|
Slim's October 10, 2003 Review by Gregory Ahlbach Prior to attending the My Morning Jacket show on October 10th, I did some research. I found that the band’s front man, Jim James, is annoyed with questions from the media about topics not pertaining to music. With this revelation, I recognized that this is not solely a problem for his band but for other’s as well. Two examples of this type of questioning were found when the media asked artists such mundane questions like, “Why the label-switch? ” or, “Why do you look and dress the way you do?” .To get to the point, the media’s infatuation with the superficial side of music seems to be taking its toll on the Louisville native. With this in mind, I set off for Slim’s to see if this band’s live performance was worthy of all the media scrutiny. To be honest with you, I wasn’t exactly on time for the performance. Showing up two songs into the bands set is probably not the most judicious thing to do in preparation for my first review. To clear me of any fault, I blame the city of San Francisco for not providing a sufficient amount of parking for its patrons. Circling around the venue for 15 minutes in order to find a spot is very trying on one’s patience. For this, I feel that the city has let me down. (As you can probably tell, and as my family and friends will attest, being on time and taking the blame are not two of my foremost qualities). Regardless of my shortcomings I attended the show, and for it, I feel I have both enriched my critical eye for live music and along the way learned a little something about popular culture as well. When I entered the venue and walked up the steps, my panoramic view was of a packed Slim’s full of smiling faces. Everyone was moving their lips and bobbing their head’s along with the classic-rock tinged music that was bouncing off the walls. My curiosity to discover the root of the audiences’ trance-filled state led me to gaze to the left, where I found My Morning Jacket on stage, hard at work. One glance and I was immediately intrigued by the appearance of the band. They emanated the look of 70’s rockers, complete with worn jeans, tattered t-shirts and long hair that covered most of their faces. Standing amongst the legion of fans, I felt transported back in time to the decade when arena rock was at the peak of its prominence. The first thing that beguiled me about the band’s live performance was their cohesion. To me, this is a unique characteristic for an indie-rock band. Many other bands use their live show as a platform to experiment and give the audience an interesting presentation of their studio material. It was obvious to me that MMJ’s approach to their live show is focused on giving the audience an un-disparaged version of their studio work. The swirling guitars and reverb that resonated from the bands amps was not a characteristic unlike the great performances of the classic rock legends of the past. To describe their live show, MMJ comes at the audience like a juggernaut armed with the dual guitar assault of Jim James and lead guitarist Johnny Quad. The band’s compatibility and energy is accompanied by James’ alluring vocals. This gives the band an eclectic sound that differentiates them from other acts out today. Another facet of the show I enjoyed was their no nonsense approach to playing. I found them resisting the temptation to partake in the meaningless communicative banter that many bands have with their audience. This approach affirms that the band sticks by their philosophy, concentrating on what really matters, which is the music. Throughout the night, the enigmatic front man, hiding behind his long locks, displayed his preternatural knack for crafting beautiful pop songs. One particular song that stood out was their rendition of the track, “Lowdown,” from their 2001 release, “At Dawn”. During this song, some audience members swayed and closed their eyes in appreciation of the lavish musical landscape that the band provided. It was in this song that the James’ pristine and passionate vocals made the devoted attendee’s feel his heartbreak as he bellowed the line, “You never got by with me.” Another highlight of the performance was when they played, “One big holiday,” a standout track off their newly released album, “It Still Moves.” Having listened to the album several times before attending, I was well aware of the musical mayhem that was about to ensue. The track began with a light blend of guitars, bass and symbols with an additional tapping of the kick drum. As the intro progressed, the tempo increased before eventually exploding into an amazing musical sprawl with an accompanied guitar hook that was very catchy. At the cue of the combustion, members of the band were displaying wonderful showmanship by doing aerial maneuvers reminiscent of Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. While this occurred, I turned to the direction of the audience and noticed their bodies were moving enthusiastically to the music in a motion very similar to the band. Several people displayed fists in the air and most everyone had a smile from ear to ear. An incomparable part of the night occurred during the encore when James appeared alone on stage carrying his acoustic guitar as a weapon of choice. Intimately passing through each song, I couldn’t help but notice the silence of the crowd as they listened intently to the front man passionately strum and intertwine new material with classics. One notable song from the encore was James displaying an egalitarian rule by adhering to an audience member’s request to play one of my personal favorites, “At Dawn.” In closing, the band’s performance that night radiated energy and passion which left the audience wanting more. It was obvious the band walked off the stage in utter-exhaustion, knowing they had satisfied their old fans as well as converted others. For me, the performance improved with each passing song. By using the set list to adequately showcase their current and past material, the audience was able to get a glimpse of just how awe-inspiring this band really is. The group’s versatility to me is unprecedented. They would not be out of place in any size venue, whether in an intimate setting of a dive bar, the auspicious backdrop of a medium sized club, or impersonally playing to a packed arena, they would shine in all forums. In conclusion, as I walked down the steps at Slim’s in the direction of my car, I found myself ruminating about the research I had done prior. I had remembered Jim James’ music first mentality. Realizing this, I couldn’t help but think that this Kentucky singer/songwriter brings up a great point about the media and popular culture. Artists are constantly being unfairly dissected for trivial matters not relating to the music. This is something that I find myself guilty of as well. (i.e.: my unfair cornering of the band when describing them.) To clearly define my point, My Morning Jacket has something to prove and I think we should all pay attention. Until then, Mr. James, keep up the good fight, music is the most important thing, shame on us for wanting you to wear FUBU. --- Read our previous My Morning Jacket review: October 6, 2002 @ Slim's ©2003 playinginfog.com |