The drive down ...
The venue was very nice - maybe a year or two old and had really great sound.
Jim James ...
My Morning Jacket storm into Salt Lake City
Dan Nailen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Many a band would have used the day-long snowstorm Thursday to duck out on a potentially disastrous show in Salt Lake City to assure their arrival for two sold-out gigs in Denver. But My Morning Jacket proved yet again that they are far from typical with an epic performance at The Depot.
The quintet lost its opening band on the way to Zion, and weren't sure if much of a crowd would show, but My Morning Jacket found much more than a packed room when they arrived at the venue Thursday. They found the inspiration to deliver a deadly, energetic set that will surely increase the positive word-of-mouth they deserve before their next visit.
Opening with "One Big Holiday," the band set the pace for the night early, turning the chiming track into an expansive excursion into a blend of classic Southern rock, prog-rock and alt-rock, a palatable stew tasty for everyone from hippies to indie hipsters.
There was nary a break in the energy on stage, with guitarist Carl Broemel acting as the perfect sonic foil for band leader and singer Jim James. Whether delivering worthy cuts like "What a Wonderful Man" and "Gideon" early in the proceedings, or epic takes on "Dancefloors" or "Mahgeetah" late, Broemel and James propelled the band into some stratospheric heights over the course of the show.
Backlit by an ever-evolving forest scene, the band offered plenty for fans, no matter when those fans might have latched on to MMJ's heady brew. "Lay Low" and "Wordless Chorus" offered James the chance to showcase his stunning falsetto. "Off the Record" provided some of the better reggae riffs delivered by non-Jamaicans in recent memory, and the slow pace of "It Beats for You" showed that the band knows how to stretch out a good thing.
It's hard to imagine whether My Morning Jacket will ever be able to capture the intensity and ingenuity they showcase live on an album.
But as long as those albums keep giving the band a reason to take stages across the country, it hardly matters. As it stands now, the band still feels a bit like a secret that fans don't want to share with too many people. And sometimes that makes for the best shows.
Who: My Morning Jacket When: Thursday Where: The Depot, Salt Lake City The Bottom Line: The Louisville rock act braved a blizzard to deliver two hours of far-reaching rock.
