My Morning Jacket always brings their A-game. Their prowess as a live band is unrivaled after years of honing their craft as road warriors. The band really knows how to turn a run of shows into something special, making sure to bust out rare songs, play unexpected covers, and perform unique versions of their best and most cherished material. When the band hit The Capitol Theatre in 2012 for a three-night run, the Jacket made good on their reputation, delivering the goods with three unforgettable nights of music. While each night’s show was special, the middle night found the band firing on all cylinders, turning in an incredible performance that won’t soon be forgotten.
The show started off with a sublime pairing of beloved acoustic songs: “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” from Circuital and “Golden” from It Still Moves. The Jacket would pick the energy up with “It Beats 4 U” and “First Light” and a rare performance of “The Bear”. Perhaps the best song run of the night followed, with Elton John‘s outstanding “Rocket Man” getting trotted out, before Jim James and co. turned in amazing performances of their epic songs “Lowdown” and “I’m Amazed”.
MMJ kept things moving with “Old Sept. Blues” and Carl Broemel‘s “Carried Away”, before working in a cover of The Band‘s beloved ballad “It Makes No Difference”. After the cover, MMJ launched right into their improv magnum opus, “Dondante”, which was stretched in many different musical directions before the set was completed with “Librarian”, “I Think I’m Going To Hell”, and “Phone Went West”.
For the encore, the band had a few tricks up their sleeves, delivering five of their most beloved songs. “At Dawn” started things off, before the Prince-esque funk of “Highly Suspicious” launched things into another gear. A high-energy “Dancefloors” came next before the band finished things up with “Holdin On To Black Metal” and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2”.
Throughout the show, My Morning Jacket showcased their unparalleled ability to own the stage. They delivered a little something for everyone that night, moving back and forth between indie rock, classic psychedelic rock, and straight up jamming with ease throughout the evening. Thankfully, some fans in the audience recorded a number of songs from the evening, which are embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
“The Bear”, courtesy of YouTube user Leith Bayazid
“First Light”, courtesy of YouTube user Zachary Hansen
“I Think I’m Going To Hell”, courtesy of YouTube user Leith Bayazid
“At Dawn”, courtesy of YouTube user Leith Bayazid