MY MORNING JACKET LEAVES US BREATHLESS
Last night My Morning Jacket continued their massive Evil Urges tour and brought it all back home to Austin, “Where civilization first began,” according to Jim James. The performance recalled the last time the legendary James Brown swung through Austin before he died and played this same stage at Stubb’s BBQ, though he certainly would have been surprised to know that his heir apparent was a head-banging, wild-hair growing Southern rocker like the boys in MMJ. However, to see Jim James strut across the stage during “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1″ with a cape draped over his shoulders, crooning and shrieking with all the showmanship of the hardest working man in show-business, one can see how he might be mistaken for the soul music legend.
The Jacket’s set leaned heavily on the fantastic new Evil Urges LP but included crowd favorites all the way back to the Tennessee Fire. It was truly a night for the old-schoolers and new fans alike, as barn-burners like “War Begun” and “Evelyn Is Not Real” gave way to new standouts like “I’m Amazed” and “Sec Walkin”. The band’s penchant for bringing down the house is storied in the world of live music, but to silence a notoriously restless Austin crowd at the sold-out Stubb’s venue is truly a feat. Even during the drone-worthy exit music of “Dondante” the people surrounding me were rapt with attention, letting the music flow over them in waves while the light show danced spectacularly on Stubb’s giant overhang (pictured below).
Some of the best tracks played included the “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2″ which segued into its “Good Intentions” scream then right into a furious guitar-breakdown, an absolutely transcendent version of “Lay Low” that found James’ guitar in hypnotic form, a killer rendition of “Wordless Chorus” where James slid across the stage on his knees in the middle of an elated cry, and the finale of “One Big Holiday”.
Ultimately the Jacket’s set was a testament to the power of live rock and roll and an experience not soon forgotten by the likes of Austin’s Southern rock fans. If you have a chance to see the band on their Evil Urges tour, by all means buy tickets well in advance and find yourself directly in front of this amazing act while you still can. Definitely deserving of the moniker ‘the best live band in the world’.
My Morning Jacket – “Lay Low” (Live)
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MMJ IN DALLAS VIDEO
While the My Morning Jacket performance in Austin certainly wasn’t lacking in brilliance, it did miss out on something the Dallas folks had – Erykah Badu! That’s right, the soul-songstress joined the band on stage for her song “Tyrone” which the band famously covered at their much lauded 2008 Bonnaroo performance. Here’s the video below! Still doesn’t beat out Austin’s version of “Lay Low” though, haha.
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MOUNTAIN GOATS REVEAL NEW EP
Straight off the success of their latest LP Heretic Pride, John Darnielle and the rest of his satanic band the Mountain Goats are releasing a tour exclusive EP limited to 666 copies. The double 7″ can be picked up at their shows (the band swings through Austin Nov. 1st) and features four brand new songs. Digital release will be announced later but for now, be prepared for Lovecraft in Austin this fall!
The Mountain Goats – “Lovecraft in Brooklyn”
Comments? Anyone else at the Jacket show?
Categories: austin, cannibal cheerleader, erykah badu, evil urges, lay low, mountain goats, my morning jacket, stubb's, wordless chorus
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