A Review Thing

Wow, over a year between posts? Well, never too late to start it up again, and maybe posting any little thing will get the writing bug jumping. Here's my review of an incredible My Morning Jacket show at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago that I drove to last weekend (apologies to those who aren't as familiar with the band):

I always have the same reaction during My Morning Jacket shows: this is my new favorite. Of course, afterwards that thought slides back and the show finds its place in the natural order, because nothing will ever be better than your first, and there was the T5 TTF show...and there was...ANYWAY, at the time, living in those moments that make up an epic Jacket show which you are celebrating with your friends who have the same ridiculous ecstatic expressions on their faces that I do on mine, you know it doesn't get any better.

  

After having a great time at the outstanding fundraiser and meet-up, I arrived early enough to see Daniel Martin Moore and found my seat: all the way up every stair in the building to the top floor, and in the balcony set underneath and behind the very top balcony. The only other theater I had seen the boys at was Radio City and I was in the first mezzanine there -- so I remembered what happened that night, and I kept my mind open. The view to the stage was fine, but the overhanging balcony above my head had me worried about the sound, especially not being able to hear DMM very well over the pre-show talking crowd.
 

As I waited for Jason to find his way up, the XRT DJ introduced the band, and then it started: Victory Dance...and I was still in my seat along with every one else up there. Soon enough though, I was up and moving, and before I knew it, there was Jason with a big hug just as Carl began belting out those falsetto "setting sun!"s. CHILLS, man. The sound was great, loud and punchy, the Auditorium was incredibly beautiful, one of my favorite show buddies of all time was there rocking with me, and all was right with the world. We knew right then we were going to be treated to a great one, and yet we did not realize.
 

I am used to seeing the boys from below and from not this far away, but it is cool to see the stage from such a vertical vantage, and I drank in the view and the sweet sounds of Circuital and The Day Is Coming. Now, when we heard the Omnichord and the beginning of Touch Me, Jason and I looked at each other and remarked that we would not be getting the kind of setlist that there have been complaints(!) about. Sweet! Do NOT ever turn this feeling off. Wow, what a way to get this show going.

 
And goddamn, did it get going with Off the Record and Wordless, then First Light and Freak Out establishing themselves as up-and-coming face-melters. I'm listening to the FM recording as I write this, and the boys were just on fire, playing their hearts out and having a great time. Tom and Patrick were really kicking it up, tight and steady, with some exploratory fills and notes I have not heard before.

Ohhhh...Wonderful. The golden rainbow. Jim pleading with the light guy, "Come on, we can do this!" Daniel Martin Moore. Everybody in the house singing along. SO WONDERFUL. Then Golden to top that off, and it was just so beautiful.

Gideon was the perfect way to throw some more of that intense energy on us, and then I'm Amazed got me thinking that Jim and Carl could go absolutely nuts with a guitar duel at the end of that one. Now they toss in a super gem: Where to Begin! And more chills as the power and emotion hit me hard.
   

More kickass rocking out on Anytime and Dancefloors (especially Tom, wow), and my favorite so far from Circuital, Slow Slow Tune. Each one of those crashes in that song knocks me out, so powerful. It was nearly impossible where we were to catch all of Jim's words when he was talking between Dancefloors and SST, and I told Jason, "I cannot wait to hear a recording so I can find out what the hell he's saying!" On to Moving Away, such a sweet, beautiful, sad but hopeful song, and more emotion was flowing again in the upper balcony.

OH MY SWEET JESUS, are you kidding me? When I heard Patrick pounding out that beat to start Honest Man, I almost lost it, screaming with Jason, and headbanging those crunchy first measures. Just an unbelievable amount of awesome mind-blowing RAWK. Along with Where to Begin, a second rare SUPER GEM for this show. Apologies to the guy in the row in front of me, who received a bit of the beer someone handed to me as I went crazy, eating up the guitars, loving Bo's piano, fucking belting it out. Apologies also to the guy on my right, who never left his seat -- okay, I'm really just sorry for him for not getting it. Black Metal and Highly Suspicious were great fun rockers to follow -- I just love that scream and the "WOOO!" and Carl going nuts at the end of HS.

What?! One Big Holiday? This show is NOT over! Now we know we are going to get some madness in the encore. God, I love that moment -- WAKING UP -- screaming along with the crowd, watching and hearing and feeling the boys completely, absolutely tearing it up. And by the end of this one, after so much exertion, we're wondering if maybe it could be the end of the show. But of course the lights stay down and we're thinking we've got Steam Engine or Dondante on the way...or maybe both?

"I hope we all get to cross that golden rainbow together into the next dimension. Maybe we're already there..."

Steam Engine: astounding and new EVERY TIME. All the proof I need -- but Smokin' from Shootin' with the end of Run Thru (hoping we'll get the whole thing again soon), and then that unbelievable Mahgeetah closer proved it again: we are witnessing one of the most exciting, talented, and rewarding live rock bands in existence.

I got the feeling from this show that the band and Jim especially were feeling it extra much, it showed in the playing and the energy, and you can hear it in Jim's voice in the recording. You can hear him almost cracking with emotion, and there were four or five times when he let loose little laughs while he sang, as if he couldn't contain his joy. And that's exactly how I feel during these shows, each of which is always my favorite in those moments -- when I am lucky enough to be sharing wonderful space and time and music with this band and great friends.