Tag Archives: My Morning Jacket
MMJ at MSG
December 15th, 2011My Morning Jacket – Madison Square Garden – December 14, 2011
Sure, it’s an impressive feat to pull the sword out of the stone. But what really matters is if you can slay the dragon once you’ve got that weapon in your hand. And last night, My Morning Jacket, having the Excalibur of arena rock shows in their grip, killed the beast that is Madison Square Garden like few can. Opening with “Victory Dance,” the stage awash in fiery orange light, Jim James seemed to be leading the amped crowd into battle with him. From there it was two straight hours of MMJ favorites, special guests and guns-a-blazing guitar jams. Each song seemed to top the previous one with barely a pause in between—the band and crowd stepping up a ladder one rung at a time until finally we all looked down with a collective “Whoa! How did we get up this high?”
James raced around the stage like an uncaged animal bound with contagious energy, using every inch of real estate, occasionally with a towel awkwardly around his head, other times more dramatically wrapped in a cape. In a show that was an unending highlight reel, my personal favorite stretch included “Smokin’ from Shootin’,” which led into the quintessential MMJ jam with Patrick Hallahan taking control on drums before dissolving into a long, electronic “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2.” This was impossibly capped by a thrust-your-arms-in-the-air, utterly relentless “Off the Record.” Perhaps equally impressive were the quiet moments, particularly a gorgeous version of “Golden” with Carl Broemel moving to pedal steel, James on acoustic and the crowd as quiet and attentive as an MSG audience can be.
Songs off Circuital fit right in with older material. But not to rest on the power of their normal repertoire, the band invited several guests onstage to add new twists: members of opener Band of Horses, a horn section that punctuated MMJ favorites like “Dancefloors” and Brian Jackson, who added flute to a superlative version of “Dondante” and a perfect cover of Gil Scott Heron’s “The Bottle” (on which he originally played). The show ended just as strongly as it had started, with a seven-song encore, including James solo acoustic on “Bermuda Highway” and the always explosive “One Big Holiday,” which had the mighty dragon of MSG lying defeated in a heap and yet still screaming for more. —A. Stein
My Morning Jacket: Backstage at Unstaged
May 31st, 2011Tonight’s My Morning Jacket show, which will stream live as part of Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express, is about seven hours away, but we’ve got some cool behind-the-scenes footage to show you in advance. So check it out and tune in tonight!
Stream My Morning Jacket Live Tonight
May 31st, 2011
My Morning Jacket’s excellent sixth studio album, Circuital, out today, is anchored by the slow-building title track, the beautiful “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”—both of which are featured in the band’s Storytellers session—a tale of youthful indiscretion, “Outta My System” (“They told me not to smoke drugs, but I wouldn’t listen/ Never thought I’d get caught and wind up in prison”) and the high-pitched “Holdin’ On to Black Metal,” which seems destined to be a smoker when performed live. Perhaps we’ll find out tonight when MMJ plays a hometown gig at the Louisville Palace. The show is sold out, but no worries because as part of American Express’s Unstaged, it’s also streaming live at www.youtube.com/user/MyMorningJacketVEVO. And if that weren’t enough, Todd Haynes is directing the stream and Erykah Badu will be a special guest. So tune in tonight at 9 and rock out from the comfort of your own home.
Stream My Morning Jacket Live from Louisville on 5/31
May 3rd, 2011
My Morning Jacket’s newest album, Circuital, comes out on Tuesday, 5/31. But you’ll get to hear more than just their new songs that day because MMJ is joining forces with award-winning filmmaker Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far from Home, I’m Not There) for the latest edition of “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express.” In partnership with YouTube and VEVO, “Unstaged” features some of the music industry’s most breakthrough artists playing at landmark venues across the country, while tapping some of today’s most influential filmmakers to direct the live streams and using digital and social media to connect the online audience to the live shows in unexpected ways. Haynes will film the band’s performance at the Louisville Palace, which will be streamed live at 9 p.m. EST at www.youtube.com/mymorningjacketVEVO. Head to My Morning Jacket’s Facebook page to stream two songs, “Circuital” and “Holdin’ on to Black Metal,” off the new disc. And stay tuned for more news as interactive digital features are set to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough
October 25th, 2010My Morning Jacket – Terminal 5 – October 18-23, 2010
Twelve years ago, My Morning Jacket was founded in Louisville, Ky. Since then, the band has gone through multiple lineup changes (only singer-guitarist Jim James and bassist Tom “Two-Tone Tommy” Blankenship remain) and has released five studio albums, three live discs and a host of EPs, singles and compilations. It’s a considerable amount of recorded work, so it seemed fitting when MMJ announced they’d play each LP over the course of five nights at Terminal 5. Some songs were played for the first time, and overall, it ended up being an epic career-spanning week of albums, B-sides, classic rock, soul, R&B and passion, guitars and thundering drums. In a word, it was triumphant
The Tennessee Fire – October 18, 2010
When taking over a venue for a week, it’s best to feel at home. To that effect, Terminal 5 was filled with various blown-up album covers and liner photos and three large chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Up until The Tennessee Fire’s last track, an untitled instrumental, was piped through the PA to start the show, everything was about expectations. In this case, it was that no one really knew what to expect. The band’s first album is a quiet affair. Plus two of the four musicians who recorded it, guitarist Johnny Quaid and drummer J Glenn, were no longer with the group. Delicate songs like “Old Sept. Blues” and “I Will Be There When You Die” remained just that, but other tracks with room to grow, like “It’s About Twilight Now” and “The Dark,” became bigger, especially when Quaid joined the band, lifting the sound with a three-guitar attack. After closing out the album, My Morning Jacket returned for a terrific encore, including Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” a ripping take on Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” (with James’ voice booming), Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs,” and the crowd left wanting more.
At Dawn – October 19, 2010
At Dawn, out in 2001, was notable for a keyboardist, Danny Cash (no longer with the band), being added to the mix. The songs were, again, haunting and they covered all sorts of musical terrain. But just like with the first album, some of the material was on the quieter side. Although when played live, these same tunes became something more. During the second song, “Lowdown,” a voice rang out: “Mellow, my ass!” And from there, things escalated. “X-Mas Curtain” was a highlight, but an extended “Phone Went West,” again with Quaid, stole the set. The encore included older fare, like “O Is the One That Is Real” and a fantastic, lengthy “Cobra,” and darker covers, Danzig’s “How the Gods Kill” and Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath,” but it was a take on the Rolling Stones’ foray into disco, “Miss You,” that sent ’em home smiling.
It Still Moves – October 21, 2010
It Still Moves came out in 2003. And as My Morning Jacket’s first major-label album, the disc marked a noted change in the music. It no longer seemed or sounded like just Jim James’ thing. Instead there was a fuller, all-band sound. Onstage you could see the difference by how often everyone else approached drummer Patrick Hallahan’s kit throughout the show. Because of his big hair and frenetic drumming style, people sometimes compare him to Animal of The Muppets. But with his rapid-fire drumming amidst the smoke and lights sometimes making it appear like Hallahan had extra arms, perhaps Ganesh is a worthier comparison. Speaking of the lights, it’s worth mentioning that the lighting rig was swapped out after the second show. What had been hazy and muted became poignant and direct.
When the band opened with “Mahgeeta” and “Dancefloors,” each worthy of closing a show, the crowd, lustily singing along, became alive, with those on the floor hopping like mad. A six-piece horn section winningly fleshed out some of the songs during the set. And let’s face it: Horns are like bacon, and everything is better with bacon. It Still Moves if filled with plenty of arena rock, and it would come as no surprise if MMJ does an arena tour next year following the release of their sixth LP. Nevertheless, as stellar as this set was, it paled in comparison to the encore. At the risk of offering too much information, following covers of Dylan’s “Tonight I’m Staying Here with You,” the Velvet Underground’s “Head Held High” and the Band’s fantastic tale of love lost, “It Makes No Difference,” I needed some sort of an adult diaper by the time the show ended with Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long.”
Z – October 22, 2010
The opening strains of Z’s “Wordless Chorus” found the band and audience working in unison. It was the fourth show—and Friday night—and everyone wanted to cut loose. “It Beats 4 U” pulsated, while the ethereal “Gideon” gently floated in the air and “Into the Woods” featured a different kind of horn section: four guys wearing Viking helmets singing falsetto. The set, like the album, closed with a great “Dondante.” The encore began quietly with “Chills” (a bonus track on Z) and Shel Silverstein’s “Lullabyes, Legends and Lies” before upping the intensity with Funkadelic’s “Hit It and Quit It,” the Who’s “A Quick One While He’s Away,” which they properly thrashed and could have ended the show with, Prince’s “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man”—jammed out twice—and George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” with guitarist Carl Broemel handling sax duties. This final song devolved into the band throwing bananas into the audience as everyone repeatedly sang, “Ba-ba bananas, nanas.” And it was.
Evil Urges - October 23, 2010
My Morning Jacket’s fifth studio effort, Evil Urges, earned a fair amount of radio play and some very positive reviews. And as the final album to be played over a remarkable five-night run, things were sure to get loud and rowdy from the first notes of “Evil Urges.” Crowd favorites like “Highly Suspicious” (who doesn’t love a peanut-butter-pudding surprise?), the air-guitar friendly “I’m Amazed” and “Aluminum Park” kept everyone moving throughout the set. The band took a very short encore break before returning to the stage to play two new songs, “Circuital” and “Friends Again,” plus “Carried Away,” from Broemel’s new solo disc. After a couple more tunes, the covers returned: They doubled down on the Velvet Underground’s Loaded with a searing version of “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” and then took on Sly & the Family Stone (“Hot Fun in the Summertime”) before eventually closing with some Curtis Mayfield, “Move on Up.” My Morning Jacket took another encore break before coming back one last time, for a very fitting high-energy “One Big Holiday,” leaving the happy crowd “feelin’ good and limber” enough to smilingly step out into the night. —R. Zizmor
Photos courtesy of Dino Perrucci | dinoperrucciphotography.com
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See My Morning Jacket on 10/23
October 19th, 2010
My Morning Jacket has five studio albums, and the band is playing each of them over the course of five nights at Terminal 5, culminating in Saturday’s performance of Evil Urges. That show, as expected, is way sold out, but you could still be in luck because The House List is giving away two tickets. Want to Grow a Pair? It’s easier than you think. Just fill out the form below, including your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (MMJ, 10/23) and a brief message explaining which Evil Urges tune is your favorite. Eddie Bruiser, who’s got a sleeping bag at Terminal 5 this week, will notify the winner by Friday.
State Theatre Portland Opens Tonight
October 15th, 2010
(Photo: Sophie Dougher)
Tonight in Portland, Maine, music returns when State Theatre Portland has its grand reopening. The 81-year old venue has undergone extensive renovations—to the stage, lighting and sound systems, and seating and bar areas. The place looks great. Although it’s not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds. And what’s a party without some great music? In advance of playing five albums and five shows at Terminal 5 next week, My Morning Jacket plays a sold-out show tonight. That in itself would be a fantastic opening weekend, but in this case it’s just a great start because moe. plays tomorrow night and then on Sunday anyone is welcome to come to an open house. There will be a host of local bands, plus the day will serve as the launch event and membership drive for the nonprofit organization Portland Music Foundation, which aims to educate and inspire musicians and music professionals throughout the Portland area and help the entire local music industry grow and prosper. It’s a happy Friday indeed.
It’s a Family Affair
August 23rd, 2010Hacienda – Mercury Lounge – August 21, 2010
Hacienda—three Villanueva brothers (Rene, on bass and vocals, Abraham, on piano and vocals, and Jaime, on drums and vocals) and one Schwebel cousin (Dante, on guitar and vocals)—caught an early break when Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys got a hold of their six-song demo. One thing led to another and eventually the band finished an album at his studio and was opening for the likes of the Black Keys and Dr. Dog and gaining wider exposure. Last year, along with My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, they backed Auerbach on his Keep It Hid tour.
This year, Hacienda released their second disc, Big Red & Barbacoa, and they played plenty of it on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge. With their four-part harmonies, early-Kinks intensity and surf-rock influences, the plaid-heavy San Antonio quartet played a sweaty, energetic 45-minute set of swaggering, hip-shaking rock and roll, punctuated by Schwebel’s vibrant guitar solos. Onstage, songs like “Shake Ya” and “Mama’s Cookin’” emerged more rollicking and raw than their studio versions. At one point Schwebel said, “Here’s a song for Saturday night.” And he was right. —R. Zizmor
(Hacienda opens for My Morning Jacket at Terminal 5 on October 19th.)
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
The South Rises in Williamsburg
August 2nd, 2010Appalachian Voices/Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Music Hall – July 30, 2010
Appalachian Voices with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Two ends of the roots-music sonic spectrum were on display during Friday’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, as New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Kentucky’s Appalachian Voices teamed up to bring a diverse night of Southern sounds to the Brooklyn landscape. Approaching its sixth decade of exploring the traditional jazz of the Crescent City, Preservation Hall opened with a rollicking 35-minute set covering such vintage classics as “Short Dressed Gal” and “Sweet Substitute.”
The Appalachian Voices singers joined the fray with Jim James grinding on a dirty “Blue Yodel No. 9” and Daniel Martin Moore guiding a gentle “Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea.” James closed out the collaboration by swinging a towel over his head and howling through an incendiary “St. James Infirmary,” significantly ratcheting up the intensity in the room. Inspired by the boisterous response, Preservation Hall’s Clint Maedgen immediately led the band through a more tribal and equally intense reprise to close out the set before an obviously excited crowd.
Headliner Appalachian Voices reversed the vibe with a subdued and poignant antidote to the opener’s raucous set. With James thanking the audience for remaining quiet and focusing on the evening’s messages about the beauty of Appalachia and the dangers of mountaintop removal, the quartet combined elements of folk, blues, bluegrass and jazz throughout their nearly two-hour performance. While the My Morning Jacket canon would be unavoidable, including a particularly explosive “Smokin’ from Shootin’,” rock star James often faced upstage and yielded the attention to his less-famous-but-nonetheless-worthy coconspirators, Moore and cellist Ben Sollee, the latter delighting with spiraling and occasionally funky cello solos that were met with loud ovations.
Singing of the Appalachian people, pathos abounded in stirring songs, like “Try,” “My Wealth Comes to Me,” and Lead Belly’s “Sylvie,” in which James thrillingly channeled Roy Orbison. The encore featured a droning, thunderous combination of both bands on “Dear Companion” and a driving cover of “Save the Last Dance for Me,” which sent the enthused assembly buoyantly bounding off into the Brooklyn night. —Brian Ferdman
Photo © Matúš Bence | http://idijot.tumblr.com
(My Morning Jacket plays Terminal 5 five times in October. Tickets remain available for the 10/18 and 10/19 shows.)
Dan Auerbach Rocks Webster Hall
November 12th, 2009Dan Auerbach – Webster Hall – November 11, 2009
Just as Jack White has done work outside of the White Stripes, first with the Raconteurs and now the Dead Weather, Dan Auerbach, one half of the power-blues machine that is the Black Keys, also fronts a second band with a bigger sound. His backing band, the Fast Five, is made up of the San Antonio rock group Hacienda—Antonio Abraham Villanueva on keys, Dante Schwebel on guitar, Jaime Villanueva on drums and Rene Villanueva on bass—plus My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan on drums and percussion. (Hallahan, eyes closed and mouth open, played the maracas and the triangle with the unrestrained mirth of a small child.)
Last night at a crowded Webster Hall, Auerbach and Co. made their way through Auerbach’s solo album, Keep It Hid, released in February, plus a few other songs, including a cover of Rocking Horse’s “Oh Carol.” The show began with some relatively quiet harmonizing before kicking into a higher, louder gear. They played more than an hour of a winning combo of gritty blues and dirty rock and roll, including “My Last Mistake,” “Money and Trouble” and “When the Night Comes.”
The encore began with Rene Villanueva, whose bass thumped ferociously all night, laying down a dancing bassline. As the audience enthusiastically clapped along, the band shifted into a tight blues riff that blew up into raging mayhem. When the song ended, just Auerbach remained onstage. “Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said before launching into the last song, “Goin’ Home.” The line “be thankful for all you got” drew cheers and applause. And then he finished with “So long/ I’m going/ I’m going home,” and then the crowd went wild and the stage went dark. —R. Zizmor
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
Spend Two Evenings with Monsters of Folk
November 3rd, 2009Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes), Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) and M. Ward have put together their significant talents to form Monsters of Folk and to record a terrific self-titled album (stream three songs here) that has taken them out on the road and earned them favorable comparisons to the Traveling Wilburys and Crosby, Stills and Nash. They recently played Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit, and tonight they’re performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But if you want to see these MoFos in person—playing a mix of originals, covers and songs from their respective catalogs—you’re got two chances: They play United Palace on Friday and the Beacon Theatre on Sunday.
(Check out the the video for “The Right Place,” above.)
Beware of Monsters of Folk!
September 15th, 2009
Like Godzilla or that thing from Cloverfield emerging from the East River, the Monsters of Folk are descending upon our fair city (United Palace on November 6th and the Beacon Theatre on November 8th). Although these monsters—singer-songwriter and guitarist M. Ward, Bright Eyes’ singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst and multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis and My Morning Jacket’s singer-songwriter and guitarist Jim James—are far more talented than scary. This supergroup formed in 2004, and they finally have an album, Monsters of Folk, coming out next week. The tour begins next month, and you should expect at least a two-and-a-half-hour “musical event” consisting of well-crafted material from the album, covers and original My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes and M. Ward tunes, plus a whole lot of guitar. But don’t just take out word for it, check out this American Songwriter interview with the four-headed beast. And if you want to get on this ride, get in line ’cause tickets are going fast.
(Check back with The House List next week for some more Monsters of Folk info.)
