My Morning Jacket at Schubas, Chicago, IL, March 2, 2002

Review as posted on the My Morning Jacket mailinglist:

Subject:        [mymorningjacket] MMJ at Schuba's
Date:           Fri, 08 Mar 2002 17:56:54 -0000
From:           lanegcampbell
To:             mymorningjacket@yahoogroups.com

My Morning Jacket
@Schuba's
Mar 2, 2002

My Morning Jacket is on the cusp of national recognition.  Just a
couple of years into their existence, the band has already toured
Europe, released two outstanding records, and has been rumoured to be
Steve Earle's next coup (let's fucking hope not!).

The album "At Dawn" was my starting point, a pristine collection of
songs that is not unlike early Neil Young, with doses of Grandaddy
and Bread; perhaps what a Palace record would sound like if produced
by Brian Wilson (that is high praise coming from me).

The local media, though favorable in their previews of the show, used
the scary term "country slo-core" to describe their sound, and there
was the potential for the show to be like that.  But it wasn't.

In fact, it was one of the highest-energy rock shows I have ever seen.

The band took the stage before a pretty full house, with lead singer
and songwriter Jim James, all of 23, wearing a floppy straw hat on
top of his shagadelic head.  The drummer started out standing up,
slapping the skins and cymbals, sending a quick message as to what
kind of night we were in for.

There were plenty of subtle moments during the show, which
counterbalanced the unadulterated rock! moments nicely.  On "Phone
Went West" the band reggaed-up the lead guitar part, as James
plead "tell me I'm wrong/tell me I'm right/tell me there's nobody
else in the world".  The buoyant "Just Because I Do" was turned up
about three notches (to 11!) from the album version: "I go blind,
every night/and just because I do/I'm hopin' you'll get better/and
I'll get rid of you".

Why does my mind blow to bits every time they play that song?
It's just the way that he sings, not the words that he says, or the
band.
I'm in love with this soul
It's a meaning that I understand
-Jim James


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