Over the course of the first few My Morning Jacket albums, the band carved out a pretty successful niche in southern rock, infusing it with small doses of dub and jam-band tendencies. Still, their sound isn’t something you would call eclectic. But, in the last three albums, the band has tried its hand successfully (Z) and unsuccessfully (parts of Evil Urges) to expand their sonic capabilities, employing more synthesized elements, funk, soul, and whatever else Jim James and co. are listening to at any given moment. In a live setting, as it was on Thursday night at the Gibson Amphitheatre, this long history of steady growth is laid out like a dinner spread, and, surprisingly, works to band’s benefit as they dip their toes into numerous genres without ever seeming lost or diluted.
Even the choice in opener, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, served the eclectic nature of the night’s music. Playing to a sparse audience (in L.A., we are poor at arriving on time), the Daptone Records’ house band began the set with their trademark “warmup” portion of the evening, teasing some of the hits that they would later play with Jones and allowing Binky Griptite to take lead vocals for a brief moment. Griptite acknowledged that a shorter set time meant that some aspects of their typical live show would be lost, but the eventual appearance of Sharon Jones alleviated any worries that this abbreviated set wouldn’t sacrifice the energy that the frontwoman is capable of. As a performer, Jones has a dynamic personality, seeming to care little whether she is singing for five people or five thousand, even connecting with just a single audience member when she invited a man to come up and dance with her on stage. For the diehard My Morning Jacket fans, it was at least suitable entertainment and at most a fine introduction to one of the class-acts of the industry.
For any band, there will be nights when shit just doesn’t go your way. On this night, it was some reoccurring problem with Jim James’ guitar not working, but it could be anything from an obnoxious audience to a low turnout. Still, I couldn’t help but thinking that My Morning Jacket should teach a seminar on how to deal with these kind of nights, as the band rolled with the punches and still delivered a satisfying and memorable set, regardless of how the cards were stacked against them.
Opening with “Victory Dance,” as is typical of this tour, allowed for Jim James to pace back and forth along the edge of the rounded stage, giving face time to every angle of the audience, but, after a between song attempt to start playing guitar, James abandoned the instrument and continued to parade solely on vocals for another powerful Circuital number, “Outta My System,” and the Z deep cut “It Beats 4 U.” And while the problems did seem to be fixed for some numbers, James spent the majority of the evening away from his primary instrument, leaning towards more slow songs that would allow James to act merely as a vocalist. He would comment a couple of times about the situation, making the most of it, and even admitting that he “liked just being a singer.”
After a few set standards that exhibited the band’s leanings in dub (“Off The Record”), country (“Golden”) and traditional rock (“I’m Amazed”), the band seemed to really stretch what you would expect them to play, going back to The Tennessee Fire for “War Begun” and then slamming into the most sonically exciting moment of the night on “First Light,” with the synthesizer buzz literally shaking the building. From the song’s climactic saxophone moments to James’ best dance moves of the night, the song proved to be the standout Circuital number at a show where that album was the clear focus.
Other highlights included “Phone Went West,” a southern fried-reggae tune that stretched well beyond seven minutes and saw James really playing to the audience, using his pinkie to wave to the corners of the large crowd. The end of “Run Thru” proved drummer Patrick Hallahan to be as big of a dork as James, as he used his drum sticks to direct the crowd and add a bit of choreography. And, on “Wordless Chorus,” James made like Bruce Springsteen at the Super Bowl and did a giant knee-slide across the front of the stage, much to the audiences delight. No matter what pacing or genre the My Morning Jacket song seemed to throw at the devoted fans, they hung with it, enjoying the party-mix of sounds all the more because the songs didn’t sound the same from one to another. In fact, only when the band attempted the sluggish “Movin Away” did the set’s two-hour running time feel like a drag.
And for a conclusion, My Morning Jacket gave the Gibson a special treat, with the Dap-Kings horn section joining them for “Holdin’ On To Black Metal,” “Highly Suspicious” (a song I will never get behind, sorry), and “One Big Holiday.” The brass made the band’s already big sound complete, showing MMJ at their full reach and giving a couple special songs the treatment they deserve. Sure, it was a concert that could cause someone to lament the technical problems or the omission of certain staples, but My Morning Jacket has enough tricks up their sleeve to easily slide through unscathed. And, as a result, provided something different and special than what you would typically see from the band.
Setlist:
Victory Dance
Outta My System
It Beats 4 U
I’m Amazed
Off the Record
Golden
War Begun
First Light
Phone Went West
Evelyn Is Not Real
Movin Away
Smokin From Shootin
(End Of) Run Thru
Circuital
Wordless Chorus
The Day Is Coming
Holdin’ On to Black Metal
Highly Suspicious
One Big Holiday
