A Wilco Weekend

Great music to be had all over these parts this weekend capped off by the Wilco show at LeLacheur Park on Saturday. Friday night Los Lonely Boys bring their rousing Tex Mex sounds to Boardinghouse Park or, if you're feeling a little lethargic with all the rain and want to be sedated even further, head to the Firehouse in Newburyport to catch the dreamy sounds of pianist/guitarist Vienna Teng. Saturday night Ani DiFranco plays Boardinghouse and a quarter mile up the Merrimack alt/country/pop heroes Wilco play to a packed house at LeLacheur. Opening for Wilco is Nebrasken Conor Oberst (picture) who is quickly establishing himself as the next great singer/songwriter. With comparisons to Bob Dylan and Graham Parsons, Oberst continues to win critical and fan acclaim with his May release Outer South. A rolicking collection of biting, somewhat sarcastic songs, Outer South shows Obesrt willing to share the spotlight allowing six of the tracks to be sung by his bandmates. The result is an album that sounds like a band of brothers who have been playing together for years; a great record from beginning to end. Finally, the Newburyport Riverfront Festival kicks off at 2:00PM Saturday. Highlights include Eric Hutchinson, Fastball and Katie Herzig. Regardless of your musical tastes, this weekend has something for everyone so get out and hear some music!