CHICAGO -- Before hitting the trail today with Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama celebrated a hometown send-off of sorts at the city's historic -- and aging -- Riviera Theater last night.

With tickets ranging from $35 to $200, a crowd of about 2,000 braved sub-freezing temperatures to see big names like Wilco and Macy Gray. But it was clear who the headliner was. "Obama, Obama, Obama," said one man when asked if he come more for the music or the candidate.

Inside the Riviera's ornate and paint-chipped walls, the crowd trickled in slowly and gave its subdued attention to the moderators of the night, the rap duo Cool Kids. Hometown favorite and Grammy-nominated Wilco finally got the mostly white professional crowd rocking, especially when lead singer Jeff Tweedy introduced the man of the night -- about 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

Obama strode the stage to thunderous applause and delivered what has become his standard stump speech. "It turns out, we might win," he said. "It's possible. It is possible. They said it wasn't possible, but it is possible." The crowd roared its approval.

When Obama talked about the corruption that has come to define modern Washington, someone in the crowd yelled, "Like Chicago." Obama laughed and said, "It's more corrupt than Chicago."

He refrained from adding much to his ongoing feud with Hillary Clinton, other than to chide her campaign for making a kindergarten essay of his indicative of his lifetime wish to be president. "It's the silly season in politics," he said.

Afterward, reaction in the crowd was generally enthusiastic. "Inspiring," said one young woman. "He comes across as more genuine than Hillary," remarked another.

There were few undecideds in the crowd, although one man said he might like Clinton if he "believed a word she said." Echoing the "anyone-but-Hillary" sentiment, another man said that he just didn't "want another Clinton in the White House."

But with the Riviera noticeably emptier almost immediately following Obama's exit, it was clear many had come for the candidate and not the music.