by Joe Cornett
My Morning Jacket kicked off their recent residency at the Fillmore last Monday night. The band hadn’t graced the stages of the iconic venue since 2006 but is known for having an affinity with the space. In 2005 they recorded a fan favorite live album, Okonokos, that came from a two night run at the Fillmore.
Jacket heads flew in from all over the US to experience this 4-night run shows, something that MMJ hadn’t done since their Terminal 5 shows in 2010 when they played their first 5 albums in their entirety over a 5 night period.
3-night runs with MMJ happen every so often but being that they would add an extra night to the mix, fans were curious if the band was going to sprinkle a little something extra special on us. MMJ forums and Facebook pages were stirring with what tricks Jim and the crew might have up their sleeves? Would there be special appearances from unannounced guests each night? Would they play the exact setlist from Okonokos on nights one and two? Would Jerry Garcia resurrect from the Dead to join the band?
Before getting into the details of each night, I want to add that since the summer of 2022, Bo Kosten, their keyboard player, has taken the reins on creating the setlists of songs for each concert. The band then discusses his select picks and makes subtle changes when necessary but Bo has scrambled their setlists in a way that makes each night unpredictable and, I must say, really fun and interesting. Songs that would typically be their final encore song to end each night, sometimes show up first, or in the middle of the set unexpectedly. The fact that their setlists alway change has always been a draw for fans but Bo has added a fresh perspective to their recent tours. It’s a big reason why fans follow MMJ all over the country to attend multiple concerts on their tour.
Also, in remembrance of their performance during Okonokos, the band decided to decorate the Fillmore with plants and vines all over the stage and rafters surrounding the chandeliers. This added a really cool aesthetic that I haven’t seen at a venue before and switched up the mood of the space a bit.
Under solid red lights, night one started with At Dawn, the title track from their sophomore album which despite being a fan favorite, hasn’t been played all that often in recent years.
Masterplan and one of their biggest bangers, Mahgeetah, came very early in the night. Both songs come from their third album, It Still Moves, arguably their best album alongside Z. Mahgeetah always gets the crowd going, it’s a party song, one that everyone loves to dance and jump around too. The crowd was ready to unleash their excitement that they had been holding onto for months so playing Mahgeetah early in the setlist on the first night was, in a way, genius.
During the song, Run It, frontman Jim James discussed how the song was recorded in Stinson Beach and that the albums Waterfall and Waterfall II had been recorded there. He brought up the first time they played the Fillmore was when they opened for the Doves in 2002 and remembered the band saying back then that, “if we died tomorrow, at least we played the Fillmore, holy shit!”
It was apparent early on that they were pulling in some deep cuts, playing songs that hadn’t been heard live in a very long time.
A nod to China Cat Sunflower by the Grateful Dead came during the song Masterplan and was also teased at the end of the night during Dancefloors. The full cover for the night, Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door, came at the beginning of the encore which then led into Feel You and Gideon.
One highlight from night one came from Carl Broemel’s song, Carried Away. He weaved in Just My Imagination by the Temptations and the band then went extra hard during the jam at the end of the song. Lit by a single spotlight, Carl came to the front of the stage with his signature move where he leans over this guitar, his long blonde hair hanging in front of his face, and just shreds.
Night two they went even deeper into their catalog and pulled some songs that had been played less than 5 times over the last few years. While casual fans may have been a little underwhelmed with the first half of the set, Jacket fans who love the older tunes from the late 90’s and early 2000’s got exactly what they came for.
Neil Young’s, Harvest Moon, came in mid set and while that song slowed the tempo of the night down a bit, the last four songs before their encore ramped things back up again.
Victory Dance, Aluminum Park, I Get Around (by the Beach Boys), and Anytime, had the entire crowd boogying! If you don’t know their music, trust me when I say that the combination of those four songs woke up the spirits of the Fillmore.
War Begun was the only song pre encore that broke the 10 minute mark. However, that changed during the encore when MMJ brought a heavy hitting song from their Waterfall Album, Spring (Among The Living). Jim adlibbed some of the lyrics saying things like, “Among the living in the beautiful historic Fillmore…among the beautiful people getting down in San Francisco.”
Jim James ended Spring with lyrics from the Beatles song Dear Prudence. In a deep and haunting voice, he repeated the lyrics, “The Sun is out, the sky is blue. It’s beautiful, and so are you.” The mesmerized audience was stunned and silent as the song came to a close.
Night two ended with arguably the heaviest hitting song in their catalog, a song that introduced the band to many people. A song that, in the past, was often used to end their shows but has recently shown up everywhere in their setlists. This song starts with Patrick Hallahan, their drummer, quickly hitting the snares and when this song starts, every fan in the venue knows that an explosion is about to happen. This song woke up Fillmore Street that night. This song is One Big Holiday.
I gotta give it to the Fillmore, they had their sound dialed in for these shows and the wall of sound that came from One Big Holiday was incredible. The crowd knows every word to the song and the lyrics, “If we holler loud and make our way. We’d all live, One Big Holidaaaaay,” could be the motto for the band and their fans.
By the time night three rolled around, fans knew what the secret recipe for the week was. This four night run wouldn’t bring us special guests or albums played in their entirety. Instead, My Morning Jacket was simply going to play their music from top to bottom, and they were going to do it with precision and perfection.
They played If It Smashes Down, which had only ever been played twice before Thursday night. I’ve been a Jacket fan since 2006 and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what the song was. I guarantee that some of the old heads in the venue were smiling ear to ear from the fact that they played such a rare track.
They gave us an 18 minute long Steam Engine, and the crowd sang passionately to the lyrics, “the fact that my heart’s beating is all the proof you need.” It’s a hauntingly beautiful song, trust me and go listen to it.
Their encore, for me, was the highlight of the night. Sooner, a song with a Hawaiian surf vibe to it started and again, fans who were there for the rare cuts were rewarded. Couples throughout the venue swayed back and forth and embraced one another as they sang along the lyrics of love.
As the next song started, everyone went nuts when they heard the lyrics, “She packed my bags last night…” began. Song two of the encore was one of their most famous covers from Elton John, Rocket Man. Jim’s voice was perfect. Bo’s keys pierced our hearts and Carl brought in some twang that gave the song a little bit of a country music vibe.
The encore ended with a crowd pleaser, the fun and always incredible, Phone Went West. Jim’s voice lingered around the room during this song and the band stretched out Friday’s version to almost 16 minutes. Midway through the song the instrumentals slowed down and the words, “I’m looking back to my city by the Bay…” trickled in as Jim covered Journey’s song, Lights. Covers often emerge midsong during Phone and the Bay Area specific song by Journey was a perfect ode to the magic of San Francisco and the Fillmore as a live music space.
In my opinion, night 4 was a perfect My Morning Jacket show. The night felt like a celebration before the music even started – the vibe in the room was truly uplifting and positive. Similar to marathon runners completing a race, we all felt accomplished and happy for the week having happened. We had made it to night 4!
Fans had a select list of songs that they knew would be played and it was apparent that some incredible tunes were still on the table. The preshow chatter had us “guaranteeing” that we would get a really long version of Dondante, and we wondered when Wordless Chorus would arrive.
The much talked about song, Cobra, started the set. The first guitar riff made the crowd hoot and the party for the night officially started. Fans wondered if another Cobra Sandwich, similar to what happened in Chicago in November, would include an extended version of the song weaving in 3-5 others. This week’s version basically stayed true to the album but was still an incredible way to kick off the final night.
The night couldn’t have been better, rarities like Nashville to Kentucky and Remnants popped up in between classics like Golden, Circuital, and Dondante.
George Harrison’s Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) was the first cover of the night. Members of the Beatles are often covered by the band, they’re interested in spreading the peace, love, and joy that Beatles’ songs often exemplify.
Dondante came in towards the end of the set, sounds of psychedelic futuristic rain drops overlapped with Patrick’s slow bass kicks and Jim’s guitar chords. This song often starts off being played under low subdued lights and clouds of smoke pull upward from the crowd. The lyrics, “You had me worried, so worried, that this would last,” have often been connect to a loss of a loved one by a break up or by suicide and with such strong implications, Dondante makes you sink into your head a bit while listening to it. You don’t need to be on drugs to feel high when you hear this song and if you are, it is likely your high will amplify a bit.
Dondante was played for just under 22 minutes and included a wonderful overlap of Tom Blankenship’s bass riffs with Carl’s saxophone jam. After the show, as fans were leaving, conversations talking about how it may have been an “all-time version” of the song were overheard.
Jim’s solo song State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U) followed and got the crowd moving again. The song dives into concepts about the use of technology and progression as humans but that progression doesn’t necessarily have a positive result as he states in the song, “we’ve got all of our wires crossed, the tubes are all tied.” This implies that technology has moved us away from what it means to be human, and that we’ve removed the real essence of who we are in this world.
The last cover song of the week was another Bay Area related tune. Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay brought smiles to everyone in the house. The band played a their version a little more sped up from the original which set the tone for the next and final song of the week to be played.
Wordless Chorus has to be one of the greatest songs ever written. It’s a beautiful track in which the chorus only contains high notes coming from Jim James and of course, the crowd. I want to end this review with lyrics from Wordless Chorus that seem to sum up my experiences with My Morning Jacket.
“Tell me spirit, what has not been done.
I’ll rush out and do it, or are we doing it now.”
Everytime I see this band, I feel like I’m experiencing a genius that hasn’t been done. They are magicians and every live show is unique from the next.
While listening to their music, good friend and MMJ superfan John Tannous and I often share with one another that “they’re doing something special tonight.”
My Morning Jacket is doing things that haven’t been done before. And they’re doing it right now!
Leave a reply