My Morning Jacket Summer Tour – TOUR REVIEW

We had the amazing opportunity to review a show for two bands that hardly need introductions this past Wednesday in Chicago, My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses! It is rare to see two bands of this level on the same concert bill. Check out our review and recap of the night’s events after the break.

One of the highlights of living in Chicago is undoubtedly the access to incredible music in outdoor venues during the summer.  With fall fast approaching, Pritzker Pavilion was home to one of the most exciting bills of the summer.  My Morning Jacket is nearing the end of their US tour for their fantastic 2011 release, Circuital. Opener Band of Horses was also on the bill, touring for their upcoming release Mirage Rock.

Band of Horses opened the night while attendance was still sparse due to the early 6:30 start time.  As with My Morning Jacket, they peppered their set with songs from all 3 of their albums, in addition to their upcoming release.

The band managed to squeeze 12 songs in to their very brief, but energetic set.  Rockers like Is There A Ghost and NW Apt. were perfectly complimented by slow building songs like No One’s Gonna Love You and The Funeral.

The highlight was undoubtedly The Great Salt Lake.  With a thundering drumbeat and squealing guitars one second, and all of the instruments dropping out the next, the song again built to a huge ending, leaving the crowd screaming for more.

Led by Jim James, My Morning Jacket confidently strode out to their positions on stage.  From the opening drumbeat of At Dawn through the closing guitar shimmers of One Big Holiday, the band owned the night.

This concert was a part of their Spontaneous Curation Series, where fans were able to vote on songs to be included in the set list. Because of this, fans were treated to a wide variety of songs from the band’s 14-year career, with some deep cuts and a cover thrown in with many of the band’s hits.  With as much output as the band has, some fans are sure to be disappointed in not hearing their favorite song, but this was about as good of a set list as one could hope for.

Highlights included the early trifecta of Circuital, Holdin On To Black Metal and Off The Record.   By the time James hit the “woah, woah, woah” section of Holdin On To Black Metal, the crowd was absolutely delirious and singing along at the top of their collective lungs as the band matched their energy.

The band also covered Rocket Man by Elton John.  Stripped of some of its early 70’s cheesiness and beefed up by the band, the song really does hold up well 30 years after its release.

Main set closer, Gideon, built up and up until the band and fans could not go on anymore.  After a brief break the band came out for an encore almost as long as their main set.

The encore began with the beautifully understated I Will Be There When You Die and the beginning of Wonderful (The Way I Feel) performed by just James and an acoustic guitar.  As Wonderful went on, James was joined by a slide guitar as well as Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses.  Eventually the rest of the band joined in, and coupled with the fireworks being launched from Navy Pier would have been a perfect end to the concert, but the band had other ideas.

The last song of the encore, One Big Holiday, was met with the loudest screams of the night.  The southern rock scorcher ended things on a high note for both old fans and the recently converted.

The chance to see two bands worthy of headlining big shows on the same bill is a rare opportunity, and to see it while overlooking the beautiful Chicago skyline makes it that much more exceptional.  Hopefully the excellent close of the summer concert season is a sign of good things to come in the fall.

Information about the tour…
Tour: My Morning Jacket Summer Tour
Bands:  My Morning Jacket featuring Band of Horses
Date:  August 22, 2012
Venue:  Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park in Chicago, IL