Louisville-based band My Morning Jacket has amassed its fair share of success in its 12 years of recording. The quintet graced “Saturday Night Live” with its presence in 2008 and just a month later performed a four-hour set at Bonnaroo. Other notable marks of accomplishment for the band include touring with Neil Young, multiple appearances on “The Late Show” and playing alongside The Roots earlier this month on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” Now the Kentucky boys will bring their success to New Orleans as Sunday night’s closing headliner at the Voodoo Experience.
While I’ve never seen the band perform live, I’ve been a longtime listener of their most recent albums, 2005’s “Z” and 2008’s “Evil Urges” — the latter of which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard album charts. And knowing frontman and guitarist Jim James’ eclectic resume — which includes a musical cameo in the 2007 Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There” and being a member of indie-rock dream team Monsters of Folk — I feel safe in saying we’re all in for a good time.
MMJ probably won’t rock the crowd for four hours as it did at Bonnaroo, but expect an auditory bliss with the band’s highlights “Evil Urges,” “Wordless Chorus,” “I’m Amazed” and “Off the Record,” a few tracks guaranteed to receive boisterous responses from audience members familiar with the group’s catalog.
So wander over to MMJ’s set after you see MGMT or deadmau5, two bands anticipated to provide good overtures as the sun begins to set on the final day of the festival. James’ pleasantly soft voice amid the band’s psychedelic pop will provide just the right blend of soulful fun to close out the weekend.