal LP Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and 2004’s A Ghost Is Born as well as three songs from the band’s 1995 debut AM made up the core of the show including an edgy reading of AM’s “Shouldn’t Be Ashamed.”

The delicate reflective drift of Sky Blue Sky’s “Either Way,” and Yankee’s “Jesus Etc.” provided a brief melodic respite from the trident of electric guitars that was a hallmark of the second half of the show.

The crowd-pleasing aural travel and six-string dueling of “Impossible Germany” lit the fuse, sparking a run that flowed through the funky pace of “Walkin’,” the oversized guitars of “Kingpin,” “Heavy Metal Drummer,” and “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” before landing on the sneaky, shifting gait of an extended and lethal “Spiders (Kidsmoke).”

A rousing double encore of “The Late Greats” and “I’ve Got You (At the End of the Century)” closed out another strong night for Wilco. But for those in attendance, it was more than just another calendar strike, it was a memorable convergence of reflection and providence that will be recalled for years to come, or at least until their next visit.