Private Pre-show Performance in Berkeley!!

en2776 · Sep 19, 2008, 08:55 PM

I'm waiting in line for tonight's show & wanted to share a wonderful experience. MMJ allowed 30 to 40 people in for a special soundcheck! They played I'm Amazed, Golden & Thank You Too!. It was a pretty cool experience. To top it all off, the radio station that sponsored the event gave everyone posters signed by the band. I'll post the pictures when I get home.

logan5ive · Sep 20, 2008, 12:41 AM

Nice! :o

aMillionDreams · Sep 20, 2008, 07:48 AM

Thanks for sharing!

why 1995 though??

Erik26 · Sep 20, 2008, 10:31 AM

What time did they do the sound check at? I want to try to get access in Seattle.

en2776 · Sep 20, 2008, 10:36 AM

OK, I'm awake (way too early actually, but the ringing in my ears is keeping me awake)

I was sitting outside the venue, eating my sandwich & waiting for the Will Call office to pen. About 10 people were waiting to be escorted inside so they could watch a MMJ's soundcheck. One of the KFOG employees walked over to myself and another couple and asked if we would like to go inside as well.

When we got inside there ended up being maybe 25 people (maybe more, I was too excited to take a head count) and the boys came out about 5 minutes after we entered the venue.

Jim welcomed us the their first "Soundcheck Party" & thanked us for coming. They started with "I'm Amazed," which felt a bit more rockin' than the album version.

After "I'm Amazed" Jim said we could make a request, "no covers or anything." One guy asked for "One Big Holiday," and Jim told him since it was drizzly maybe they should play something appropriate for the weather. The guy next to me asked for "Golden," and I asked for "Wordless Chorus" (not the most mellow, but the first thing that popped into my head). Jim acknowledged both requests saying both would work, but went with "Golden."

Jim talked about how their guitar techs were like a well-oiled machine and kept the entertainment value high, which they weren't doing at the moment since we were just watching him tune his guitar.

Jim again thanked us for coming to their first "Soundcheck Party Number 1, 1995", and said what a magical year 1995 actually was. They played "Thank You Too!", thanked us again and took off. As we were walking out one of the KFOG employees gave each of us Evil Urges posters signed by the entire band.

It was a pretty special afternoon, that's for sure. I've got to go out to my car and get my iPhone and poster, so I'll post all my pictures in a few minutes. I tried to remember the order of events best I could, it was definitely one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me. You have no idea how happy I am that Will Call didn't open till much, much later!

eli

Erik26 · Sep 20, 2008, 10:41 AM

So if show time was at 7:30 this was at about 5:30?????

en2776 · Sep 20, 2008, 10:48 AM

QuoteSo if show time was at 7:30 this was at about 5:30?????

I'd say around 4:30, 4:45. But when I got into Berkeley and drove pas the Greek I could hear them during their first soundcheck which was just ending around 3:45.

Quick question guys, how do I post pictures? Am I really that dumb or just missing something? Any help would be appreciated.

en2776 · Sep 20, 2008, 07:07 PM

Since I can't figure out how to post pictures, I thought it would be easier to upload them in a rar file. If you want to check out pictures of the soundcheck and the autographed poster we were given, you can do so here:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1yhuv8

Enjoy the pics, and have a great weekend!

BuyOrangeRacket · Sep 21, 2008, 02:19 AM

QuoteI'm waiting in line for tonight's show & wanted to share a wonderful experience. MMJ allowed 30 to 40 people in for a special soundcheck! They played I'm Amazed, Golden & Thank You Too!. It was a pretty cool experience. To top it all off, the radio station that sponsored the event gave everyone posters signed by the band. I'll post the pictures when I get home.

Lucky!

elzar · Sep 22, 2008, 12:42 PM

there was also a private soundcheck at the LA show, but we couldnt get in, I think they only let in workers, Rock the Vote people, etc. I saw a bunch of people walking up the hill with posters and pamphlets around 6-ish - another nice lady was waiting (prob for a long while) and didnt get in. We did get to hear it from outside though, it was like seeing/hearing 2 MMJ shows in 1 day! Hope they allow people in for the SD show, I'll be there extra early! anyone that wants to wait alongside, you are more than welcome to!

ms. yvon · Sep 22, 2008, 01:21 PM

that "waiting lady" might have been me. were you part of the couple on the grass near the south entrance?

LowDownLuvDawg · Sep 23, 2008, 02:18 AM

Once, in Nashvegas, way back when the Evil Urges tour was fresh to the States, my friend and I went driving down broadway looking for the venue (1st time in the city) and facing the water at a stoplight right where Broadway ends hitting the river, we heard the drums kick into Im Amazed. My buddy thought it was one of the several bars blasting the tunes in anticipation however once the vocals kicked it, we couldn't deny what we were about to walk into. The band was just to the left of us and it was one of the longest red lights I've ever sat through. Once green, we made the left and pulled over. Walking up to the gate, we were stopped by two security guards to the left of the stage. The intense kind of security guards if you catch my drift. So we wandered over to the right side of the stage and walked right in. Some roadies asked us if we needed help and I said ya I forgot my camera. There were about 3 other people sitting in the grass listening. The pain continued to noodle around adjusting their sound. Then Jim James made eye contact with me and smiled (probably at my unusually large grin ;D and the kickass Stones concert tee I was sporting.) After I'm Amazed it went into more of a soundcheck. Each musician tuning up Carl checkin his sax, Pat testing his taps. Certain parts of songs were checked like the Highly Suspicious british police man loop. The guys continued playing around then jumped into Lowrider and Oye Coma Va obviously giving a Run Thru (pun intended) for their gig with the Leopards at their homecoming gig.

To think I wasn't even going to go to this show. Drove all the way from St. Louis without a ticket and took a gamble with the money situation. It was a great experience.

O ya Carl looked awesome in shorts high socks and some killer bright blue kicks can't recall the make (wish I wold have had my cam)

elzar · Sep 23, 2008, 03:13 PM

Quotethat "waiting lady" might have been me. were you part of the couple on the grass near the south entrance?

yea! that was us! it was nice meeting you - and we can tell you had a great time front and center in the pit!

TheBlackMamba · Sep 23, 2008, 06:40 PM

This is my blog from the Red Rocks show, seems very similiar to yours. It's so cool that MMJ takes care of their Die Hard Fans.

So last night was surreal for me.

I showed up at Red Rocks around 4:05 and parked in the Upper North Lot and was first in line up there, in fact there was nobody up there. I crack open a beer when all of sudden this white van pulls up next to me and shouts "are you waiting in line for MMJ?" When I said yes they asked if I wanted to go to the "soundcheck party" I was like FUCK YES and they said get in. I asked if I was going to lose my place in line and they said Nope, you'll be in the show!!! Fucking amazing, I guess they were with some radio station and the record label or just dropped down from Heaven. So I get the laminate and me and about 15 people are sitting in the first 5 rows when MMJ comes out. Surreal, they came out and played "Look at You" and then asked for requests. Some people throw out some tunes and they decided to play "Nashville to Kentucky." Then they asked for some more requests and I threw out "Anytime". They were still deciding what to play and people were throwing out more tunes and I said "Cobra." Jim James basically looked at me and starting laughing saying that they weren't going to play that for soundcheck and saying it was too hot out for a song of that magnitude or something to that effect. Then they played "Bermuda Highway
" I think, it was a slower song. Again they asked for some more and I said "Anytime" again, probably because for the last two weeks, no matter what I was doing I was humming that song and it was in my brain, so good ole Carl was like "can we please blast this?" So sure enough they turned it up to 11 and ripped it up. Fucking Awesome. Then they played "I'm Amazed" and that was it. Surreal, nothing like that has ever happened to me and it was so Random.

So then we had to wait at the gate, the ramp entrance next to Ship Rock but we were on the top portion where as everybody else waiting in line was at the bottom. So we got in first and I got 5th row center and got to save spots for about 8 friends. Fucking Awesome.

The Black Keys were great and loving life playing at Red Rocks, for the first time I believe but I could be wrong.

Then MMJ came on and sure enough they opened with "Anytime" and it was such a cool feeling that the song that I have had in my head for about 2 weeks now, and the song that I asked for at the Soundcheck, was now being played for real as the opener. I felt so special, no joke, I felt that it was because of me. And then they played "Cobra" as one of the encores! Fuck Yes! I know I'm fluffing myself but I don't care, everybody has a story like this and this is mine. It was a great night with friends and a dream show.

Thanks My Morning Jacket I also forgot to mention that after they soundchecked everybody that was there got an Evil Urges poster signed by the band! Jim James signed his name and the number 37. I wonder what that is all about? Old sports jersery number perhaps? Once again, it was a perfect night.