Pre-concert 'instructions' from My Morning Jacket

[Anu]

New Year's Eve 'instructions' from MMJ

posted on the band's homepage for fans attending the NYE show.

..it is the year 2006, almost 2007, and its new years eve.... a huge party of revelers will come to the fillmore, expecting a my morning jacket concert, but instead they'll be faced with the most difficult and bizarre task of their lives: crossing thru a barren, snow-covered wilderness with no food or shelter, and only the clothes on their backs. those who make it thru the stark wasteland will come out on the other side to experience the heavenly magic of rock and roll, breaking into the new year with a belly full of food and drink, a heart full of courage, and ears bleeding with the raw, moist intensity and power of sticky rock and roll. please come dressed accordingly to make the trip: as a ghost, a gold prospector, a riverboat gambler, laura ingalls, a gypsy, a hobo, a bloodthirsty zombie, a box of cookies, a robot, a buffalo, a prairie daddy or mamma, a bear or whatever you may think you need to help you make it thru the wilderness -its "oregon trail" meets "little house on the prairie" meets the donner party of 2007- in hell!!! on new years eve!!! will anyone make it out alive???? happy (almost) new years!!!! -mmj.

 

[Carek1230]

 

[Anu]

Check out this setlist!!

As the show was being webcast, the peops over at the MMJ forum had an all-day and all-night setlist party.

A setlist party for a setlist worth the party!!

December 31- The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
SET I
"Two Tone T-Bone" intro
1. One Big Holiday
2. What A Wonderful Man
3. The Way That He Sings
4. Gideon
5. Off the Record
6. It Beats 4 U
7. Lowdown
8. Lay Low
9. The Dark
10. Golden
11. Dondante
12. Run Thru
13. They Ran
SET II
14. New Year Countdown/Celebration (Kool and the Gang cover)
15. All Night Long (Lionel Richie cover)
16. Careless Whisper (George Michael cover)
17. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Prince cover)
18. Cobra
19. Phone Went West
20. Honest Man
21. The Bear
22. Steam Engine
23. Wordless Chorus
24. Easy Morning Rebel
25. Dancefloors
26. Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)
27. Anytime

 

[UberBeaver]

Who's MMJ?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i saw 'em opening for pearl jam... they were alright

 

[phanan]

Who's MMJ?

My Morning Jacket

 

[Canadiens1131]

Who's MMJ?

 

[Zoots]

i saw 'em opening for pearl jam... they were alright

 

[The OOTS]

MMJ are awesome. They have to be seen headlining their own show...not just running thru a 45 minute opening set for someone else.

Incredible live band.

 

[Anu]

Who's MMJ?

According to some, 'best live band on the planet.'

Best non-jam band to have a huge following among the jam band set.

Best non-alt-rock band to have a huge following among the alt-rock crowd.

 

[kinkajou7]

I saw them at Bonnaroo last year and totally got hooked!

 

[Anu]

These guys are the real deal.

Here's something from "Jitterboogie" on the MMJ forum:

Hey All,

Just wanted to add my two cents about last night's NYE show in SF. I don't often write show reviews/comments, but had to do so here.

have been to several NYE shows over the years, west coast and mid west, including a few at the Fillmore, and I must say: this one really, really took the cake. Truly joyous and inspired in every way.

In fact, there were several times during the night when my friends and I, and even the other people around us, would turn to each other simultaneously with wide-eyed looks just to get a reality check on what was going on.

Here is a not-so-short list of things that came together last night to make it a memory we won't forget:

-- The Fillmore staff were apparently all in a good mood---yes, even the bartenders!

-- The sound was perfect....powerful and expansive without being distorted. Usually I wear earplugs through entire shows, but the sound was so crystal clear last night that I found myself listening naked-eared all night. Remarkable.

-- The crowd was sincerely happy, joyful, and respectful/reverrant of the band, the occasion and each other. It's not often that there isn't at least one dickhead or personal-space-challenged dude in the crowd who ever-so-slightly taints the experience....NONE of that last night, and I was in the thick of the middle-right area. In fact, strangers were actually talking to each other and introducing themselves, etc. I remarked to a friend that it was a rare modern-times moment of real fellowship and camaraderie.

-- The effects and intro/outro: So awesome, hilarious, and evocative of rock's over-the-top live blow-out history. The band, the roadies and the staff obviously did a ton of extra work to make all this happen---including scripting a funny stage play for the beginning and end of the show that tied the theme *and* some classic rock history all together -- WOW!!!!

And here's the thing: they didn't have to do any of that stuff. They could have just done a countdown at midnight, handed out the free champagne and people would have been happy. Instead, they did all this incredible and extra-cost stuff for the pure fun of it and to make it a special night for the crowd.

I knew we were in for a wild ride when they raised a 50-foot tall silk-screen of a forest motif in front of the stage right before the first set started.....and then it STARTED SNOWING INSIDE the Fillmore....NEVER seen anything like that before. AND THEN the huge screen dropped from the ceiling perfectly on cue with the first power chord of One Big Holiday. People just freaked out.

It reached here-to-for unimagined heights with Tommy descending from the "heaven" balcony above the stage in a tailored white tux (after previously being slain by the band-turned-cannibals) to play bass all night as a ghost, followed at the end of the night by Highway to Hell, his revenge killing of the rest of the band, and the souls of the band leaving the venue in white robes by ascending a white Stairway to Heaven as Zeppelin blasted on the PA. No words can really describe it. There were moments when we could have just as easily been at an early 70's Zeppelin show, or a Keith-Moon-era Who show, or maybe a Queen show at the height of their power.

-- The Band and the music: What more can one say but that they blew everyone away and played their hearts out, but were also clearly having a *great* time doing it. Jim's voice was strong, and everyone was totally "on" and tuned into each other. It was one of those rare nights when the concentration and hard work of live musicianship were taken to an even higher level by obvious friendship, a shared sense of fun, and a band's plain happiness to be with each other, with the crowd, and in the moment.

The fact that they sat down together and apparently spent time learning 3-4 supercheeze 80's pop songs note-for-note to throw the crowd for a total freak-out loop at midnight was just another indicator of, as they say in sports, the pure love of the game. My friends and fellow strangers won't forget it.

Rock on MMJ, and thank you for making the end of a hard year one of my most fun and memorable shows---past, present or future. --JB

 

[Anu]

Well, planning shows with instructions for themes and costumes seems to have begun a regular m.o. for My Morning Jacket.

Last night and tonight, the band is playing a 'prom' at the 40 Watt Club in Athens.

See this from the band's homepage:
"For all of you who missed your prom back in 1956 or 1986 or 2006
for that matter, we will be hosting the 1st annual MMJ 2 night prom,
March 6th and 7th, at the fabulous, prom-ready, 40 watt club in Athens!
The first time we walked thru those hallowed 40 Watt doors we said to ourselves,
"this place looks perfect for a prom!" And now the dream will be a reality.
The theme is a futuristic/retro under the sea vibe - costumes (tuxes, suits,
robots, mermaid and lobster costumes, anything prom/ocean related) are
not only encouraged - they are MANDATORY!!! NO ONE will be admitted without
proper attire!** There will be cake, balloons, fishnets, classic cars, chaperones,
spankings, and a whole lotta shakin goin on - 2007 style upin this bitch ya'll.
Come prepared to dance the night away, and make up for all the proms you missed..."

- My Morning Jacket

**you may be admitted without proper attire

 

[Canadiens1131]

That's pretty cool shit actually. I audience participation.

 

[Anu]

REM were there!!!

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/3933/my_morning_jackets_rock_n_roll_high_school

http://www.wireimage.com/gallerylisting.asp?navtyp=gls====263445&source=rss&nbc=1

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

all i remember is eddie sang a song with 'em and at the end of their set in jersey they were tossing a stuffed bear around. other than that, i can't really say i was overly impressed.

then again, opening acts never sound great.