DC Reviews

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/28/AR2006112801425.html

My Morning Jacket, Rocking Its Way to the Top
Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Page C08


When My Morning Jacket first performed in Washington in 2001, it was almost comical watching the band play to a few dozen people in the tiny, now-defunct Metro Cafe: The stage was barely big enough to contain the thrashing hair of all the members. The Louisville quintet now makes the 9:30 club its Washington home, but even that venue could hardly contain the group's expansive, dynamic rock sound. By the time MMJ put the finishing touches on its Monday performance, the first of two nights at the club, it had given a perfect crash course on how to put on a big rock show.

Frontman Jim James and his soaring, reverb-drenched wail is the band's one constant. The songs touch on many styles, which is perfect considering its ever-diversifying fan base. Highlights included "Off the Record," which morphed from a catchy, reggae-tinged pop nugget into a spacey psychedelic jam, and the bouncy Southern rock of "Dancefloors." The beefed-up shoe gaze of "I Think I'm Going to Hell" also found the group in top form, but that could really be said for each of the set's 19 songs.
 
Everything from the pacing to the lighting was perfect. After opening with some crowd favorites from last year's "Z," they brought the energy level down a bit only to slowly rev back up before reaching a climax with the monstrous one-two punch of "One Big Holiday" and "Mahgeeta," on which Carl Broemel and James provided plenty of guitar heroics. The array of colored lights was mostly unobtrusive and much better than the "random images on a backdrop" route that many bands opt for. When the strobe and smoke machine made an appearance on the epic finale, the rumbling, sludgy "Run Thru," they were right on cue.

After two sold-out nights at the 9:30, an arena can't be far behind, and no band is more ready to make that leap.


-- David Malitz

[brkndwnbus]

Setlist for the Tuesday night show.....order? I will probably screw up some of it, and maybe forget some songs, but I know the encore order for fact.

One Big Holiday
What A Wonderful Man
The Way That He Sings
Gideon
Off The Record
Lay Low
They Ran
The Dark
Dondante
Run Thru
Phone Went West
Just One Thing
wordless chorus


Encore

Tonight I want to . . .
Nashville to Kentucky
Golden
Steam Engine
mahgeetah
Anytime

[Half]

who was the opening band in DC?

[yourghost]

but even that venue could hardly contain the group's expansive, dynamic rock sound.

Maybe it was just where I was standing (balcony, Jim's side, right next to a speaker), but I didn't think the venue did them justice.  It seemed to swallow their sound.  Most of the show was great, but there were a few songs where the bass was so loud you couldn't hear Jim's voice.  :(  And on OBH, the solo was muddled.  I noticed this mostly during OBH and Mageetah.  Dondante, Golden, Wordless Chorus, Run Thru and I Think I'm Going to Hell were highlights and sounded amazing.  Unfortunately, I live far away from DC and couldn't see the second night, so maybe these glitches were fixed.  I saw them open for Pearl Jam in May and while the set was WAY too short, I thought the sound was absolutely perfect, so I kept wondering if the 930 club was too small a venue for such an expansive sound?  Not like I want them playing huge arena shows or anything, but for a band with this much musical and vocal talent, you want to be able to hear every subtlety.

[quinn]

who was the opening band in DC?

the slip.
worth checking out for sure.

[Half]

the slip.
worth checking out for sure.

yeah- i was impressed.  thanks

[NoVa_NoLa]

Thanks for posting the aticle.  I read it on my way to work this morning and by the time I got here, I had forgotten about the review.

brkndwnbus...glad that you made it!  Did you have any trouble parking?  

The Slip...I caught their full set last night (Teenage Wasteland!) and would definitely suggest checking them out.  Seriously debating a trip to Philthy to hear them with the Duo...

I thought the sound was muddy on Monday as well.  Last night things sounded much better.  Still could have been a little more crisp, but with that ceiling, there's not much more that the sound guys could have done.

Me gushing...I'm a newbie here, but an older one.  Friends call me a professional music fan.  I go to shows...a lot of them.  I haven't gushed over a band like this in a good long while.  This is a band that I could marry.  They make me happy like few things can.  Last night was really ridiculously good.  Despite a lingering holiday headache and an aching back, I found myself jumping up and down like I was, well, at a Michael Franti show.  4 years as a D-1 athlete with no significant knee injuries.  2 MMJ shows and I need to visit the doctor.   :)  Thanks for (indulging me on) this board.

[BH]

 4 years as a D-1 athlete with no significant knee injuries.  2 MMJ shows and I need to visit the doctor.   :)  Thanks for (indulging me on) this board.

That's great! ;D

[LaurieBlue]

http://theupstatelife.blogspot.com/2006/11/tuls-take-my-morning-jacket-930-club.html

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.informationleafblower.com/blog/archives/2006/11/gettin_lucky_in.html

[brkndwnbus]

Nova - nope, parking was no problem, I actually got a spot in the 930 lot. It was weird really, I mean 7:15 and the lot had like 5 cars in it for a show where doors opened at 7:30, but worked out for me.....Did I miss mentioning any songs played from Tuesday night?

[brkndwnbus]

nevermind about setlist...I see you posted them in the other thread

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.morecowbell.net/2006/12/03/my-morning-jacket-photos-short-review/