Omaha 5/17/04

[heather]

Well, I'm a completely new to MMJ so please be nice if I'm posting info that is common for every show.   ;) First I have to say that I stumbled upon the band after seeing their name mentioned on a Gomez message board and finding a show on KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic just a couple of months ago.  After hearing the first couple of seconds of One Big Holiday my husband & I knew we had to immediately go buy some cds.   We were lucky enough to find out about them soon enough to catch their show in Omaha yesterday.

I really wish I had the set list to post and thought while at the show I would remember it fairly well. Now, however, I'm drawing a complete blank.  Jim James came out with a fake parrot on his shoulder.   Don't know if this is common for him or not but it was pretty funny...  He struggled with getting his guitar off a couple of times because he was getting tangled up and blamed it on the HAIR and the parrot!  After the first song he said something to the effect of "you guys have been great tonight thanks so much for coming out".  Then after the second song they all took a bow and went off stage... only to come back a couple of minutes later with an "encore".  Jim went on to explain that they are a "rock and roll band" and that they decided to fuck things up and do things a little differently by playing their set completely backwards.   Anyway, the whole show was GREAT my only complaint is it seemed to go way to quickly (and that I can't remember the damn set list!!)

We tried to take some pictures but it was way to dark in there and they didn't turn out to good.  I did get a pretty good one of Jim when I screwed up and had my flash on.   There was someone else there taking pictures all night, which I assume will be posted on the venues website at some point.  I will post the link once they are up.

Great night... can't wait to see them again!!

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Well, I'm a completely new to MMJ so please be nice if I'm posting info that is common for every show

No worries mate!  We're all friends here.  Glad you had a great time.  The parrot seems to make a yearly appearance... 8)

[SMc55]

Great night... can't wait to see them again!!

I know that feeling! Glad you had a good time. Hope to see the parrot myself some day.

[Marcus]

Jim had the parrot again last night in St. Louis

[MikeQuinlivan]

The show in Omaha was one of the best live music experiences I have ever been witness too; now before someone says I'm getting to ass-kissy, I will explain.  
  I live in Sioux Falls, SD; a vast wasteland of elderly republicans live in and run the city, and rap-metal abounds on the radio.  Luckily, I met my old college roommate Brendan while attending school there, and was subsequently schooled in good music.  Fast-forward 4 years to a vaction in Maui with my family.  I caught MMJ on the Conan O'brien show, and bought their CD while killing time waiting to catch a plane. I must say it was my best CD purchase in years.  So, long story made even longer, I got all psyched on the band, and desperately wanted to see them.
  Lo and behold, Brendan sends me an e-mail saying MMJ will be playing a show at the Sokol in Omaha.  Commence getting excited for a month, and begging Brendan to met me there for the show.  He agreed after a while, and brought some other fine folks for the ride.  ALl is well as I hit the road south down I-29, when all of a sudden I feel really ill, like I'm gonna barf on my shoes.  I feel ok once I hit Omaha, but once the concert rolls around, again I feel like I'm gonna barf and crap myself. Great, I'm not even gonna be able to see the show (what was the mysterious aliment?  ya got me, it went away by the last two songs of the show.)  
    So, I posted up by the bar and watched the show sitting down for awhile.  The crowd was surprisingly small, but all the better for the lucky few that were there (a guy I work with told me the Rolling Stones played Omaha in 1964 to 500 people, so who knows?).  After the opening act, MMJ came on and Jim sang "Golden", then rocked out to "mahgeetah".  Then the band bowed and left the stage.  Being ill, I was not to pleased with this, until Jim let the crowd in on the joke that they were playing the set backwards.  "Fine by me" I thought, while trying not to shit my pants.  A couple songs followed which I'm not to familiar with, interspersed with "run thru" and I think "just one thing".  By the last two songs, which were "dancefloors", and "One Big Holiday", I fel oddly better, so I went up close and danced like the dork that am, while all the cool kids stood still.  I usually don't walk around with a big grin on my face, especially when I feel sick, but I did that whole night.  MMJ was great.  They ripped it up on all the rockers, and sounded beautiful on the slow ones.  They sound like the soundtrack to a wide open space, like a deserted highway, or a big open field.  Dumb comparison perhaps but it works for me.  So, great concert, one of the best ever, bought a shirt to small, and rolled home at 3 in the a.m., ready to go to work later in the day.  I will see them many more times,they made me a life long convert.

[heather]

A couple of pictures on http://www.onepercentproductions.com/from the Omaha show.  

[Drunkre]

By the last two songs, which were "dancefloors", and "One Big Holiday", I fel oddly better, so I went up close and danced like the dork that am, while all the cool kids stood still.  I usually don't walk around with a big grin on my face, especially when I feel sick, but I did that whole night.  MMJ was great.  They ripped it up on all the rockers, and sounded beautiful on the slow ones.  They sound like the soundtrack to a wide open space, like a deserted highway, or a big open field.  Dumb comparison perhaps but it works for me.  So, great concert, one of the best ever, bought a shirt to small, and rolled home at 3 in the a.m., ready to go to work later in the day.  I will see them many more times,they made me a life long convert.

Same experience in Atlanta, it didn't seem like anybody but me and like 5 others were really INTO it.  I'll admit I'd had a few beers, but damn I was rocking and it seemed to bother some people.

[MMJ_fanatic]

Same experience in Atlanta, it didn't seem like anybody but me and like 5 others were really INTO it.  I'll admit I'd had a few beers, but damn I was rocking and it seemed to bother some people.

I woke up with a slightly stiff neck the morning after the Hartford show.  Guess headbanging crazily along with Jim.....