The show began with the intensity of a heavy metal act as James sauntered between stage left and stage right, engaging everyone that he could -- just as he did all evening long. At times James channeled bits of Jim Morrison with his carefree and charismatic stage presence, his long hair and beard obscuring much of his face. Other times James seemed to invoke Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder and, on some of the folksier tunes, bits of Roy Orbison or Johnny Cash. But by the end of the night, you realized James was channeling nothing more than himself.
My Morning Jacket covered nearly the entire popular music spectrum over the duration of their set, showcasing an abundance of loud, '70s-inspired rock guitar and acoustic-folk tunes that displayed their Southern roots. The band also worked in a wealth of keyboard, piano and digital sampling that was within the Pink Floyd realm of sonic experimentation. MMJ's genre-hopping was near seamless as the set moved along nicely, offering several shifts in mood that never felt stark or out of rhythm.
There were a handful of times throughout the night where you thought, "This has to be the set closer," as James wailed and thrived on a rotation of guitars, including semi-hollows, acoustics and even a Flying V on a few tunes. But the show seemed like it would never end as the guitar tech would come out and hand the band yet another guitar. Fellow guitarist Carl Broemel lit up the fretboard throughout the night as well, alternating between electrics and playing a fair amount of lap steel as well as some saxophone. (Read a pre-show interview with Broemel here.)
The band's jamming went on at times for five to 10 minutes. Sometimes one couldn't tell for just how long; the energy and enthusiasm the band displayed was so mesmerizing. My Morning Jacket led by example, having so much fun that the Pageant crowd couldn't resist joining in, dancing and fist-pumping and head-bobbing all night long.
To complement their sound (and to note: this was one of the best sounding shows I have heard at the Pageant), My Morning jacket had a stylish and modern stage production. The lighting cast strong violet, magenta and indigo hues across the band. Golden spotlights frequently rained down from the rafters and blinding strobes shot up from the floor. The backdrop consisted of four LED screens that shifted through images of apparent psilocybin influence to static images with an outer-space feel.
A six-song encore ended the evening as it began to edge closer to the midnight hour. Included in the encore was the band's current buzz song, "Still Holding on to Black Metal." James set up the performance of this one by telling a lengthy story about his experience earlier in the day at the City Museum. He had mentioned earlier in the night his ties to St. Louis, as half of his family is originally from the area.
It was a great night of music and, as show openers Delta Spirit indicated, a real treat to be part of the My Morning Jacket tour. Delta Spirit kicked off the show with a spirited performance that meshed well with the main act. Front man Matthew Vasquez was giving it his all as Delta Spirit tried their best to upstage the headliners.
But that goal was unattainable. My Morning Jacket lit up the Pageant and provided an unwavering electricity -- the kind of energy that few rock bands can sustain so well.
