Photos: My Morning Jacket at The Village for KCRW

My Morning Jacket by Jeremiah Garcia

If you don’t think My Morning Jacket is one of the best live bands in the world, you’ve never seen My Morning Jacket. It’s that simple.

Last night, they played an intimate KCRW benefit show for about 250 people at the legendary Village Studios, just a week after playing for nearly 80,000 at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. And anyone who thought they might hold back in a smaller room were very, very wrong. It’s like they brought a stadium show to your living room.

This was up close and personal, in fact guitarist Carl Broemel said it was hard to create a wall of sound between the band and the audience when there were eager faces just a few feet away. But the band clearly relished the opportunity and chose to play their new album “Circuital” front to back while sprinkling in a few favorites at the end.

That can be a gutsy choice, but with a room full of dedicated fans and a new album that is arguably a return to the sound that launched the band from Louisville to major festival headliners, everyone was engaged from the first note to the last. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such happy, smiling people at a rock show. Everyone, including me and the band themselves, felt lucky to be there. (The venue itself was a huge part of the draw. Fun fact: The Village Studios newly renovated performance space had chandeliers from the movie Miracle on 34^th St! Jim loved that and mentioned it on stage.)

I’ve only listened to “Circuital” once all the way through but I was just as excited about the old songs as the new. The title track, “Holding on to Black Metal”, “Wonderful”, “You Wanna Freak Out” and “Outta My System” are already among my favorite MMJ tracks. Though I must say, they cannot play a show without “Wordless Chorus” and “One Big Holiday”. They made me feel as good as they did the first time I heard them and seeing them performed live with a crowd is almost a religious experience. Forget all your cares in the world, just let yourself be consumed by the ROCK.

It was a blast and the session will be airing live on Morning Becomes Eclectic on Friday, July 15. Do not miss it!

My Morning Jacket on KCRW Set List

Victory Dance

Circuital

The Day is Coming

Wonderful (The Way I Feel)

Outta My System

Holdin’ on to Black Metal

First Light

You Wanna Freak Out

Slow Slow Tune

Movin Away

Wordless Chorus

Smokin From Shootin

Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt.2

One Big Holiday

I Will Sing