MMJ 2008- Your Favorite Shows and Why?

[lasvegas]

haha, i knew i was going to catch heat.

i was feeling great, the weather was great, the setlist was great, i just feel that the energy from the band, mostly jim, was not there. i've seen close to 30 shows and this one would not make my top 20, that's all i'm saying. i'm glad other people loved it, and i still had a great time. shit anytime i can drink anchor steam and listen to mmj outside, i'm a happy, whiny fucker.  ;D

but to compare the energy of this show with a show like rcmh, where jim was running into the rafters is just silly, imo.

[AMightyCaporal]

I'm really liking this thread- I love hearing all the different stories from everyone and noticed some posts had my feelings in them as well...

3 shows for me

In order... its tough because i loved them all so much so I dont think I can rank them

RCMH- my first ever MMJ show- such a profound memory- awesome to see how touched they were to be playing there- and they made us all feel it.

Philly-  I didn't think they seemed tired-  I was right up front for this one and to be that close was putting me in a trance- I was in awe of the talent of the guys and how you could see them looking out to the crowd and making eye contact with everyone.  You could tell that these guys love what they do

NYE-  I mean come on.  Great venue, great show, great energy flowing. took my fiancee to her first ever MMJ show. I felt so proud when she said, "I finally get why you love Highly Suspicious so much, it's so incredible!"


I cant wait to see many more shows

[LEATHER KID]

Bonnaroo and NYE, definitely;

but i hear that fireworks during war begun might have been the best moment of the tour

And don't forget about the epic, yet often overlooked General Jackson Riverboat creeping by during Mahgeeta at the Nashville Show, too.

The Nashville show was simply magical for so many reasons.  Aside from those two miracles, we were also introduced to the new takes on Nashville To Kentucky and War Begun...not to mention a real dandy of a How Do You Know.

I also got to hang with my Jacket brethren aMD, Kory and Goose!  Never to be forgotten, my friends...never to be forgotten.

After that show I played How do You know on repeat for a week.

[Vadie Stark]

#1 Tucson , Spur of the moment , with my baby, free, small venue, last show of 2008 for us. Since Oct Chi postponed
#2 Louisville, MMJ hometown, Start of vacation. With my baby
#3 Berkeley Greek, With my baby, Not far from home,brought some family for their first show.
#4 Red Rocks,with my baby, but IMO too many drunk frat boy douche rockets and their wimmins steppin' on ya and spillin' beer all over, strive for excess with success people! Our first Red Rocks show of any sort, a real disappointing
crowd.

[capt. scotty]

#1 Tucson , Spur of the moment , with my baby, free, small venue, last show of 2008 for us. Since Oct Chi postponed
#2 Louisville, MMJ hometown, Start of vacation. With my baby
#3 Berkeley Greek, With my baby, Not far from home,brought some family for their first show.
#4 Red Rocks,with my baby, but IMO too many drunk frat boy douche rockets and their wimmins steppin' on ya and spillin' beer all over, strive for excess with success people! Our first Red Rocks show of any sort, a real disappointing
crowd.

I dont think bringing a baby to a concert is a very good idea. Its not a very healthy environment typically

[Leontheslut]

Festival pier in Philly. Just because it was. I did enjoy NYE, but the pier show was outdoors. I love the outdoors. ;)

outdoors shows are awesome for sure, but i thought (and have said it here before) that philly was by far the worst show of theirs i saw all last year.

jim seemed extremely tired. i thought the band as a whole lacked energy (understandable as it was the end of a long string of shows), but i was pretty [highlight]disappointed[/highlight] nonetheless.

only time i've walked away from seeing these guys (since '04) being [highlight]disappointed[/highlight].

I don't want to come off the wrong way, Vegas, but I feel that a bad Jacket show is still good.  It's that they embrace the live show to such a high standard, that we always expect perfection.  Do you think that perhaps you weren't disappointed, but more underwhelmed?  Possibly?  After all, you did get Evelyn and War Begun...not to mention COBRA!  :-/

"If you can't be nice, be vague."  That's what my Hooters waitress always tells me.    :)

hmmmmmmmmmmm......I didnt feel that way at all. It was one of my favorite shows and ive been following them since 2005. I think it has alot to do with the way you are feeling at the time. Everyone I went with was blown away and we all had a fantastic time.

MMJ was fantastic that night. I don't pay close attention to the stage,  but whenever I did look up (from rocking the fuck out) I saw Jim rocking the fuck out!  

Maybe it was all the  :-X , but that's my favorite of the three Jacket shows I've been to, and that includes NYE.

[j_rud]

I dont know how anyone could have been disappointed by the Philly show. Where was your spot at? We were right against the rail and the band looked far from tired. I honestly think you must have had an off night, because that was a great show. Go listen to the taping, the crowd was electric and the band definitely responded. After seeing the piss poor excuse for a crowd 2 nights prior in DC that much was more than obvious.

A lot of people forget that Philly also got fireworks, during Touch Me Pt 2. Jim looked back at Patrick incredulously as if to say "Do you believe this? Twice?!?!".  You could also tell from Jim's banter that he was into that show. He talked to the crowd a lot more than he usually does. Philly was one of my favorite shows of the tour Vegas, I couldnt disagree with you more.

Now, if you would have said DC, I wouldnt have had much to disagree with. The music was great but my God, what a terrible excuse for an audience. The people next to us in the front row were actually turned around leaning with their backs to the stage. I wanted to slap them. A couple behind us came in wearing fine evening wear, stayed for 2 songs, and bailed. The place was beautiful, a really nice venue, but the crowd...lets just say I wouldnt be surprised if they didnt play DC for awhile.

[j_rud]

As for my favorite shows of the tour...I dont think I can pick a favorite. As soon as  I think I can pick one I remember something about another show that makes me second guess myself. Every one of them was awesome in their own right...

Radio City- It just felt like a celebration, like the band "arrived", but it was only the start of big things to come. Took a vacation day and came up by train, found possibly the last dive bar in Manhattan, got nice and loose and partied my ass off. Met some drunk girls on the train home that took some awesome pics of a passed out GivenToFly.... ;D

Louisville- What a day that was...departed the Philly airport at 8 AM Saturday...arrived back at the Philly airport at 8AM Sunday. Met some awesome message board members and for the first time in my life was called a "yankee". Absolutely fell in love with that city and I most definitely will be going back. The show was everything an outdoor concert should be: loud, hot, crazy. Afterward I'm pretty sure I was teetering close to dehydration and it felt like my brain had shattered into a billion pieces that were bouncing around my skull. I drank 3 bottles of water and a coke before I even attempted to leave the park area. Then it was back to Bearno's, where LoveDog kept us company until 4AM, when it was time to head back to the airport...fucking EXCELLENT day...

DC- Discussed above. Willed myself a parking spot right next to the venue. Thank God, because DC parking blows. Band sounded good, crowd was awful. You could tell they were a bit let down by how passive the audience was. Met the band (sans Patrick) afterward, was star struck for the first time in my life talking to Jim. Carl and Tommy were awesome, hung out and BS'd for a couple minutes.  

Philly- Last show of the tour for me before New Years, and it was a reunion of sorts. In some strange stroke of luck we ran into at least 2 people we had met at every other show we had been to. Before the show it seemed like every 5 minutes someone was tapping me on the shoulder and saying "Hey, werent you at _____?". Fireworks, rain, Evelyn and Cobra, and I didnt have to get on a train, plane, or drive 2 hours. Fucking GOLD.

NYE- I dont even know what to say about this one. Absolutely epic. Met lots of cool message board people before hand at the bar whose name escapes me at the moment. Amazing setlist. Dancing. Booze. More dancing. Silly outfits. Tux and Chucks. More dancing. Nearly too tired to stand on the train to our hotel, followed by what was probably the best freaking shower I have ever in my life taken. I dont know what Im doing next New Years Eve, but theres a 99% chance it wont come close to 2008 with MMJ at MSG. Thats the kind of show you brag about seeing in 20 years...

[Vadie Stark]

#1 Tucson , Spur of the moment , with my baby, free, small venue, last show of 2008 for us. Since Oct Chi postponed
#2 Louisville, MMJ hometown, Start of vacation. With my baby
#3 Berkeley Greek, With my baby, Not far from home,brought some family for their first show.
#4 Red Rocks,with my baby, but IMO too many drunk frat boy douche rockets and their wimmins steppin' on ya and spillin' beer all over, strive for excess with success people! Our first Red Rocks show of any sort, a real disappointing
crowd.

I dont think bringing a baby to a concert is a very good idea. Its not a very healthy environment typically

My baby likes to party and .. rock the fuck out [smiley=beer.gif]  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=evil.gif]

[jsandr1]

I was fortunate to see MMJ @ Bonnaroo and the 2 AZ shows last year...

I have to say, while the Roo show was everything I could desire and more from a band, I actually thought the 2 AZ shows as a pair were better performances, showcasing a number of songs not played at the Roo. While the bevy of covers was a cool treat, I have to say I much prefer the Jacket digging into their own back catalogue.

between the Tempe & Tucson shows, I got the following NON-Bonnaroo performances:

The Dark (simply an AWESOME surprise)
Lowdown
Look At You
Rollin Back
Cobra
The Way That He Sings
War Begun
The Bear
Just One Thing
Into the Woods

so yeah, what a wonderful tour it was... definitely a fan of the evening with... format

[lasvegas]

 :P  :D :P

[vwxg14a]

RCMH - Best show I was ever at.  First full show I seen them at.  I saw them at Lollapalooza, Pops, and Langerado, but this one, every single person in the building was there just for them EXCEPT one group of douchewomen sitting in front of us.  They showed up late and 2 of the 3 were there only to be there.  And during Steam Engine, they were just just chatting away annoying the crap out of us. Until my gf yelled at them to just shut up.  But just seeing the entire audience bounce up and down in unison during one big holiday made it the best.

Miami Beach - Great, but due to the late arriving crowd, as I found out later, they delayed starting and cut out Steam Engine.  It was still great and it was the closest I ever seen them.

NYE - a very very close second to RCMH.  The crowd was great, I loved the Charlie Chaplin countdown.  No Steam Engine. Crap.  
But still, second best.  

I still haven't been to Bonnaroo :(

[Leontheslut]

I was fortunate to see MMJ @ Bonnaroo and the 2 AZ shows last year...

I have to say, while the Roo show was everything I could desire and more from a band, I actually thought the 2 AZ shows as a pair were better performances, showcasing a number of songs not played at the Roo. While the bevy of covers was a cool treat, I have to say I much prefer the Jacket digging into their own back catalogue.

between the Tempe & Tucson shows, I got the following NON-Bonnaroo performances:

The Dark (simply an AWESOME surprise)
Lowdown
Look At You
Rollin Back
Cobra
The Way That He Sings
War Begun
The Bear
Just One Thing
Into the Woods

so yeah, what a wonderful tour it was... definitely a fan of the evening with... format

So they have played it live?  :o

I'm so jealous.

[Love Dogg]

I was fortunate to see MMJ @ Bonnaroo and the 2 AZ shows last year...

I have to say, while the Roo show was everything I could desire and more from a band, I actually thought the 2 AZ shows as a pair were better performances, showcasing a number of songs not played at the Roo. While the bevy of covers was a cool treat, I have to say I much prefer the Jacket digging into their own back catalogue.

between the Tempe & Tucson shows, I got the following NON-Bonnaroo performances:

The Dark (simply an AWESOME surprise)
Lowdown
Look At You
Rollin Back
Cobra
The Way That He Sings
War Begun
The Bear
Just One Thing
Into the Woods

so yeah, what a wonderful tour it was... definitely a fan of the evening with... format

So they have played it live?  :o

I'm so jealous.

Yeah, me too.  The only time this tour.  And a rare one at that.

[TheKnoxvilleBear]

Bonnaroo was insane. The rain only made it better

[TheBigChicken]

NYE in San Francisco....becauseit freaking SNOWED....inside :o don't know how they pulled that one off ....and it was at the Fillmore 8-)

[ultravisitor]

Chicago, night 2.

Extended "Steam Engine"

[GO4IT]

I saw 4 shows in 2008 - Radio City, DAR in DC, Philly and MSG on NYE.  They were all great but DAR was a notch below because of muddled acoustics and lame crowd as noted by others.  I struggle with which of the other three was my "favorite" since they all had their own special character that made them unique.  While I hate to rank the top three, a Sophie's choice of sorts, I ultimately decided on the following based on which show I would most like to experience again if such a thing was possible.  I have the audio recordings of all three shows and videos which I took myself and have listened to them many times to percolate on my impressions.  I was also fortunate to be in the first few rows of all four shows, making a comparison more equitable.

1.  Philly - I had my doubts about the venue - essentially an asphalt parking lot.  When it started to get dark, the expansive stage and lights took over and the surrounding waterfront with bridges and atmospherics (swirling winds from an approaching hurricane) made it a magical setting. The acoustics up front were perfect and the crowd was the best of all the 4 shows. Oh, and by the way, MMJ just seemed at the peak of 2008 tour perfection, playing exclusively their tunes.  They played with inspiration, Jim's voice was strong and nearly perfect and they seemed to have boundless energy through a very long set.  Phone Went West was ridiculous - the band, the crowd and setting just perfect for this song.  I have a movie of the entire PWW and it confirms the "in the moment" feeling.  Overall, 2008 tour perfection.

2.  Radio City - An incredibly special moment for MMJ with a sellout in a matter of minutes in one of the most storied venues in the world.  I don't think I'm alone in this forum in saying the anticipation of this show was almost too much to bear.  Acoustics, of course, were great and when Jim brushed by me on his first foray up to the rafters stage left I almost lost it (I have it all on video including my foul language).  It was a great performance by the band from start to finish.  The crowd left a bit to be desired, however; not nearly as many hard core up front as in Philly.

3. MSG on NYE - It doesn't seem right to rank a show like this as 3rd since it was yet another huge milestone for MMJ and a truly epic performance.  I was up front by Jim in the pit and even after 5 hrs of standing was still energized - the crowd was great, most likely a function of self-selection as in the GA Philly show.  I have to admit I have mixed feelings about some of the covers and added musicians/singers - pluses and minuses but overall I don't think as strong as pure MMJ.  I can't think of a better way to spend NYE and would go in a heartbeat if they repeat.

4.  DAR in DC - The band was great and I loved the show.  Just a notch down given the poor acoustics and lots of clueless folks at the show.

As I mentioned, I have lots of video from these shows and, in my humble opinion, I think they are generally pretty good having been shot primarily in wide angle close to the stage.  Some of the files are large (>1GB) and long (e.g. the aforementioned 9 min. PWW at Philly and an even longer Dondante at MSG) I have never uploaded movies to the web so would appreciate any advice for these larger files so I can share with the faithful to help make it through to the next tour.

[pinkostooge87]

NYE was the first time I ever saw them and it was one of the greatest shows I ever saw.  Quick question tho, who was singer that Jim dueted with, she was great.

[capt. scotty]

As I mentioned, I have lots of video from these shows and, in my humble opinion, I think they are generally pretty good having been shot primarily in wide angle close to the stage.  Some of the files are large (>1GB) and long (e.g. the aforementioned 9 min. PWW at Philly and an even longer Dondante at MSG) I have never uploaded movies to the web so would appreciate any advice for these larger files so I can share with the faithful to help make it through to the next tour.

Im computer illiterate so I couldnt help you out there, but sounds like you got some good footage so hopefully someone can help you get it on youtube. how's the audio?

I know dillsnufus has a bunch of MMJ stuff he's put on youtube. Maybe try PM'ing him?

Sorry to elect somebody else  ;D