DC ROCK CLUB
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Thursday, September 04, 2008

Kentucky Bourband

My Morning Jacket - DAR Constitution Hall - 9/3/08 - $?

That's right. One of us went to see My Morning Jacket Wednesday night.

We've gotten some serious criticism for not having seen this phenom band of beards. So with our credibility in doubt, I did what any of my fellow mates would do. I sat lazily at a bar and thought nothing of it until a friend got a text offering free tickets to the show at the last minute.

I arrived to DAR with the show already in progress. Here's the beginning of the second song I witnessed, "Gideon" from the album, Z.


Great seats, eh?

MMJ put on a good show. The sound was better than I expected, given that it was in DAR, not my favorite venue. Their performance was impressive, sound quality especially, and they had the largely seated crowd enthused.

Admittedly, I'm no super fan and don't know if the members of this quintet are in the witness protection program or are horribly disfigured, but they certainly don't seek out the spot light(s). Almost the entire performance was backlit, making it nearly impossible to distinguish the band members from the stuffed grizzly bears on stage - except when Jim James was running from side to side, showcasing his high energy stage presence (and massive mound of hair).

Did I fall in love with MMJ Wednesday night? You can't fall in love with anyone in DAR's Constitution Hall. I fell asleep while watching one of the military bands perform at DAR 10 years ago. These are the bands with tubas, cymbals, and lots of brass. In other words, they are loud, and still I fell asleep. The venue almost forces you to sit in its plush seating and yawn. But MMJ is loved by many, and wants to love back....


Bright Lights Big City...what year is it again?

6 comments:

Jumbo Slice said...

I love when you guys go to shows unannounced. Like Sacklunch going to see The Hold Steady.

As I've said before, I think we missed the window on MMJ. Seeing them at Metro Cafe back in the day would have been an experience. Even the 9:30 Club would have been cool. But once a band starts playing venues like DAR, the show loses appeal to me.

I've never got into their albums and I'm always amazed at the passion of their fans. I have nothing against the band. They were just never my thing. Chalk it up as a missed opportunity.

Malitz wrote a great article on PostRock on why he doesn't go to MMJ shows anymore. I think his arguments could apply to a number of bands. We're lucky enough to catch a lot of bands on their way up. After they make it big you lose a certain connection. The Hold Steady definitely fall into this category.

Jumbo Slice said...

BTW, the wife and I went to see Wye Oak tonight (Charm City, bitches!) and it was great. I also ate two slices of pizza after the show so it was a perfect night out for me.

sacklunch said...

Wow, way to keep that one on the down-low. Wee done, Potsy.
I agree with JS, I think we have missed the MMJ boat and to be perfectly honest, I don't really give a shit. I own "Z", and I listen to it every now and again, though I never saw what the big deal was about this band. However, I do think Jim James has an interesting voice and I do like his version of "Going To Acapulco" from the "I'm Not There"soundtrack. I'm sure their live shows back in the day were trasnscendent and DAR was probably not the best venue to witness this band for the first time.

That being said, can we all agree to never bring up MMJ in the future?

Jimbromski said...

I'm just relieved that now that one of us has seen My Morning Jacket that we can justify the large salaries we receive as professional music reviewers.

John Foster said...

I fell in love with TV on the Radio at DAR when the bass was so loud it made my uterus jiggle.

Potsy said...

Uterus jiggle - that is a lovely thought, isn't it?