Sunday’s poster by Paul Gardner of Flora Fauna

On Sunday night, Wilco was given the key to city at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, MN. According to the Duluth News Tribune, the band was made an honorary Duluth band by the mayor, Don Ness, when they last played in the city.

Frontman Jeff Tweedy told the audience that after they were made an honorary band of Duluth, the mayor of Madison, WI also made them an honorary band of his city. Wilco wanted Duluth to come up with something more original. Tweedy challenged the Duluth audience: “Isn’t that petty [of Madison]?” he asked. “You have to find something else nice to do for us. Think it over. Have a referendum in November. We’ll wait.”

And then, midway through the second encore, Mayor Ness sat on a fan’s shoulders and made his way through the VIP section to the front of the stage. The mayor hopped the barrier and handed Tweedy a sheet of paper: “It’s a key to the city!” Tweedy said. “That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”