Sara Schwabe: My Morning Jacket
This group of talented musicians is on its way across the country promoting their epic, live concert album, Okonokos. While they experienced much success and radio-play with their last studio album, Z, this latest live endeavor allows the individual's talents to shine in ways that studio recordings can't. There are certain band that are meant to be heard live - that suffer from the restrictions of trying to make a perfect recording. My Morning Jacket is definitely one of those bands! Their music is filled with intricate melodies. It's clear that each of the members is truly listening to the others at every moment of the performance. Jim James, with his Neil Young-type vocals, is adeptly supported by lyrical - though driving - percussion & guitar riffs. Each element of My Morning Jacket's music, if heard separately, could stand beautifully on its own. All together, the result is a vast blanket of interwoven sounds that soothe and energize at the same time. Okonokos captured the band's confident musicianship as well as its spontaneity. (For a taste of what you'll get live, check out their Bonnaroo set here!)
The group has not always been so sure of itself, however.
The release of Z in 2005 found the band recovering from a period of uncertainty and growth following the departure of two of its core members. The remaining musicians, Jim James, Two-Tone Tommy (bass) and Patrick Hallahan (drums) had debated about whether to continue as a group or venture off on their solo journeys. They described the band as having "it's own force, wanting itself to go on." They felt as though they couldn't walk away from their music and eachother, so they worked tirelessly to find suitable replacements for their ex-members.
After their Knoxville show, My Morning Jacket will continue on down the road through the winter. Here is a list of their upcoming tour dates, in case you don't get of them here:
NOVEMBER
10 Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
12 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
13 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
15 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
16 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
17 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
18 Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
20 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
21 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre
22 Louisville, KY - Louisville Gardens
24 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
25 Indianapolis, IN - Clowes Memorial Hall
27 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
28 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
30 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
DECEMBER
01 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
02 Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom
04 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
05 Champaign, IL - Foellinger Auditorium
29 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
30 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
31 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Tickets to the Knoxville show are still available by visiting the Tennessee Theatre website.
To hear more about My Morning Jacket, you can listen to the interview on NPR's All Songs Considered.
