USA Today

[LaurieBlue]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2006/08/dont_forget_you.html

By Whitney Matheson

Don't forget your Jacket
Ah, the shade! I just spent a few minutes backstage with Patrick Hallahan, the drummer for My Morning Jacket. By now these guys are used to playing outdoor festivals -- at Bonnaroo this year, they blew away the crowd with a three-hour set. (Of course, Hallahan said the only reason they got to play that long was because they started at midnight.)

We talked about how peaceful and calm this place is right now -- I haven't witnessed a moment of unrest, and the grounds aren't too crowded. "It's kind of scary," he said. "This is the most dormant festival I've seen yet."

MMJ took the last month off, but soon they leave for Europe, where they'll open for Pearl Jam.

"We operate under the same principles," he said of the two bands, which have shared a bill before. "Pearl Jam is the blueprint for a good band. No pretension, no bulls---."

Hallahan told me he's looking forward to seeing Eels, Death Cab for Cutie, Common, the Flaming Lips and Kanye West while he's in town. On Sept. 26 MMJ will release Okonokos, a live album. In October a DVD of the scenic concert hits stores.

"It's just gonna be like sitting at one of our shows," he said, "only in an enchanted forest."

Now I'm off to the sunny open field again, this time to see Eels. MMJ play on the opposite end of Grant Park as The Raconteurs, so it looks like I have a decision to make ... Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.