Jim James + M. Ward: St. David's Church, 3/15

[solace]

M. Ward

Sad Sad Song
Oh Lonesome Me (Don Gibson)
Poison Cup
Rollercoaster
Duet for Guitars #3

M. Ward + Jim James

Chinese Translation
One Life Away
Outta My Head
? (i feel so wonderful, wonderful, wonderful the way I feel...)
Golden (w/ Carl on pedal steel)
? (Such a glowing example of peace and glory)

Jim James

Bermuda Highway
It Beats For You
What A Wonderful Man (on Omnichord)
Sec Walkin' (w/ Carl on pedal steel & backing vocals)
Librarian (w/ Carl on pedal steel & backing vocals, Bo on church pipe organ)
Smokin From Shootin (w/ Carl on pedal steel)
Thank You Too (w/ Carl on acoustic guitar & backing vocals)
I Will Be There When You Die (w/ Carl on guitar & backing vocals)
Gideon (w/ Carl on acoustic guitar)

they played just under 90 minutes total between the two of them

i've seen Jim & Matt play together before a couple of times, but this one took the cake. just an unbelievable show in an even more amazing venue. i feel pretty blessed to have been in attendance to be honest.  :o

now for the best part... i recorded the entire show on my Zoom H2 and it turned out surprisingly good for a) my first time using it to record live music b) sitting on the floor below my chair c) not planning to record the show until 5 minutes before Matt's set started (i remembered i'd had my recorder in my bag for interviews).  8-)

i'll be dicing up the show and uploading it sometime next week after I get back to Minneapolis.

i have to say that a lot of the new songs sound even more amazing in a solo setting (Smokin & Thank You especially).

i'm guessing someone will know the unknown songs, i just couldn't place either of them, even though the Wonderful one sounds super super familiar. I thought it was a Johnny Mathis cover at first, but I don't think it is. The second one sounds like it could maybe be on the new album, but wasn't one i'd heard yet or that the title is obvious.

[Kory]

Thanks for the setlist and taping the show! I can't wait to hear how it turned out.
The Wonderful song has been played a few times in the past year but I don't think it made it to the new record. Thanks again!

[aMD]

Thanks for posting!  Look forward to hearing this one.

The two unknown songs are Wonderful (the Way I Feel) and Look at You.

[Nikkogino]

Sweet...get to hear two more new songs (Librarian & Look at You).

[LaurieBlue]

http://yourhereblog.mtv.com/2008/03/16/sxsw-08-review-jim-jones-m-ward-st-davids-church/

SXSW '08 Review: Jim Jones, M. Ward @ St. David's ChurchMarch 15, 2008 - St. David's Church, Austin, TX
Posted by Gil Kaufman (MTV News), Cincinnati, OH, at 3:30 am EST on Sunday, March 16th, 2008

The hype: The solo show by My Morning Jacket leader Jim James was so hotly anticipated that it seemed like most people just figured there was no way to get in. And there pretty much wasn't, since the tiny sanctuary at the 150-year-old Episcopal church in the heart of downtown only had room for 240 people.

The show: As cliché as it is to say that there was something spiritual about seeing the angelic-voiced James performing in a sanctuary with a ceiling that soared as high as his falsetto, there, I said it. It also represented both the quietest, most respectful audience I'd seen all week, as well as the only one where half the people were not texting or working their iPhones during the show. Before James took the stage, singer M. Ward played a short set that included a cover of "Oh Lonesome Me" (made famous by Neil Young) during which he looped his string-scratching slide guitar solo and played an acoustic blues solo so loud it threatened to blow the venue's speakers out.


Just a handful of songs into his set, James came out to join Ward and the two played a song they recorded together several years ago called "Chinese Translation," with Ward's sandpaper rasp perfectly complementing James' honeyed wails. After a mellow run through the MMJ classic "Golden," James told the crowd he and Ward wanted to "thank God for letting us use his house." A few songs later, Ward had to leave for a showcase and James took over, sending some of his soaring wordless choruses up to the rafters during "Bermuda Highway" and playing a space-age love song version of "What a Wonderful Man" on his vintageOmnicord keyboard. James worked out some of the songs from the band's upcoming album, Evil Urges, including the spooky-sexy "Librarian" and the intense "Smokin' From Shootin," which contained the apropos line "Faith can prove what science won't solve." The mesmerizing set ended with a fingerpicked "Gideon," during which James, his head tilted back and his near yodel of a voice aimed at the heavens, seemed as lost in reverie as the hushed audience.

The Verdict: This was as special as SXSW shows get, and you can be sure the people in that room will be talking about (and bragging about) it for weeks and months to come. Whether plugged in and blasting electric guitars through walls of amps or playing hushed acoustic, James' lyrics and vocals cast a spell that is as close as rock comes to giving praise.

Keep checking in with You R Here for more South by Southwest coverage throughout the festival, plus there's plenty more over on our sister blog, MTV News' Newsroom.

Check out all of Gil Kaufman's uploads at yourhere.mtv.com...

Want to see your photos and concert reviews here? Register at yourhere.mtv.com and start uploading!

[solace]

Thanks for posting!  Look forward to hearing this one.

The two unknown songs are Wonderful (the Way I Feel) and Look at You.

thanks!!

so "Wonderful (the Way I Feel)" is a Jim James original? god damn that song is a fucking classic. hopefully they release that as a b-side at least then  :)

[BH]

What fine fine news on a beautiful Sunday morning.

Thanks solace!  Can't wait to hear it!

[aMD]

Thanks for posting!  Look forward to hearing this one.

The two unknown songs are Wonderful (the Way I Feel) and Look at You.

thanks!!

so "Wonderful (the Way I Feel)" is a Jim James original? god damn that song is a fucking classic. hopefully they release that as a b-side at least then  :)

yep. it's an original that he premiere at the rud show last year.  They also played it at Bridge School but it hasn't appeared on the album tracklistings that I've seen.  Look at You is also an original, premiered at the rud but it IS on the album.

[getinthevan]

After the track listing came out and I didn't see Wonderful on there, I started wondering if maybe it was going to end up being part of the Oberst/Ward/James project.  This makes me wonder that even more.  

[bridget]

thanks, solace!!

I hear Librarian is gorgeous...

[RoughGod]

I have to say, I'm ridiculously jealous of any amd everyone who attended this show.  That set looks amazing.  Can't wait to hear the recording...

[Cameron]

somehow I got a front row seat for this show.  it was amazing.  the librarian might be the prettiest song i've ever heard!  

my sxsw scorecard looks something like this:
ifc show with mmj and ylt at the parish
meet jim and get a pic at the wax fang show
whigs, ylt and mmj at the music hall
m. ward and jim at a church

i should also be a dad for the first time in the next week!  life is great and getting better!

[Chico]

Bobby Bare Jr and the guitar player from Young Criminals Starvation League showed up to watch as well...

I was really hoping they may join on stage, but no dice.

Fantastic show.

[Nikkogino]

i'll be dicing up the show and uploading it sometime next week after I get back to Minneapolis.

I must've skipped this line....NEXT WEEK?????

Man, I don't have that kinda patience.  Anyone else record this?  

[solace]

i'll be dicing up the show and uploading it sometime next week after I get back to Minneapolis.

I must've skipped this line....NEXT WEEK?????

Man, I don't have that kinda patience.  Anyone else record this?  

next week as in this coming week... that started today ;)

actually working on it right now here at the convention center

[easy jim]

I feel so wonderful!

Thanks!

[solace]

Here are the 2 previously unheard songs Librarian and Look At You:

Look At You:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ry0nc9b6mtm

Librarian:

http://www.mediafire.com/?qnhqm0zxxx6

i did some EQ'ing to brighten it up a bit (it was a bit muffled with the recorder being set on the floor (didn't want to get kicked out of such an incredible show)

[The DARK]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!


(thank you too  ;))

[solace]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!


(thank you too  ;))

let me  know what you think of the sound...

admittedly it's not amazing, but considering the circumstances i pointed out above and the exlusiveness of the show, i'm just happy it turned out at all!

[The DARK]

So now we have 10/14 songs revealed, leaving...

Touch Me I'm Going to Scream pt 1
Two Halves
Remnants
Good Intentions

Two of these were vaguely described by RS (Touch Me pt 1 and Remnants) and the other two we have no idea about.