ms. yvon Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 *here's the windy report on the show i posted on the mmj forum--sorry in advance for any unreplaced smilies.* i can't wait to read all the comments that trickle in as all of us make our ways home. it's sunday afternoon. i'm sitting in the indianapolis hairport w/a dbl cappuccino. james brown's "night train" playing... before the show started i milled around, grabbed some water, took in the setting a bit. only got to visit the louisville leopards booth before the music started. there were also booths there for ko-pilot (rad!), the center for women and families (the recipient of the bands' ticket revenue donation, oh, and cumberland brewery. i did stop there. the louisville leopards were fantastic! imagine an ensemble of 20-30 kids, 2 or 3 to a set of marimbas or vibes (xylophones? not really sure...just very cool) all playing together. that someone arranged these songs for so many people was impressive! the kids ranged in age from about 8-16. some of them were soooo focused and serious. there were a few who were comfortable enough to swing it though while playing. there were two ensembles, although some of the players played in both. after each song, the ensemble would leave the stage, and the other would rotate in. there were some kids throwing down off stage when they weren't playing! i do believe i saw some cabbage patching. which was the song with the big shaker egg breakdown and dance moves in the middle? awesome! highlights were "late in the evening", "hit the road, jack"--you can never have enough ray charles!, "low rider-->oye como va" w/mmj. these kids were playing everything FROM MEMORY! in an ORCHESTRA!just crazy impressive. the conductors would tap or pat their heads to signal something to the kids. they counted off measures by holding their fingers up. fucking brilliant. i bought one of their t-shirts. i might just go on tour. there was also a trio of players that played fiddle, banjo (couldn't see, but sounded like a banjo), guitar and a pennywhistle of some kind. GORGEOUS! they played a bluegrass song and a killer irish reel or jig. talented, talented, talented. after the leopards finished, as the stage was cleared, the sun got low in the sky. we'd heard that the park had an event curfew so when the band wasn't on the stage right at 8p we were all wondering what was brewing. the program director from wfpk came out and explained that the crowd had grown to 10,000 and they wanted to get everyone in before starting the show. don't know if that was a safety concern, or just consideration. either way: a-ok. my friend paul took a pic of the mayor addressing the crowd: he's got his right hand raised up, waving to the crowd. directly in front of him: pooch, with his right paw raised up, waving to the crowd. tremendous! before the band came out, the crew hung the eye ring scrim behind the stage. after the sun set they had two white spots on the eyes. it looked like two eyes peering out from the dark behind the band. later in the night there were some red spots on them. (the glowing eye backdrop and the giant puppets were enough to make me think, "i'm glad i'm not high." it's hard enough to keep my shit together at a show without throwing something like that into the mix. :omgShocked ) here are some notes on moments from the show: --Anytime--HUGE opener: this is is gonna be BIG!--OTR--the smoke machine kicked into overdrive here! noticed here that they're using some new lights that have a ring of smaller lights all around the center spot. VERY. COOL. after this song i turned to paul and said, "this is a rock show." --Gideon--woo! cameras out of the press pit, carl ditches his jacket...--Evil Urges--the crowd is LOVING the songs from the new record! so many people singing along all night. sounded fantastic! --jim dons the cape for...--Touch Me pt 1--jim was showing some great new cape moves! BIG HOWL!--Way He Sings--soooo good --Wonderful Man--the stage was crazy with flying bugs! Shocked the lights were filled with moths and whatever hangs out down by the river at twilight. --white lights on the eye backdrop --I'm Amazed--Huge bass in the mix! great way to dive into this one. Carl!--Thank You, Too--jim's solo on this was gorgeous! he looked like he was dancing while playing it. --Sec Walkin'--HEARTBREAKIN MAN!!--fantastic to hear this! --Two Halves--there was some low-key, funny tom-carl face making going on here. --Lay Low--i wrote: big scream-crowd response, but i'm not sure what that means. Huh --Aluminum Park--CARL!! worth stating right now: carl was just ON FIRE last night. man alive. during AP...so began the glowstick hail from the crowd...at one point it looked like there was a glowstick fountain out there. people throwing stuff at the stage always makes me nervous, but they seemed to take it in stride. perhaps there is a certain amount of rough-necking that they appreciate (open bar @ the parish show, for example. ) -jim takes a minute to thank louisville "for coming out in full mother fucking force" --Mahgeeta--carl catching air with a scissor kick (what did i tell you?)--Phone!! MUCH SINGING from crowd!--jim looks out at the sea of audience and says: wow. wow. wow.rap about being lucky to "pop out in mf louisville ky." --Look At You--first time i've seen this one live! lovely! jim solo standing on a stage covered in glow sticks... --Where To Begin--didn't know this song--Elizabethtown, who knew? thought it was a cover of a country song. gorgeous!--Golden --Dondante. Let's just stop right here: SWEET CRACKER SANDWICH. THIS HAS BECOME A MASSIVE VORTEX IN PERFOMANCE! :-O there was some kind of serious spell casting happening. started off noticing the lighting: fog! magenta spots backlighting the guys...then it kept shifting subtly and completely. at times the fog was so thick the musicians would disappear...the fog would drift off and reveal them in silhouette. at one time carl and jim were on opposite ends of the stage bent over their guitars playing.BASS! can't describe this. nope. and those crisp cymbal hits and haunting keys weaving in and around.it just draws you in and further in...STUNNER! --Smoking From Shooting--thought we were dealing with one thing, now we're dealing with something else...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!-->noise bed-->--Touch Me Pt. 2--THIS FEELING IT IS WONDERFUL!!--they did the full outro here, with Good Intentions. bo was watching jim closely for the cue to hit the scream. i don't remember them running off stage, at the scream, but they did leave. --encore----Wordless Chorus--...TAAAA-TERRRRRS! Jim knee slide through all the glow sticks still on the stage Grin man, i could hear the crowd singing with this one!--Highly Suspicious--this has come a long way since they played it in houston! GREAT crowd response! HUGE FUN! have i mentioned carl's badassery, yet? christ. --Cobra!!--fucking a. i love this live! there were a couple of guys next to me who were unfamiliar with the song but didn't miss a beat dancing--Steam Engine. cobra --> steam engine. jesus. BREATHTAKING. just jaw droppingly, head shakingly, heart fillingly gorgeous.i could hear bo's playing but at one time couldn't see that he was on stage for the fog over there. --jim rap about the ghosts of your former selves still active where you left them...next time we come to the waterfront to throw a frisbee or whatever we'll all still be here in this night. --Run Thru--from the first notes tt was laid all the way back, carl was snapping at his guitar, patrick was owning us all. i was so laid out by steam engine that before the jam started i turned to paul and said, "i don't think i'm ready for this." --Dancefloors!--shake it out! --OBH--yowyowyow!! all six of the giant puppets came out onto the stage to dance: giraffe, geisha, abe lincoln, crazy mantis-bug, owl w/mirror eyes, giant guy.seeing carl facing three of these characters while burning it up was a lewis carroll moment! :-O ok. my plane is boarding. i have to pack it up. TERRIFIC TO SEE AND MEET SO MANY OF YOU! between the music, the event, the old friends and new i am blissed out. what a FANTASTIC WEEKEND! it was wonderful to be part of the whole thing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I love your reviews. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 you are going to nye, no? dude, sorry you had to miss this one. didnt' have time to mention before: SOUNDED FANTASTIC!! during the music before the show i was worried that that it would be too loud, or that the bass was too loud, but it wasn't. we were to the left in front of carl and we could hear all the instruments and vocals clear and beautiful! great work, sound crew and mixers! also: when they played the songs in the encore tt's bass was crazy-clear in the mix! at one point i said, "damn." paul asked, "the bass?" AWE. SOME. and: THE LIGHTS AT THIS SHOW WERE AMAZING! they have been off the charts for years, but this...this was just art. damn, but this crew is terrific. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouisvilleGreg Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Twenty years of concerts here, numbering in the thousands, and this one was right up there with anything I've ever seen. I was with Paul and Evonne on the rail pretty much immediately in front of Carl and they started the show at an amazingly high point in front of their largest ever Louisville crowd (10,000) and it just built all night with almost no let up. Most shows have arcs and are paced, but this one just ratcheted up notch after notch for three hours. The audience just showered the band with affection and was in total bliss all night, one guy was even crowd surfing, which somehow seemed okay again after having it shoved down our throats in the nineties. The whole show felt like a major event, Paul likened it to a festival and that's sort of what it felt like. There were lots of local booths, the freakin' mayor introducing them, it was covered on two news channels, and the following morning Jim and a crowd shot was on the cover of the paper! I spent 9 hours driving home yesterday and my brain was in overload from the whole experience. I get to get my fix again in Charlottesville in a few weeks, then the biggest of them all, New Year's Eve in NYC. Can't wait, Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 NYE is gonna be amazing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 you are going to nye, no?Well, I do have tickets, so it's a start. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiowilco Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Leaving for Colorado tomorrow morning for the Red Rocks show with The Black Keys on the 21st!!! After seeing their club show in Montreal in June -- I am expecting BIG things. Then, off for two two nights of Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl. Ahhh, live music in the summer... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I have some good pictures that I just uploaded to my computer. Will try to post a couple here, or at least link to my Flickr when I get to where I'm going tonight. Damn, that was a fun show. Nice review, Evonne! All I can say is PUPPETS! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 "it's jim! he's got the flying-v! and puppets!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
renic Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Thanks for the beautiful phone call Ms y! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PearlJamNoCode Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 yea. this show was amazing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Elixir Sue Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I thought the show was good (I'm not a huge MMJ fan)...we sat on a blanket on the fringe of the crowd, and as much as I usually love being up front for shows, I have to admit it was nice to sit under the stars and enjoy the music that way. Loved sharing the show and Louisville with the Dude. Also, it was fun to bump into Wendy at Ear X-tacy Saturday afternoon...sorry we didn't get to hang with anybody else! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 sue! sorry to miss you and kevin! rats! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I sorta wandered around the fringe as well, sorry I didn't bump into you & Dude again, E-Sue. But there were a lot of people there! (understatement of the day). I had hoped to say hi to PearlJamNoCode, but there was absolutely no hope for that in the midst of that gigantic crowd of 10,000. It was a glorious night and Jim James was right ... the cosmos were to thank. Very, very amazing! I can't wait to see Paul's pix! Great hanging around with the Wilco buds especially Ms Yvon ... thanks for your great review and the wonderful company. Couldn't have been much more perfect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stooka Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 That was a wonderful read, Ms Yvon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I haven't listened to this, but here is link already. http://www.archive.org/details/mmj2008-08-16.mk21.flac16 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 wendy, i wish i had a pic of the three of us sitting on that waterfront bench after the show just trying to recup. a little. after the show ended i ran all around the lawn; spotting friends, dashing over, saying hello, seeing more friends, running again... today at lunch i told everyone that i had some terrific bacon yesterday in kentucky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lynch Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 ms yvon, your enthusiasm for MMJ is epic. Kudos, and thanks for the great review. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bböp Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 "it's jim! he's got the flying-v! and puppets!" Here are my photos from the show on Flickr. A couple pretty decent ones toward the end of the set if I do say so myself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouisvilleGreg Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 [quote name='bb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mdpoet Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Great photos to capture the vibes! We will be heading to the DC show. It will be our first MMJ show and getting syked for it. Anyone here going to that one too? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hollinger. Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Going to the Council Bluffs show tonight... hopefully it's as epic as this sounds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
itstillmoves84 Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 Great photos to capture the vibes! We will be heading to the DC show. It will be our first MMJ show and getting syked for it. Anyone here going to that one too? Yes!! Can't wait for DAR, as well as NYE. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouisvilleGreg Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 This article with two accompanying photos (one of Jim and one of the crowd) was on the cover of the Metro section the day after the show. Enjoy, Greg Jeffrey Lee PuckettCourier-JournalAugust 16, 2008 My Morning Jacket plays glorious gig for hometown crowd Some nights everything just seems to fall together in fairy-tale fashion, a confluence of events that leaves 10,000 people drained, smiling and wearing their hometown like it was a badge of honor. Saturday was one of those nights. Louisville Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 :dancing have a fantastic time tonight! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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