930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: palahniukkubrick on November 25, 2006, 09:25:00 pm
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Who else is going to either show?
I'm excited to see them at the club. Their performance at Bonnaroo was among the best I've seen this year (although their set opening for Pearl Jam left a lot to be desired), and I can't wait to see them again Monday.
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I thought about it, but decided I didn't want to put up with the cigarette smoke or the lae hours on a work night.
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I'll be going on Tuesday. I'm looking for one extra ticket - shoot me a pm if you've got one. Thanks...
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I'll be there tomorrow only, and I can't wait for it. Muzzle of Bees reviewed the recent Milwaukee show (http://www.muzzleofbees.com/2006/11/26/my-morning-jacket-riverside-theater-review/), sounds like it's going to be an incredible show.
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Hey, I'll be at the Tuesday show as well! Hope to run into you again, Tom Servo.
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Fuckin A. I'll be there on Tuesday. Their show last year at the club was amazing and I expect this to be nothing less. So excited.
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Tuesday night. I might be the only one who has thus far been underwhelmed by the MMJ live experience. The Pearl Jam opener slot wasn't their fault, as it wasn't their crowd or their show. But I remember liking, not loving, the show they did to support It Still Moves, though their version of "Masterplan" (sadly lacking on Okonokos) was incredible.
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I'm going tonight.
This will be me >> :eek:
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They were good at Taste of Chicago this year. Much better than the other two acts, Mike Doughty and Ray Davies. They didn't "blow me away" (as the hipsters like to say), but they were quite good. Perhaps they would have been even better in a club than in the venue I saw them.
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I'll be there Tuesday night.
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i'd like to be able to say "me too". i had to get rid of my monday night tickets 'cause i'll be working late tonight... but now i'm free on tuesday night. if anyone has an extra ticket for the tuesday night MMJ show, please PM me.
danke.
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Originally posted by Relaxer:
But I remember liking, not loving, the show they did to support It Still Moves, though their version of "Masterplan" (sadly lacking on Okonokos) was incredible.
was this the show at the club in like the winter of 03/04? if so, i was "blown away" by that one, really impressive
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Incredible show, as I expected. I thought they were pretty on. And Jim's boots? Very cool. It was nice to see their organic style take hold and hear their songs eb & flow to their mood and that of the crowd.
What'd people think of The Slip? I'm pretty ambivalent at this point...they were fine, but I was too eager for MMJ to really appreciate them.
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Setlist anyone?
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not a bad show. never seen them before. kind of started out like a frat boy band, but got better. sounds like built to spill meets wilco meets yes. might go back tonight.
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im psyched about tonight's show. how long was mmj's set?
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Right about 1 hour 30 minutes, with a short encore break.
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Originally posted by vassego:
Right about 1 hour 30 minutes, with a short encore break.
That's it? Are you sure?
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it was a little over 1:45, i think. 13 songs plus a 6 song encore. great show, lots of people trying to get rid of extras, i'd suggest heading down there if you want to go and got shut out.
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What'd people think of The Slip? I'm pretty ambivalent at this point...they were fine, but I was too eager for MMJ to really appreciate them.
I liked them a lot, although not at first. They started off sounding like a cross between jam and indie--not a good match. Then their songs got really groovy and psychadelic, enough so to make me buy their CD.
As for MMJ, they were great as usual. Lots of energy+great lighting+great songs= excellent show. Jim James' voice is otherworldly, and the band is as tight as can be. I was pleased.
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second night was damn good, but can't say that i was utterly blown away. i came expecting a good show and MMJ delivered, so in my employer-speak they met expectations (but didn't exceed them). light show was very good, but i thought sound quality was wobbly until 20-30 mins in. main set was 1:10-1:20, and after a relatively short we-want-more session they came back out for another 30-35 mins of over-time.
what was Jim playing for the first song of the encore? some sort of triangular-shaped midi surface thingy, from my vantage point i couldn't make out what is was.
<insert typical rant about people talking through the show>
when i first got to the club, the place was packed solid. by then end of the show, i was three back from the stage... not typical, in my experience, not that i'm complaining.
definitely a good night at the club. damn we're lucky to have the 9:30.
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I was completely blown away tonight. The only time I thought it was slow was the beginning of the encore (I also don't know what instrument Jim was playing for the first song), but besides that the band played with an incredible intensity. The setlist was great. Jim James continues to be one of the great performers I've seen.
How did night two compare to night one?
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Originally posted by thingsfallapart:
How did night two compare to night one?
inquiring minds definitely want to know... anyone?
and if i may add an aside: did anyone notice the flat-stomach'ed white-crop-top-wearing hottie on the stage right guest balcony?!? DEAR LORD. i wonder which band member's girlfriend she was.
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Originally posted by sweetcell:
Originally posted by thingsfallapart:
How did night two compare to night one?
inquiring minds definitely want to know... anyone?
and if i may add an aside: did anyone notice the flat-stomach'ed white-crop-top-wearing hottie on the stage right guest balcony?!? DEAR LORD. i wonder which band member's girlfriend she was. [/b]
I thought it was a good show - first time I've seen em live. Some guys beside me said the second night was much better than the first
and I think everyone noticed that hottie....DEAR LORD indeed!!
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Eh... I thought it was okay, I'd give it a C+. For me, it started out great with 'Holiday', lots of energy, great sound, hair flying all around, Kiss boots a-kickin. But after about half an hour, I thought the energy level just sagged. And starting out an encore with three slow songs in a row is poor pacing.
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Originally posted by sweetcell:
damn we're lucky to have the 9:30.
Ditto.
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Originally posted by Relaxer:
And starting out an encore with three slow songs in a row is poor pacing.
yeah I thought that was a strange choice
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I thought the show was great last night. I think my fourth time seeing MMJ and probably the best. I think the setlist was much better than the 9:30 show last year in the pick of older songs.
One question, does anyone know if MMJ use prerecorded tracks when they play live? I'm sometimes bad at picking out individual instruments live, but there were times when it sounded like additional voices were kicking in. Also, in the song "Steam Engine" there is a backing vocal part that sounded like Jim James also doing it, but I couldn't tell if someone else was singing backup or if it was prerecorded. I guess it could have been sung originaly by JJ and looped or something.
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Originally posted by JonathanEH:
One question, does anyone know if MMJ use prerecorded tracks when they play live? I'm sometimes bad at picking out individual instruments live, but there were times when it sounded like additional voices were kicking in. Also, in the song "Steam Engine" there is a backing vocal part that sounded like Jim James also doing it, but I couldn't tell if someone else was singing backup or if it was prerecorded. I guess it could have been sung originaly by JJ and looped or something.
i'm an under-achieving music geek, so i tend to notice these things - and i didn't notice any backing tracks last night. jim definitely had a harmonizer (doubler) effect on his voice at one point, but that's real-time processing not pre-recorded. as i'm sure you saw, carl and bo were doing backing vocals.
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Originally posted by JonathanEH:
I thought the show was great last night. I think my fourth time seeing MMJ and probably the best. I think the setlist was much better than the 9:30 show last year in the pick of older songs.
One question, does anyone know if MMJ use prerecorded tracks when they play live? I'm sometimes bad at picking out individual instruments live, but there were times when it sounded like additional voices were kicking in. Also, in the song "Steam Engine" there is a backing vocal part that sounded like Jim James also doing it, but I couldn't tell if someone else was singing backup or if it was prerecorded. I guess it could have been sung originaly by JJ and looped or something.
I always look for that sort of thing too, particularly with guitar tracks. Clearly they had some tapes going with drum/percussion tracks. And I'd say that his vocals were a lot more than double-tracked, though I do agree that it's probably a real-time thing than a pre-recorded effect.
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oh yeah, forgot to mention the perc tracks - definitely there.
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Was able to catch both shows and thought night 2 was better than night 1. The sound (where I was standing) was muddier on Monday.
The thing Jim James was playing during the encore last night is an Omichord, I think.
Originally posted by thingsfallapart:
Setlist anyone?
These setlists came from the sound board guys and should be pretty close:
11/27
anytime
off the record
gideon
wonderful man
O is the one
lowdown
golden
bear
dondante
x-mas curtain
lay low (laylord)
one big holiday
mahgeetah
--break--
bermuda highway (acoustic)
i think i'm going to hell
wordless chorus
it beats 4 you
dance floors
run thru
11/28
one big
wonderful man
way he singz
gideon
off the record
just one thing
it beats
wordless
phone
laylord
the dark
dondante
run thru
they ran
--break--
tonite i want to
nashville to ky
golden
steam
mahgeeta
anytime
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Originally posted by sweetcell:
what was Jim playing for the first song of the encore? some sort of triangular-shaped midi surface thingy, from my vantage point i couldn't make out what is was.
Jim was playing an omnichord.
http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/omnichord/suzuki_omnichord.htm (http://www.suzukimusic.co.uk/omnichord/suzuki_omnichord.htm)
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Originally posted by brennser:
Originally posted by Relaxer:
And starting out an encore with three slow songs in a row is poor pacing.
yeah I thought that was a strange choice [/b]
I totally agree with Relaxer (and brennser). I found the whole set list kind of frustrating like that. It felt like 70% of the songs they played were these really slow tempo songs. I'm guessing that's probably typical for MMJ, but it wasn't quite what I expected. I desperately wanted them to deliver the rock. I kept thinking, "Please, please let this song rock." When they rock out, I really love MMJ. When they don't for long stretches, I just get kind of bored. I don't mind slow songs, but please not four or five in a row. Part of the problem may have been that I was further from the stage than I normally like, so I was already more disconnected from the performance than usual, but all the slow songs in a row definitely did not help.
I didn't like the sound either. Way too much reverb/echo on the vocals for my tastes. Much of the lyrics were unintelligible. Some of the songs required the effect, but most didn't. Just came across as kind of muddy.
It seemed a lot of the audience wasn't into the performance. There wasn't a whole lot of applauding between songs, and the pre-encore applause wasn't at all very loud or particularly well sustained for a sold-out show. And as someone mentioned, the audience definitely thinned out as the night went on.
Overall, I have to say I was kind of underwhelmed. There were definitely parts of the concert that I loved though. The last two songs of the encore were a highlight for sure. Loved the disco ball lighting. For the record, I thought they played close to two hours, including the encore break.
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Fantastic show - my first one of theirs. The encore nearly lost me, but they closed strong.
While MMJ wasn't my favorite show of the year, I think I can safely put them among the short list of bands that I can almost universally vouch for live. No need to qualify it. If you like going to see shows and generally like music anywhere in the vicinity of rock and roll you will not be wasting your time by going.
It's a different category of esteem than even necessarily my favorite bands. My favorite bands are my favorite bands, I'm not going to expect everyone to like them. On the other hand, if you don't like MMJ, then you're wrong.
The other show this year that I'd put in this category would be Alejandro Escovedo. I missed the Neko Case show, but after listening to the CD and reading the universally positive reviews it seems she would be one as well.
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Originally posted by Darth Ed:
Overall, I have to say I was kind of underwhelmed.
And thank you, Ed, for completely undermining my argument.
Just kidding, I agree on the encore. A slow groove on the back end of some of the songs is nice, but practically 30 straight minutes of slow is tough for an encore. It almost took away from the rest of the show.
Being all the way in the back wasn't as much of a distraction as I thought it might be. I didn't feel too disconnected, which I thought was another testament to the overall quality of the show.
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Originally posted by Tom Servo:
Originally posted by Darth Ed:
Overall, I have to say I was kind of underwhelmed.
And thank you, Ed, for completely undermining my argument.
Just kidding, I agree on the encore. A slow groove on the back end of some of the songs is nice, but practically 30 straight minutes of slow is tough for an encore. It almost took away from the rest of the show. [/b]
Sorry, Tom. I will say that I definitely think they have the potential to "blow me away." I was very impressed with their caliber of performance. They were tight and intense, as you said. They just need a better set list, one that brings the rock for me. I'd be inclined to see them again, especially if their subsequent albums rock more. A better sound engineer would help, too.
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Originally posted by Tom Servo:
The other show this year that I'd put in this category would be Alejandro Escovedo. I missed the Neko Case show, but after listening to the CD and reading the universally positive reviews it seems she would be one as well.
Those are two of my favorites shows of 2006 for sure! I was shocked Escovedo didn't have a bigger audience. A lot of people are missing out.
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Originally posted by Darth Ed:
Originally posted by brennser:
Originally posted by Relaxer:
And starting out an encore with three slow songs in a row is poor pacing.
yeah I thought that was a strange choice [/b]
I totally agree with Relaxer (and brennser). I found the whole set list kind of frustrating like that. It felt like 70% of the songs they played were these really slow tempo songs. I'm guessing that's probably typical for MMJ, but it wasn't quite what I expected. I desperately wanted them to deliver the rock. I kept thinking, "Please, please let this song rock." When they rock out, I really love MMJ. When they don't for long stretches, I just get kind of bored. I don't mind slow songs, but please not four or five in a row. Part of the problem may have been that I was further from the stage than I normally like, so I was already more disconnected from the performance than usual, but all the slow songs in a row definitely did not help.
I didn't like the sound either. Way too much reverb/echo on the vocals for my tastes. Much of the lyrics were unintelligible. Some of the songs required the effect, but most didn't. Just came across as kind of muddy.[/b]
I completely disagree. I don't know which show you were at, but I thought the Tuesday setlist was terrific. I actually said to my sister as we were leaving the club that I thought they did a great job of sticking to their more rocking song. I agree that the beginning of the encore was slow, but that was the only part that felt to me like they weren't going totally balls out. To say 70% of the show was slow songs is outrageous (unless you were at the Monday show, but judging from the setlist there that would still be a gross exaggeration). And if you don't like reverb, MMJ is definitely not the band for you.
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Originally posted by Tom Servo:
The other show this year that I'd put in this category would be Alejandro Escovedo.
yeah, that show was friggin amazing - like Ed said, its a shame more people don't come out to his shows
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Originally posted by thingsfallapart:
I actually said to my sister as we were leaving the club that I thought they did a great job of sticking to their more rocking song. I agree that the beginning of the encore was slow, but that was the only part that felt to me like they weren't going totally balls out. To say 70% of the show was slow songs is outrageous (unless you were at the Monday show, but judging from the setlist there that would still be a gross exaggeration). And if you don't like reverb, MMJ is definitely not the band for you.
I think you're right, about them not being the band for me, but I'll stick by the 70% comment. Other than "Off the Record" and "Gideon" and maybe one other song, I didn't see or hear much in the way of rock during their first set. And, frankly, "Gideon" was a let-down compared to the other performances I've seen of that song on youtube.com. If they were sticking to their more rocking songs on Tuesday, then I would have hated Monday night's show for sure.
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did the monday show have the sheet thing in front of the stage for the beginning as well? i thought it worked really really well for "one big holiday" as an opener, but i wasn't sure if it would work as well for "anytime"
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Originally posted by shtee223:
did the monday show have the sheet thing in front of the stage for the beginning as well? i thought it worked really really well for "one big holiday" as an opener, but i wasn't sure if it would work as well for "anytime"
you know that little keyboard intro? the sheet was up for that and dropped when the guitars kicked in. It worked well, IMO.