Wilco plays an uplifting set in Seattle

“I feel relief, I feel well,” Jeff Tweedy sang in the opening song at Tuesday’s sold out Wilco concert at the Paramount in Seattle.

The verse, from “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend),” a song off the Chicago band’s newest album, “Whole Love,” is a good way to express how I felt listening being in the audience Tuesday night.

Wilco was in fine form performing in the midst of a tour that has them booked night-after-night across the country.

The relentless schedule resulted in a band that was nearly flawless, presenting their unique sound in a mostly up tempo two-hour set. Often called alt-rock, I think Wilco is hard to pigeon hole into one genre. They are at times folksy, other times psychedelic, then wholly original.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Tweedy may be at the helm, but the phenomenal Nels Cline often stole the spotlight in concert.

His solo in “Impossible Germany” drew applause even from his band mates. Tweedy joked that guitar playing that good should elevate Cline on Rolling Stone’s top 100 guitarist to #81 from his current position at #82.

Cline is like a rock version of Pat Methany, stunning audiences with his deft ability to navigate the guitar and create wild sounds from his corner of the stage.

That’s not to say that this is a band of individual stars. Wilco works because of their chemistry and ability to play off each other.

Although six of the 25 songs came from “Whole Love,” the setlist dove deep into Wilco’s past.

In fact the band played an equal number of songs from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”

“Kamera,” the second track off that album, was played Tuesday a bit faster than the recording.

There were other differences, some subtle, some not. All demonstrated the band’s high level of musicianship and ease with improvisation.

Cline delivered riffs in minor progressions, a switch up from what I’m used to hearing on recorded material.

This is the first time in the three live concerts I’ve seen, that I didn’t hear my favorite Wilco songs (What Light, California Star, Via Chicago) included in the show. In fact, they didn’t play any material from “Mermaid Avenue,” the 1998 album of Woody Guthrie inspired songs produced with Billy Bragg.

I’m not complaining. Wilco smoked on Tuesday.

The band tours frequently and seems to have no drought in producing new material. If you haven’t checked out “Whole Love,” I’m enjoying it as much as other Wilco material.

You can listen to “Dawned on Me,” a song played late in the set last night, in a hilarious music video/cartoon at wilcospinach.com.

Plus, the band just released a iTunes Session that fans won’t want to miss.

Wilco setlist, Tuesday, Feb. 7, The Paramount, Seattle:

One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)

Poor Places

Art of Almost

I Might

Bull Black Nova

Company In My Back

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

Kamera

Impossible Germany