TLN interview with Tom

[CC]

THE LATEST NOISE INTERVIEW SERIES
MY MORNING JACKET'S TOM BLANKENSHIP

PART 1: GET IN THE FUCKING VAN
https://thelatestnoise.com/tom-blankenship-my-morning-jacket

PART 2: THE JOY AND PAIN WAS CERTAINLY ALL WORTH IT
https://thelatestnoise.com/tom-blankenship-my-morning-jacket-part2

[Crispy]

Nice -- thanks, CC!

[mymorningcatnip]

Ooo love it, thank you for posting!

[APR]

Really great interview.  Thanks for the heads up.

[LOWDOWNESY]

Man, Tom Blankenship is something else. It sounds silly, but I cried reading this. The first time and the second time.
Soften. Listen more. Surrender your ego to the whole. Take chances. Build your life on the foundations of faith and love. Put your whole self into it.
I'll tell you what, listening to this band has put me into direct confrontation with my fear, my ego, my tendency to withdraw and become self sabotaging. But I come back newer, wiser, humbled. Again, again, again I try.
Tom has a gift for storytelling, man. His stories take the shape of his deeply-felt and expansive experience. He has always taken time to make every one feel heard. I really aspire to his kind of artistry. It is so informed and inclusive. He is a lifeline between the band and their fans.
I am thankful that Jacket began their career as outsiders. Strangers in a strange land. Because I think it attuned their hearts to all the weirdos and misfits and overlooked and left-behinds. The genre and gender benders. THAT is what rock n roll has lost. Not its rock stars, but the misfits that surround them.

[Cameron]

Great read. Looking forward to part 2.

[parkervb]

Man, Tom Blankenship is something else. It sounds silly, but I cried reading this. The first time and the second time.
Soften. Listen more. Surrender your ego to the whole. Take chances. Build your life on the foundations of faith and love. Put your whole self into it.
I'll tell you what, listening to this band has put me into direct confrontation with my fear, my ego, my tendency to withdraw and become self sabotaging. But I come back newer, wiser, humbled. Again, again, again I try.
Tom has a gift for storytelling, man. His stories take the shape of his deeply-felt and expansive experience. He has always taken time to make every one feel heard. I really aspire to his kind of artistry. It is so informed and inclusive. He is a lifeline between the band and their fans.
I am thankful that Jacket began their career as outsiders. Strangers in a strange land. Because I think it attuned their hearts to all the weirdos and misfits and overlooked and left-behinds. The genre and gender benders. THAT is what rock n roll has lost. Not its rock stars, but the misfits that surround them.

this is really great. And I think you are right on point with Tom being the lifeline b/t the band and their fans...he's the one you're most likely to see around town before a show just doing his thing and he's always super friendly, he's the most interactive on Twitter where he has shared a lot of things relating to mindfulness and how we can self sabotage with our words and thoughts.

It's funny you say this thing about outsiders bc in celebrating the anniversary of the The Tennessee Fire it brings to mind that they were popular in Norway way before the states and how much Bonnaroo (and its once misfit approach) meant in those crucial mid-aught years when they really coalesced around this version of the band.

(feel like i've lived on the Forum this morning, just so amped up after this weekend)

[sillyboob]

Parkervb, couldn't agree more.

The timing of things is funny. Not to get way out there, but I am a yoga instructor, so I pay attention to cosmic events...so the last 2 months, like 6 planets were in retrograde, which psychospiritually means that we turn in and revisit the past before we can heal. And it ended the first week of August. And it was so synchronous. Like all of the lessons, to use your word, coalesced. And you hear that in the music...and Jim made mention of it...looking back on the old self, wondering who that was, but also keeping some of that person alive in the wisdom of here and now. And the music was like that over these last 4 shows. Some tangible element of the beginning, some element of the now, and the living prayer of the always-has-been.
That's also why I love how often Tom posts pictures of himself looking awkward AF. To remind us that the current image of "coolness" is actually rooted in a tremendous amount of transition, pain, silliness, and humanness. Pizza in the mouth and pizza on the face.
The last couple years, I lost faith. It seemed as though the cult of personality had overshadowed what I loved about the band. And so I walked away to go find the truth of why I love what I love. And no sooner did I find it in myself, that the thing that I loved came back. We choose heaven or hell. There is no why. It is simply the WAY that he sings. I'm telling you friend, they are wizards of the highest order!!!! I am SO happy to be back talking about the music with you guys. So so so happy.

Interesting perspective here.  I'm glad you were able to find your way back to the band.  They really do know how to raise you up.

Keep the faith MamaKel!!

[Lonndown27]

Parkervb, couldn't agree more.

The timing of things is funny. Not to get way out there, but I am a yoga instructor, so I pay attention to cosmic events...so the last 2 months, like 6 planets were in retrograde, which psychospiritually means that we turn in and revisit the past before we can heal. And it ended the first week of August. And it was so synchronous. Like all of the lessons, to use your word, coalesced. And you hear that in the music...and Jim made mention of it...looking back on the old self, wondering who that was, but also keeping some of that person alive in the wisdom of here and now. And the music was like that over these last 4 shows. Some tangible element of the beginning, some element of the now, and the living prayer of the always-has-been.
That's also why I love how often Tom posts pictures of himself looking awkward AF. To remind us that the current image of "coolness" is actually rooted in a tremendous amount of transition, pain, silliness, and humanness. Pizza in the mouth and pizza on the face.
The last couple years, I lost faith. It seemed as though the cult of personality had overshadowed what I loved about the band. And so I walked away to go find the truth of why I love what I love. And no sooner did I find it in myself, that the thing that I loved came back. We choose heaven or hell. There is no why. It is simply the WAY that he sings. I'm telling you friend, they are wizards of the highest order!!!! I am SO happy to be back talking about the music with you guys. So so so happy.

Interesting perspective here.  I'm glad you were able to find your way back to the band.  They really do know how to raise you up.

Keep the faith MamaKel!!

This article and all these reactions are fantastic.
Tom issuing true words to live by

[Cameron]

Part 2 out tomorrow.

[CC]

PART 2: THE JOY AND PAIN WAS CERTAINLY ALL WORTH IT

https://thelatestnoise.com/tom-blankenship-my-morning-jacket-part2

[parkervb]

i know one thing after reading this interview - I would pay or donate good money to hear a wide ranging conversation with the bassists from 2 of my favorite bands: Jacket and Phish

from the obviously limited exposure I have to either through social or interviews, it really seems like they are on the same wavelength and I bet would have a great conversation.

[jttouch2]

i know one thing after reading this interview - I would pay or donate good money to hear a wide ranging conversation with the bassists from 2 of my favorite bands: Jacket and Phish

from the obviously limited exposure I have to either through social or interviews, it really seems like they are on the same wavelength and I bet would have a great conversation.

YESS!!!! That conversation between Carl and Nels Cline last year was so amazing to listen in on and a Tom + Mike interview/convo would be incredible

[parkervb]

i know one thing after reading this interview - I would pay or donate good money to hear a wide ranging conversation with the bassists from 2 of my favorite bands: Jacket and Phish

from the obviously limited exposure I have to either through social or interviews, it really seems like they are on the same wavelength and I bet would have a great conversation.

YESS!!!! That conversation between Carl and Nels Cline last year was so amazing to listen in on and a Tom + Mike interview/convo would be incredible

whaaaa? Nels and Carl chopping it up??? Just found it and am gonna listen on the way home. So many parallels with those 2 and their roles in their respective bands. Thanks for the tip

[dookie shoot bandit]

Awesome interview and great read!!

Also shout out to MillerJustin on the opening of Lark Hall and super super cool to have Carl be there for a special private show. Congrats and Good Luck!

https://nysmusic.com/2019/08/14/renovated-lark-hall-opens-doors-with-carl-broemel-of-my-morning-jacket-deer-tick/?fbclid=IwAR2qIv3NH_8Um5b4fdraN-Wn8vAwMkc_dM5q-qT9b5sOhkXWPUwzrC4-TPg

[Bulldog]

Gawd what a great interview, thanks for the share. I came away even more inspired by Tom and what a GREAT guy he is, so deep yet wise.

[rkwedge]

Great interview. Tom is such a great guy with good insight. I love how he doesn't try to overthink things, he knows it works and doesn't try to hard to figure out why. I've had the pleasure of meeting his mother at OBH4 and she's just a lovely woman, so down to earth with wonderful family values. It's no wonder to me that Tom turned out to be such an outstanding guy. The same can be said of all the guys in this band which is probably the reason they make such amazing music together. Tommy Two Tone, the funniest bass player to watch, he get's so into it!

[ChiefOKONO]

Thanks for posting, that was a really great interview!!!  I like that he is into the spiritual stuff too.