Jeff Tweedy’s Family Stars in Must-Watch, Lockdown-Era Instagram Live Series ‘The Tweedy Show’
Things are pretty crappy right now, but some bright spots are emerging amid this Covid-19 crisis. One such ray of light is a new reality/variety Instagram Live show starring Jeff Tweedy and his family. Titled The Tweedy Show, the daily series finds the Wilco frontman in lockdown at his Chicago home with his wife Susie, and sons, Spencer, 24, and Sammy, 20. Five episodes in, The Tweedy Show is giving The Osbournes a run for its money. You can find a clip below.
If the Covid-19 pandemic hadn’t derailed everything, Jeff would be on the road right now with Wilco supporting Ode to Joy. The group were up in Calgary when the sh*t hit the fan. They canceled all of their North American shows through April 19. If things get better, Jeff will play two solo shows in Chicago in May and Wilco will head to Europe in June. Then, in August, they’ll return to the U.S. for a string of dates with Sleater-Kinney, including a show at Forest Hills Stadium.
As for The Tweedy Show, Susie, the family matriarch, spearheads the show. She directs and films the episodes and provides commentary. However, she refuses to appear on camera. Instead, she focuses her lens mostly on Jeff, who sits with a guitar in hand, ready to sing a song at a moment’s notice. Conversely, Sammy and Spencer like to roam around the set.
The series captures the clan in their natural habitat, a lived-in home, packed with books, games, tchotchkes, a jukebox, and an over-ripe canned ham autographed by David Letterman. Their dynamics are entertaining. Proud Jewish vegetarians, the family enjoy joking around and share a love of music.
Unfortunately, we missed the first episode that apparently featured Jeff in the bathtub. As for the other four, highlights have included a call with Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs), and a visit with Spencer’s girlfriend Casey and her dog Basil. The family have also performed several songs, from covers to music from their various projects (Wilco, Tweedy, and the Raccoonists). Jeff’s rendition of The Handsome Family’s “So Much Wine,” and Sammy singing Graham Nash’s “Military Madness” are both standouts. Jeff also shared the lyrics to “Grandma’s a Cyborg Now,” a song that came to him while he was sleeping (see below).
Susie monitors the chat during the stream. She pulls out questions, song requests, and does shout outs to family members and friends who stop by. Notable viewers have included Nick Offerman, Abbi Jacobson, Fred Armisen, and John Hodgman.
The family ends each episode with a message of empathy and solidarity with the viewers. Jeff has said that if anyone is having a difficult time coping that they should reach out via Susie’s Instagram. You can’t help but fall in love with this very down-to-earth foursome. The Tweedy Show airs nightly Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. (Update May 2: the Tweedys are taking Wednesday and Sunday nights off) at 9:30pm CDT 9pm CDT (new time as of April 6!) on Instagram Live here. (Update April 14: Susie is now posting old episodes of The Tweedy Show on YouTube. You can find them here.) (Update May 17: The Tweedy Show is taking a week off (May 18-23), shows will resume Monday, May 25.) (Update May 29: The cutbacks continue. The Tweedy Show goes to four nights a week. The family now takes off Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.) (Update June 8: The Tweedy Show is taking another week off (June 8-12) so Jeff can work on his book. Spencer and Sammy may do an episode of The (No Jeff) Tweedy Show in the interim. Follow Susie’s Instagram for an announcement.) (Update June 11: The (No Jeff) Tweedy Show: Kids Edition is happening tonight, June 11. Tune in at Susie’s Instagram.) (Update June 23: The Tweedy Show is taking a few more days off. Jeff is on deadline for his book. They will be back in full-family mode on Monday, June 29. In the interim, check Susie’s Instagram for announcements. Spencer and Sammy might do another edition of The (No Jeff) Tweedy Show this week.)
In related Wilco news, the band shared a free quarantine relief treat. Now available for viewing is a Songkick pop-up concert from December that finds the band performing at the Chicago Athletic Association’s “Stagg Court.” A Q&A with Jeff moderated by TJ Jagodowski follows the show. You can watch it here. The band also launched Front of House, a series that explores the band’s extensive years of touring with recordings and exclusive show notes. For more on this series, visit Nugs.net.
Photo: Jeff and Spencer Tweedy as Tweedy, photo by Piper Ferguson