Last December, Chicago alt-rock band Wilco opened a pop-up shop full of apparel, paraphernalia, bobbleheads, engraved pencils, and exclusive records to coincide with the band’s hometown “Winterlude” concert series. It would be easy to poke fun at the over-the-top merch game if Jeff Tweedy and company weren’t also comfortably turning out some of the best music of their long and storied careers. The band’s relaxed mentality carries over to the stage, where overlooked gems are given a new lease on life and old crowd-pleasers continue to age like fine wine. Wilco’s lineup is closing in on two decades together, and there’s a reason fans are as quick to flock to newly uploaded bootlegs as they are to limited vinyl releases. Come out and see for yourself when they hit the Paramount for a two-night stand. by Chipp Terwilliger