Anaheim HOB Show...

[AC, The Dude Abides]

I had one of those life changing experiences last night at the Anaheim HOB. I had never seen MMJ live before. Always loved their music, and heard so much about them live, but just never got around to a live show here locally. I won tickets to the show through Indie 103.1 radio. In this package we also got to attend a sound check party, and autographed live CD's and DVD's, Okoknokos. That for anybody else would probably have been enough. I would like to say thank you to Indie 103.1, for giving us the opportunity to be part of this, and to MMJ for the autographs and the great show, both the sound check and main event.

But I experienced the best live show from a band in fifteen years. This band is the real thing. They have it all, excellent musicianship, great lighting show, and awesome, awesome tunes. The energy that MMJ has up there on stage gave me goose bumps. I was amazed by the way Jim James brings you into the song, and you focus on the brilliance of his voice. Then the band (the guitars and bass), hover over to the drummer Patrick Hallahan, and kind of congegrate in front of the drum riser to feed off of his drumming energy, then they explode into a frenzied wall of sound, to a climax, on all of the harder rocking material. The light show only adds to the excitement up there. Even the softer, mellower songs had a certain energy to them as they built up in storyline and finished strongly. I noticed  the songs that I wasn't familiar with, also sounded excellent to my ears, like I've heard them a thousand times. My personal favorite song that they played last night was "One Big Holiday." It was a perfect song to close the set with. Then they came out and played a 4 song encore...   What an amazing show.!.!.!

This is a great band to see live. Like I wrote earlier, this is the very best live performance that I've seen in the past 15 years. I will definitely make every effort to follow MMJ to any local show. Within the six western states. I might even take some time off of work and see them cross country. Who knows. Like I said, this was a life changing experience.

And I met some really wonderful fans of the band also. Really down to earth people, that made me feel comfortable being around.

Thanks,  My Morning Jacket...   You are a wonderful band.  

Forever a fan.
Peace,
AC

[MyLifeISought]

Glad you had fun, welcome to the boards!

[Willard1979]

Last night was one of the greatest nights of my life!!  Seeing MMJ for the first time, in that setting was unbeF'nlieveable!! I was just in another world....They Rocked SO much!  ;D

[ChiefOKONO]

Last night was just awesome! I don't know the complete setlist but here are some of my highlights:

O !!
The Bear
dondante

Tonight I wanna celebrate with you (Jim on omnichord)

How Could I Know? (Oxen) - this was my favorite of the night, it sounded so sweet with Carl on pedal steel and Jim on acoustic and sweet vocals

I Will Sing You Songs (which went into a short jam that I dubbed the Echo Jam since Jim was playing these echo effects on his guitar)

Phone Went West (Carl was going nuts soloing on this one!)

the last song of the night was a Thunderous Run Thru with a heavy jam in the middle! sweeeeet!

the other songs i remember them playing: It Beats for You (opener), Gideon, Wonderful Man, Golden, Anytime, Off the Record, Lay Low, The Way That he Sings, Heartbreakin Man,


Some other things I noticed:  The bear on stage was close to Patrick's kit and it was wearing a red sort of native american cloth draped over it and later on it donned a wizards hat with flashing lights reminiscent of the one Mickey Mouse wore.

Also, Patrick's bass drums still has a big hole in it.  They are also using the same woods backdrop from the Fillmore, which I love.  Another cool move i saw from Patrick was during one of the songs he would raise one hand and drumstick in the air and bash the toms with the other hand - that ruled!

Jim commented about the HOB and how they all look similar and he felt like he was in a whirlwind tour of house of blues.  he also thanked Elvis and said he was beautiful and like a wisp of cotton candy!! :)
He also said that he felt close to the audience and was giving a big thumbs up and waving his arm back and forth. At the end he left the stage with two big thumbs up. I love it!!

[turtle]

my 1st show last night, epic....EPIC.....it's all a blurr of sonic indulgance..... :o

I "might" have an extra for 2night in LA......won't know for another hour or 2....

[AC, The Dude Abides]

my 1st show last night, epic....EPIC.....it's all a blurr of sonic indulgance..... :o

I "might" have an extra for 2night in LA......won't know for another hour or 2....

Man, that was a great show wasn't it ?...  I like that description "blurr of sonic indulgence."  

I might want to add to it, A Wall Of Sonic Exuberance...

I would like to find out more on that extra ticket.  Let me know the specifics, please.
E-mail me at   shidoobie@sbcglobal.net

Peace,
AC

[dthomas]

It was a great night!  I was also able to attend the "sound check" event which had about 20 people in the room.  Jim asked for a request to start off the show so I asked for Strangulation and he said "that's a good one", they played it and it was excellent.  I would also like to thank the band and Indie 103.1 for the signed dvd and cd, this night was a dream come true for this Jacket Junkie.

dave t

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/abox/article_1537709.php

Kentucky's My Morning Jacket outclasses all other comers with another mighty performance....

[MyLifeISought]

Wow, what a great article!!!

[karma]

THE SHOW AT THE HOB WAS GREAT!  MMJ CAN REALLY ROCK THE HOUSE. THIS WAS MY FIRST AND HOPEFULLY NOT MY LAST TIME TO SEE MMJ. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM AND I GOT WHAT WHAT I EXPECTED AND MORE. THEY PLAY WITH SUCH PASSION, IT IS UNBELIEVABLE. I WAS STANDING IN THE VERY FRONT ON THE CORNER RIGHT OF THE STAGED. JIM DID NOT FORGET US EIGHTHER. THERE WAS A FEW TIMES THAT HE CAME TO THE VERY EDGE TO JAM WITH HIS GUITAR. I WAS ABLE TO GO BEYOND THE BARRACADE FOR A SECOND AND BE JUST INCHES OR LESS AWAY FROM JIM. JIM HAS NON-STOP ENERGY. I CAN ALSO SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER GONE TO A SHOW WHERE ALL THE THE DIE HARD FANS WERE THE COOLEST AND FRIENDLIEST EVER. I WAS HUGGED, GIVEN HIGH FIVES, SANG TOGETHER, DANCED TOGETHER.  PEOPLE WERE OFFERING ME FREE DRINKS. HEARING JIM'S  VOICE WAS LIKE I DIED AND WENT STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN. I MANAGED TO GET ONE OF HIS GUITAR PICKS FROM THE ROADIE WICH WAS VERY COOL. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCES.  I ONLY WISH I HAD A CHANCE TO MEET JIM JAMES AND THE REST OF THE BAND.  MAYBE NEXT TIME......

[dharma69]

Friday's show was only my second MMJ show...it'll hardly be my last as long as they keep wandering out west!

I don't think that I can say anything more than has already been said; the OC Register article was brilliantly apt and every face that I saw as I exited the HOB was lit up like it it had just had the musical experience of a lifetime!

I managed to convince a girlfriend to come with me to that show. She'd barely heard of MMJ, but she's a hardcore music lover, she's a musician herself (drummer), and I figured that if anyone would appreciate the massive colors and textures of MMJ's sound and the real musicianship that they display, it would be her.

Apparently it doesn't matter whether you've ever heard a MMJ song or not...3 songs into their set and her face was lit up with a smile....

All through the show she kept looking at me and nodding her approval....

After leaving the show she gave me the biggest hug and "THANK YOU" for making her come to the show...

She used the words: "Immediate convert"...

She was floored byt MMJ's ability to jam out a song as tighly as they do...that alone earned her respect...

She said that she could perfectly understand why I wanted to see them again...

She said that SHE will be seeing them again...

She said of James, "Now that's a frontman!"... 8-)

On my drive home she sent me a text message that said, "That rawked...PERIOD!!!!"

She now refers to "Run Thru" as "The Oh, Shit Run song".... ;)

She enjoyed herself.

So did I in a massive way and looking forward more great gigs from these massive music makers!

[AC, The Dude Abides]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/abox/article_1537709.php

Kentucky's My Morning Jacket outclasses all other comers with another mighty performance....

That was very cool of Ben Wener to write that of MMJ. He is another that witnessed what I, and the other lucky attendees were ably to see and hear...  Greatness.

And mighty performance it was.  I'm still talking and thinking about it.

AC

[BH]

We love these stories here.  Keep 'em coming!

[CC]

anaheim pics are up! good stuff.