My Morning Jacket, a big band on the small indie rock scene, played at The Pageant on Monday, Nov. 20. Their epic sound and elaborate stage show worked together to create a seamless musical experience.
The band has transformed from the alt-country band of its first few albums to a more rock-oriented project resembling The Who with a modern twist. As a result, the band relied heavily upon its two most recent releases: It Still Moves (2003) and the stellar Z (2005). The exception was their rendition of fan-favorite “At Dawn” from 2001’s At Dawn, which opened the show. The crowd was enthralled by this gentle beginning to the evening.
The band followed this moment of tranquility with a boisterous and exciting rock show. As expected, the band cherry-picked the finest songs from their two most recent albums, while throwing an odd oldie into the mix to appease hard-core MMJ devotees. From Z, a soaring rendition of “Gideon” and a rocked-up “Off the Record” were definite crowd pleasers. Keyboardist Bo Koster added some nice synth flourishes to the instrumental breakdown in the middle of “Run Thru.” The highlight of the encore was the outstanding “Mahgeetah,” which was performed in all of its bombastic glory with James upstaging the studio version by adding more heart-felt vocals.
After each song, the stage would go dark for about 30 seconds as front man Jim James was given a new guitar, and the next song began before the reverb from the previous one had faded away. The professional light show that accompanied the music included a number of colored strobe, search and spotlight combinations. The extravagant lighting made the band’s performance seem a bit too glossy, but they provided just enough showmanship and accessibility to balance the scales in their favor.
For audience interaction, the band threw bundles of glow sticks into the crowd during a song. In addition, they played their songs with such passion and volume that it was impossible not to become caught up in their intense, engaging performance. A few strobe lights too many could have spoiled the night for some, but at points, the epic lighting complemented the hazy atmosphere of the venue.
In terms of stage presence, the most engaging members of the band were drummer Patrick Hallahan and bassist Two-Tone Tommy. Hallahan, with his flowing, Medusa-like hair, pounded the drums in a captivating fashion, while Two-Tone Tommy stood center stage, holding the show like a pillar with his calm, focused demeanor and stellar bass play.
In a live setting, a finer rhythm section would be difficult to find this side of Led Zeppelin. James was called “a god” by an unknown, yet enthusiastic fan from the bar area sectioned off for those 21 or older. It’s easy to see where he got the idea from James’ appearance. With his wild thatch of blond hair and scruffy beard, James is a cross between a Norse deity and Grisly Adams. His gorgeous voice consistently hit a number of heavenly notes as he sang with passion and rocked out with fervor, pointing his guitar out to the audience and jumping up and down all over the stage at the climax of each song.
James also provided the stage banter, or lack thereof. As the band progressed seamlessly from one song to the next, James offered little in the way of interaction. He told the crowd he was proud of them for coming out on a Monday night, and later mentioned his disappointment, as the band was unable to go to the City Museum, which he had heard great things about. Aside from these stray comments, the band proceeded to move from song to song with little fuss.
Overall, the show was a treat for fans, but didn’t bring too many new sheep to the flock. The lack of “Storyteller”-like moments of introspection was certainly alienating to newcomers, and the seamless show didn’t provide much time for any sort of banter at all. Even longtime fans would’ve appreciated some face time. That being said, My Morning Jacket is the rare band that is able to evoke the rock gods of yore without becoming slaves to tradition. They are a thoroughly modern and unique band whose live show is worth catching the next time they roll into town. Just make sure you’re ready for some heavy strobe lighting.