Alt-rock titans Wilco aren't exactly a jam band, even if they sometimes get lumped into that category, and have significant fan overlap with the Grateful Dead.
Impossible Germany – a standout cut from their 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky – however, is a song where they really get to stretch out. A longtime fan favorite, it features an extended guitar solo from Nels Cline that to this day stands as one of the most scintillating guitar moments in the band's discography.
When Wilco stopped by the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Florida for a show last month (April 19), they not only included Impossible Germany in their setlist, they also invited North Florida native and Tedeschi Trucks Band electric guitar ace Derek Trucks to the stage to spice the song up.
You can see fan-filmed footage of their performance of the song – which features some truly sublime call-and-response exchanges from Cline and Trucks – below.
Between the two of them, Cline and Trucks channel a world of guitar influences – the former is steeped in jazz and avant-garde music, in addition to the more conventional psychedelic classic rock influences he grew up with, while the latter takes his six-string cues from the blues, plus a number of stylistically diverse players from around the world, such as Madagascar native D'Gary.
All of these influences come to the fore in the duo's extended solo, which begins with Cline largely echoing what he plays on the studio version, before Trucks spins things off in new and fascinating directions.
Showcasing his stinging slide skills and evocative phrasing – and using, of course, his trusty Gibson SG – Trucks is the perfect foil for Cline, who's armed with one of his trusty Jazzmasters.
Taking it all in is Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, who – playing his own SG – clearly enjoys watching the two guitar heroes engage in friendly battle.
Wilco are set to tour Europe this summer, with festival dates and shows of their own scheduled. For the band's full forthcoming itinerary, visit Wilco's website.
