Dallas review (Part One - long, overindulgent!)

[George_Savage]

Where to begin?   Didn't they have a song called that, circa '05?!?    I think that's it, I don't think that I have it...maybe.   I know I've heard it.  To try to tell you what happened at this latest show,  Saturday in Dallas...it's impossible to accurately describe it.   But for those of you who have been to these extravaganzas (MMJ shows), you're already well aware of the magic that they bring to the 'happy throngs' (R. E. M., '86) in the crowd.     I can't remember when I got the tickets, probably sometime in June.   I do love the new album, but I've been off board since Riny updated the website.    I guess I need to sign back up, huh!!?   I'm missing some of the action, I know.     I did get on and read a setlist from last week.   I was surprised that they played Librarian (wonderin' if Jim just sang it solo).
     I'd blown off trying to tape, which is unfortunate.    Because I'm about 90% sure that I could've gotten my stuff past security.   They may have checked my pants' pockets had they seen the bulge that my equipment would've produced.   Can you imagine some hipster-joker security guard asking "Is that recording equipment in your pants...or are you just happy to see me?!?"   I'll bet you that in this world of ridiculosity that it's happened before!     We got there to find a long line of about 150-200 people.    By the time we parked and got in line, it'd grown to probably 250.   I pulled out my 'concert T' for the night; I hardly ever wear 'em anymore, but I found one of my favorites:   Gram Parsons' with Joshua Tree Inn on the back.  It's got a picture of Gram on it.   He's in front of a sign that says 'Tacos' and it's got his dates of birth and death  (Nov. 5, 1946-Sept. 19, 1973) beneath it.    
     We got in there by about 7:45 PM.   I had read somewhere that these shows were starting at 8:30 sharp.   We got situated fairly well, probably 30 feet back from the stage, right in the center.    I went with my friend Brad's wife Dondi.   Unlike Brad, she actually likes the new album!    I knew he'd regret not going, even if Evil Urges isn't his favorite MMJ album.  It's not my favorite, either ("gun to the head", mine's At Dawn).   Unfortunately, for awhile at least, we were right in front of some overzealous goons.   The music was playing over the P. A. and every single time it would stop they'll yell at the top of their lungs.    They were yelling like "here comes the band!", but MMJ wasn't appearing.   After awhile, they started bitching as loud as they could about it.   At one point one of these Rhodes Scholars said "I'll just go home and watch the DVD if I have to wait five more minutes!" and I thought "then go!"    Of course, I erred on the side of caution by keeping my trap shut!    But I wasn't sad to seem them go once they left the area!  
     I'm still pissed that I didn't tape, but given the ease that equipment apparently could've been brought in,  I'm optimistic that someone taped and I'll get a copy!    Damn, I hope so.    I've seen 'em about 25-30 times now.     I could count them up, but I'm lazy.    And as great as they have always been, whichever year or whatever album they were supporting, this show is undoubtedly one of the greatest that I have ever seen.
     In about ten minutes from now, it'll mark the 48-hour period of when the show began.    It began at about 9:05 and it ended at about 11:45.   I'll guess that it's been extensively written about by now by more members of the 'happy throng' (I love that phrase and we were definitely one happy throng!)    They did come out, and the crowd was understandably ready for the rock show.   The light show was spectacular all night long.  The Dallas Morning News reviewed the show today and said that "the Kentucky-based band was lit by an arena-worthy light show, complete with five mysterious glowing orbs"   This review ended by mentioning that Jim talked about Reunion Tower.   Jim said "By the grace and power of Reunion Tower, you never let us down"   The reviewer ended his column with "Saturday night, you could say the exact same thing about My Morning Jacket"    Amen, brother!     Jim mentioned Reunion Tower at the November 17, 2006 Dallas show as well, I think.   That was when they went up into the tower, which rotates, and they ate.   Jim said something about the food being terrible, but he liked the view and just wished that the food was as good as Café Brazil's, which was down the street from the Gypsy Tea Room.   That was '06, though...back to this show.    We guessed that they'd open with Evil Urges and that was a pretty easy guess.    It's a good choice for an opener, it got the crowd going, and Jim just wailed.    They were all excellent.    I remember thinking about two hours later that his voice is just amazing.    That's obviously an understatement; his voice is one of the distinctive things that always gets mentioned.    I can't believe that he could be singing/screaming/shrieking *that* loudly a full two and a half hours into the show.   But he was.   That dude's got some pipes and some stamina, huh?!?    
     I was keeping track of the songs in my head, or trying to.    I usually have the benefit of the tape to help me, and I know I'll miss some of the songs and/or the order that they were played.    I think they did Off the Record next, and the crowd really dug it.    It's a catchy tune, and it makes you bounce; they didn't disappointment when the time came to make that "squawking" sound in the middle.   It always reminds me of some kind of a tropical bird sound.   Then we heard more of 'Z' with Gideon and What a Wonderful Man.  Pure bliss!    Both of those spectacular gems were obviously crowd favorites.    I haven't heard 'Z' in a long time, and I was happy to re-remember those lyrics.    I love those vocals on 'Man' when they just shout out "I never knew for sure..." and "Why do we love what is wrong?   The Devil told us to sing along" (or whatever they are in here!)    What a wonderful song!
     I think that at this point we kind of went back into 2001 for a minute.   From the beginning with those glorious guitar chords to the minute that they all join in, those strains just make you want to kind of twirl around the room.    And in my mind was singing the "yo-ne-no-no-no-no, yo-ne-no-no" part from the album.   I've never heard him sing that part live, and the theory was that he put in on there as a nod to 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' but I have never heard that rumor substantiated.   Have any of you?    I'm talking, obviously about The Way that He Sings, certainly of my all-time favorites.    A friend and fellow Jacket fanatic , Matt Minton, once told me that part of this song would be recited in his wedding vows! (the last verse)     It was great to hear them live again.    I missed all of '07, the first year I haven't seen them since 2000, when I'd never heard of 'em!
     Continuing on – they went into Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. 1.   I was struck by the Way that They Sang on this one- both Jim and Carl sounded like their voices were run through some kind of device that made them sing higher.   I'm sure that it was just the way that they sang!   It was awesome.   Jim put this purple cape (was this a Prince in-joke?) on and it was draped around him for the better part of the song.   They played a few from EU here, all great stuff.     Carl did his steel thing on Sec Walkin, and it was great.    Bo and Carl on those background vocals  - nice touch, just like on the album.    The people behind us guessed "Golden" and they were right.  It made sense, too, given Carl's seating arrangement!     Big crowd favorite.   Great lyrics, and I was reminded of that first night that I heard him play it – Exit/In in Nashville on 4/23/03.  Wow – that's exactly 5 1/3 years ago!    "And on Heaven's golden shore we'll lay our heads" would come to mind some 13 hours later, too!
     I was happy to hear Two Halves live.   I don't know if they played it in Houston in March when I saw them because I didn't know any of these new songs yet!   Jim talked about it being a bit of a biographical piece in the article from last week's paper.   He was interviewed via phone for that article.   The next song took us back again to '01-02 show – War Begun!    What a great song, complete with that amazing guitar work from Jim.   I've gone onto the forum now and cheated – there was no way I could have remembered that order of songs!    Lay Low rocked, of course – lots of dancing, nodding, that song just kinda breezes through your body with that jammin' at the end.   Another big crowd favorite was next: Aluminum Park.   I was still being amazed by his vocals.   I wondered "Is he going to be able to talk for two days after this?"    
     Next up: the glorious strains of that beginning part of Mahgeetah.     Long one of my favorites, I can truthfully lay claim to being one of the first to ever hear this played live.    As Chris Berman used to call Milwaukee Brewer Glen Braggs during Sportscenter, "No brags, just facts!"      They played this live during their sound check on September 4, 2002 in Birmingham, Alabama.   They played in this *little bitty* dive whose name escapes me now!   They wouldn't let me record it, but I did like it.   Johnny joked that I could go out to the car and sing into my minidisc's mike and record it that way right after I heard it.   From that night I also remember being in this little bitty bar, the members of MMJ just sitting there at a table amongst the patrons in this dive and thinking, "they're not going to be playing these places much longer"     I was right, but was wasn't the first one with this knowledge or theory, either, was I!?   The crowd loved Mahgeetah, but I not as much as I thought they would.   Is it possible that a majority of these new fans aren't familiar with first three albums?    Maybe not the first one,  or At Dawn, but I figure that the majority knows them all – hell, if they don't, then they should, right?!?    It was during

[ycartrob]

I was hoping you would chime in on this, I always love reading about your experiences.

don't be such a stranger

[getinthevan]

Good to see you're on here again.  I look forward to reading the next part of your review as I do enjoy reading of your adventures.