The Rock band, Wilco, present the video for “Meant To Be,” which highlights a special corner of old Chicago. The video was filmed at the legendary southside Chicago roller skating venue, The Rink, which is one of the birthplaces of “JB Skating.” Started in the early ’70s, “JB Skating” is a smooth and laid back style of danced skating often done in synchronized groups and frequently to the music of James Brown.

Featuring a dozen local skaters including Calvin Small, an originator of the form, and Darius Sanders, the number one ranked roller skater in the U.S, the video shows skaters flowing to the music and sync skating amid the multicolored light reflections of The Rink’s disco ball, while Wilco performs at the center. What starts off as two separate scenes transforms as the lively song progresses revealing the two worlds have merged into one.

In a recent interview for Spectrum, bandleader Jeff Tweedy shared his thoughts about the latest song:”‘Meant To Be’” is a song I wrote about 3 or 4 years ago to see if I could write a song that maybe would have come out in 1984, or ‘83…like Echo and the Bunnymen or The Cure, and I ended up writing a song that sounded like it was some suppressed memory of being heartbroken about somebody maybe not wanting to hang out with me in the summertime.”

Photo Credit: Alyssa Fried