Review of Columbus Show

[LotRat]

Hey kids, I reviewed this show on my blog. Lotrat.wordpress.com

8/8/11 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, Columbus, OH

Quick Facts:

Median Age: 32

Opening Act: Neko Case

Estimated Size: 3500

Tickets: Over $40

Crowd Energy: About a 7. Fans are dedicated but maybe holding back a bit after the weekend. Pretty chill time.

Crowd: Hipsters, hippies (young and old), parents without kids, frat boys

Substances: Seemed like a strong marijuana crowd although the bar was packed afterward for a Monday night.

Review:

I look at My Morning Jacket as the definitive mainstream festival band. Their shows feel like a gathering of the tribes, much like the mainstream festivals have become in the last few years. At a show, you'll find American Spirit-smoking hipster, wildly dancing hippies, and shitfaced fraternity brothers. While they will never be an arena-level band, their huge variety of fans will keep them in the headline of the major festival lineups for years.

The Louisville natives brought their Circuital tour to the LC on Monday to a comfortably packed crowd. The band played a set that lasted over two hours, mixing in most of the tunes from their latest album, Circuital, and cuts from Evil Urges, Z, It Still Moves, and At Dawn. While the show was very similar to the one I saw a couple months earlier at Bonnaroo, it was worth seeing again.

While I missed the first few songs, I caught the majority of it. The band played the songs the way they usually do: on key with studio quality vocals from Jim James with a small amount of impromptu jamming mixed in. Since they are a mostly same setlist every night kind of band, they have the opportunity to really practice these tunes every show. The product is a well-rehearsed live show with lots of energy and just a bit of a variety.

Jim James has a certain endearing quality that's hard to pinpoint. My Morning Jacket is, without a question, his band. He's the one with the creative input, the voice, and the raw energy that pumps the crowd into a frenzy. But the thing is, while I've never met the man, he doesn't seem to have the ego of others in his position. He doesn't introduce other members of the band like session musicians (Dave Mustaine), make himself the center of attention the whole show (Wayne Coyne), or stop the show to talk about what cause or policy he supports at the time (Les Claypool...to be fair, just about everyone is guilty of this at some point). On the contrary, James effortlessly makes it feel like you came to watch a band, not just one person. This really adds to the value of the show.

Overall, I think My Morning Jacket is one of the better live acts on tour right now. While their last album didn't produce any big singles, it seems that the band is continuing to grow in popularity by presenting more of the same psychedelic rock that has helped them climb up festival lineups over the last decade. I can almost say with certainty that I will see the guys again after they release another album.

Until next time,

LotRat

lotrat.wordpress.com