Bonnaroo Reports

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002690035

Bonnaroo Day One: Petty, Oysterhead, My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket Photo Featured! :-)

June 17, 2006, 10:20 AM ET
Wes Orshoski and Ben French, Manchester, Tenn.

......

Indie rock icon and jaded New Yorker Bright Eyes (Conor Oberst) adapted impressively to the surroundings, leaping into the spirit of Bonnaroo by bringing out lauded alt-country chanteuse Gillian Welch and her harmony partner/guitarist David Rawlings onstage for a few songs, one also featuring vocals from My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James. Gruff Rhys, leader of the Super Furry Animals, also guested, backing Oberst and even delivering a solo acoustic track midway through the Bright Eyes set.

......

Bonnaroo favorites My Morning Jacket ushered in the midnight hour with squalls of Crazy Horse-worthy fury. The quintet delivered a more than three-hour set that sported a guest turn from friend and singer Andrew Bird for an epic take on another classic rock moment, "It Makes No Difference" by the Band. MMJ recently recorded the track for an upcoming Band tribute album at singer/drummer Levon Helm's barn studio in Woodstock, N.Y.

As the night neared a close, celebrated rapper Common could be heard paying tribute to the art of scratching and paying respect to the root of hip-hop -- the DJ -- as My Morning Jacket roared on the other side of the festival grounds.

[LaurieBlue]

http://billboard.blogs.com/jadedinsider/

Bonnaroo Bonanza

While forecasts have predicted that 2006 may see the first Bonnaroo not to turn into a rain-soaked mudpit, the Tennessee heat punished festival-goers on day one yesterday (June 16), who stripped down to the bare essentials and lathered themselves in sun block. For much of the day, the temperature rested in the 90s.

With a hit-packed set capped by "American Girl," Tom Petty tipped his hat to the festival's diversity and seemed genuinely excited to be playing here. While the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has been a staple of classic rock radio and a mainstream rock icon for years, he didn't seem out of place at Bonnaroo. He was more like the founding father he has morphed into in his veteran years, as he ran through classics like "You Don't Know How It Feels" and "Learning To Fly."

Elsewhere, several artists like sacred steel phenom Robert Randolph expressed excitement at being back, and hailed Bonnaroo for providing a place where fellow musicians can not only see each others' sets but also collaborate onstage. There were plenty of respites from guitar rock, like reggae stalwarts Steel Pulse, who drew on old standards such as "Reggae Blues Band" and "Rejoice" plus such modern-era material as "Global Pollution" and "Weapons of Mass Destruction."

With wailing guitars defining the sound of a new, alien, ultra-heavy form of southern rock, My Morning Jacket (frontman Jim James pictured above) delivered a three-hour jaw-dropper to close the evening. The band continued to redefine its sound just as Bonnaroo was defining itself for 2006.

[biscuitbobo]

so you missed tom petty and mmj and i missed mmj and GRUFF RHYS.... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :-[

[corey]

MMJ recently recorded the track for an upcoming Band tribute album at singer/drummer Levon Helm's barn studio in Woodstock, N.Y.

FUCKIN'    A!!!!!!!!!   That's great news!
So they did a 3-hour set? I'll be god-damned.

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_4783475,00.html

...Well past midnight, My Morning Jacket performed for a somewhat smaller crowd at That Tent, but still one that had to have numbered beyond 10,000 and spilled well beyond where fans could actually see the show.

The show became one of the most talked-about performances of the first three days of Bonnaroo, with the rock band delivering their own favorites, but also combining the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Older Guys" inexplicably with the Velvet Underground's "Head Held High" and then performing The Who's "A Quick One While He's Away." It was obvious that the band wanted to exhibit a vast musical knowledge. ...

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.thefader.com/blog/articles/2006/06/17/madchester-2006-vol-ii

 PHOTO:  The Mayor of Bonnaroo;D , Jim James of My Morning Jacket, as well as dude from Super Furry Animals also came out for a huge countried-out variety sing along with Conor.....

....But, of course, My Morning Jacket was our headliner, holding down the midnight to 3AM shift in the big tent. The Jacket is the best live band in rock & roll right now - RCA you can quote us on that shit. The arrangements are breathtaking - the band storms through huge shred-sections, then stops on a dime for soaring statements from James's voice. The Jacket's late night set was so rocking we're considering the drive to Beantown next week to catch them live with the Boston Pops. See you there?  

[biscuitbobo]

oh my god.  "you are forgiven......you are forgiven,forgiven,forgiven,forgiven,forgiven,...."....missed "a quick one"....hope everyone had a great time*sob*

[LaurieBlue]

This was such a beautiful review and description of all of us MMJ fans.  Wish I could've caught that show last night, but your comments were priceless. :-*

http://blogdisease.com/2006/06/17/getting-trashed-at-bonnaroo-2/

Then I experienced the heart and soul of Bonnaroo as it was expressed by a riveting, two and half hour set by My Morning Jacket that started at midnight. By 4:00 Am, when I crashed, this temporary city glowing with its Ferris wheel and artfully designed lighting for optical night tripping was a comfortable circus of late night revelry that would rival a weekend in the East Village. The Louisville, KY rockers, MMJ, engaged in a passionate love fest with the young crowd, jamming hard and tight in one of the best sets I've seen by a band in a very long time. MMJ are as close to the Southern rock frontier as I'll get, but if there is such a thing as magic and alchemy in the interaction of five guys who love to play, they have it. Their sound is a sonically dense and textured stew as fine as a culinary master's rich gumbo of freshly sautéed stock and herbs. If Petty was a Campbell's soup version of himself, MMJ were a mom and pop dinner of Americana that can only be found beyond the strip malls and corporate enclaves of the interstate.

The band's spatial harmonics are complex and varied, from tight, syncopated thunder strikes of heavy rock to delicate, space flight patterns from early Pink Floyd. Interspersed with covers from The Who and (damn, I shoulda had my notebook!), they filled up their three hours effortlessly and energetically as a gift to their beloved fans. A rare occurrence in our world, that kind of music from the heart reaffirms the healing properties of the electric guitar.

MMJ's audience also debunked my stereotype of the Bonnaroo audience. Here was a down-home, grassroots audience of deep Southern rock steeped in the texturing of alternative and indie music. Compared to the New York hipster equivalent of the Village Voice's Siren Festival at Coney Island, or So-Cal's Coachella Festival, the kids here have a really mellow, comforting vibe. One guy who yelled next to my ear and saw me plug it in response, apologized profusely. The fashion is low-key to nonexistent. There is none of that affected cool armor separating people the way that I'm used to back in the city. Yes there is stoner vibe, yes there are hippies who throw their cigarette butts on the ground, but for the most part, this is one of the nicest groups I've hung with in a long time. The conversations flow effortlessly between all ages, classes and regions; it's an easy going, laid back group that could teach us cosmopolitan urbanites a bit about the chill factor. And the dread factor us few and far between.    

[fitzcarraldo]

This was such a beautiful review and description of all of us MMJ fans.  Wish I could've caught that show last night, but your comments were priceless. :-*

http://blogdisease.com/2006/06/17/getting-trashed-at-bonnaroo-2/

Then I experienced the heart and soul of Bonnaroo as it was expressed by a riveting, two and half hour set by My Morning Jacket that started at midnight. By 4:00 Am, when I crashed, this temporary city glowing with its Ferris wheel and artfully designed lighting for optical night tripping was a comfortable circus of late night revelry that would rival a weekend in the East Village. The Louisville, KY rockers, MMJ, engaged in a passionate love fest with the young crowd, jamming hard and tight in one of the best sets I've seen by a band in a very long time. MMJ are as close to the Southern rock frontier as I'll get, but if there is such a thing as magic and alchemy in the interaction of five guys who love to play, they have it. Their sound is a sonically dense and textured stew as fine as a culinary master's rich gumbo of freshly sautéed stock and herbs. If Petty was a Campbell's soup version of himself, MMJ were a mom and pop dinner of Americana that can only be found beyond the strip malls and corporate enclaves of the interstate.

The band's spatial harmonics are complex and varied, from tight, syncopated thunder strikes of heavy rock to delicate, space flight patterns from early Pink Floyd. Interspersed with covers from The Who and (damn, I shoulda had my notebook!), they filled up their three hours effortlessly and energetically as a gift to their beloved fans. A rare occurrence in our world, that kind of music from the heart reaffirms the healing properties of the electric guitar.

MMJ's audience also debunked my stereotype of the Bonnaroo audience. Here was a down-home, grassroots audience of deep Southern rock steeped in the texturing of alternative and indie music. Compared to the New York hipster equivalent of the Village Voice's Siren Festival at Coney Island, or So-Cal's Coachella Festival, the kids here have a really mellow, comforting vibe. One guy who yelled next to my ear and saw me plug it in response, apologized profusely. The fashion is low-key to nonexistent. There is none of that affected cool armor separating people the way that I'm used to back in the city. Yes there is stoner vibe, yes there are hippies who throw their cigarette butts on the ground, but for the most part, this is one of the nicest groups I've hung with in a long time. The conversations flow effortlessly between all ages, classes and regions; it's an easy going, laid back group that could teach us cosmopolitan urbanites a bit about the chill factor. And the dread factor us few and far between.    

Wow!!! :)

[LaurieBlue]

http://mcgrupp.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_mcgrupp_archive.html#115056178767373060

"The highlight of Bonnaroo has been the midnight show from My Morning Jacket. It was my first MMJ show and they surpassed expectations. Andrew Bird sat in for two songs. They also covered a Velvet Underground tune."

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002736.html

My Morning Jacket - "What A Wonderful Man" Live At Bonnaroo

Some footage from the best set Stereogum's seen so far. My Morning Jacket took over That Tent Friday at midnight with a blazing set heavy on Z cuts and covers (the Who, the Stones, the Band). Rock's best kept secret no longer, in their third year at the fest MMJ were not to be missed.

(Short video clip)

[midwesterner]

http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002736.html

My Morning Jacket - "What A Wonderful Man" Live At Bonnaroo

Some footage from the best set Stereogum's seen so far. My Morning Jacket took over That Tent Friday at midnight with a blazing set heavy on Z cuts and covers (the Who, the Stones, the Band). Rock's best kept secret no longer, in their third year at the fest MMJ were not to be missed.

(Short video clip)

Isn't their fourth year there?

[aMD]

Isn't their fourth year there?

sho nuff

[ratsprayer]

all the blogs, all the reports from people here, everything i've read so far have been so fucking glowing in regards to the jacket performance.  i just wonder if this means they'll get a full on headling slot next year?  the probablity for such an event must be much more likely after this performance.

[doEVILslittle]

all the blogs, all the reports from people here, everything i've read so far have been so fucking glowing in regards to the jacket performance.  i just wonder if this means they'll get a full on headling slot next year?  the probablity for such an event must be much more likely after this performance.

well apparantly from now on the that tent is now named the my morning jacket tent  ;) ;) ........ so who knows

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/19/arts/music/19bonn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

But listeners impatient with jam-band noodling had other choices. My Morning Jacket, in a midnight set on Friday night, left behind the electronic experiments of its most recent album, "Z," and unleashed its three guitars in songs that pealed and surged in structures with monumental architecture. Then it turned to other bands' material, including the Who's mini-opera "A Quick One While He's Away."

[MyLifeISought]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/19/arts/music/19bonn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

songs that pealed and surged in structures with monumental architecture.

I LOVE THAT QUOTE
MMJ should use that, really well put

[corey]

and unleashed its three guitars

Didn't they only have a 3rd guitarist on DonDante?
:)

[cmccubbin25]

no...they had a 3rd guitartist, Mike DeSalvo (sp?), on at least 4-5 songs...Phone Went West, Dondante, 2 of the covers after the set break!

Jim said that he was a friend of the band's from Louisville...not sure if he plays in a band or what.  

it was great when him and Jim were headbutting each other during guitar solos!!!

[corey]

Oops. I stepped out about halfway through and only heard audio for most of the 2nd set, so I missed him on the other songs.