Concert Review: MOKB Presents My Morning Jacket: Indianapolis, August 7, 2011
My Morning Jacket brought their traveling circus to Indianapolis’ White River State Park on Sunday night. The band played a mammoth 23-song set just a day after headlining Chicago’s 20th Anniversary Lollapalooza festival, adhering to the motto: You don’t take nights off while conquering the world.
The concert was a homecoming for the band’s long-time guitarist Carl Broemel. A graduate of Pike High School, Broemel grew up playing in local band Old Pike before studying guitar at IU. My Morning Jacket picked him up in 2004 after two of the band’s members had quit. He has since carved out an important niche in the Jim James led outfit, lending his talents on guitar, saxophone, vocals and lap steel.
Tracks from My Morning Jacket’s latest summer soundtrack Circuital dominated the setlist Sunday night. The band looked a tad drowsy on the first few songs of the evening but throttled into high gear shortly thereafter. By the time they played “Mahgeetah” from 2003’s It Still Moves The Lawn had reached full-on party mode.
This is a band that displays clearly its ten years of experience. They hit on every cylinder with a catalog of songs that span an astonishing range of genres—the mish mash of sounds are all bound together by James. His vocal influence can be felt on so many of today’s hottest acts.
James stands alone in his natural born ability to entertain. He has learned over the years when to push an audience’s buttons. When to dance like a mad man. He wears his heart on his sleeve, constantly offering an emotional earnestness to the crowd that often seems false or contrived with other performers. It is James’ ability to constantly appear genuine that allows My Morning Jacket to frolic so boldly from style to style without alienating their audience.
A decade in their rear view, these guys are fucking rock stars with serious chops. This ship will continue sailing as long as the band can tolerate each other. If Sunday night was any indication, they are all having entirely too much fun to hop off the bus any time soon.
Written and experienced by Rob Peoni
Top photograph courtesy of Sam Kowal.
Inset photograph courtesy of Michael Stephenson.
Click HERE for previous Thought on Tracks coverage of My Morning Jacket.
Setlist Bro beats out @IndyMcGrath at My Morning Jacket
We have all seen them: setlist snatchers. Hardcore fanatics hell bent on obtaining the hard copy run down from every concert that they attend. Thought on Tracks contributor Brett McGrath fell victim to just such a personality on Sunday night at The Lawn. We figured that we would document the event by sharing the perpitrator’s mug shot. Congrats Setlist Bro, you won this time.
Thought on Tracks 
Thoughts on the Tragedy: Sugarland Stage Collapse: Indiana State Fair
A few days have passed, and I have had time to digest the tragedy that took place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds over the weekend. For those residing beneath boulders, five people were killed and dozens injured when a stage collapsed just before the country duo Sugarland was scheduled to perform. Sudden gusts of 70-plus mph winds are the likely culprit, but an investigation as to whether the tragedy could have been avoided is under way.
Regardless of where the blame inevitably falls, what took place in Indianapolis on Saturday has already left an indelible mark upon a town that tends to forget just how small it is. I was across town when the stage toppled. The news came via radio on my drive toward MOKB Presents Lucy Woodward at White Rabbit Cabaret. There was still much confusion, and reports as to the seriousness of the incident remained muddled.
Thought on Tracks contributor Brett McGrath was at a party with college friends when his brother Kyle telephoned frantically. Kyle had purchased tickets for the pit at the Sugarland show, but had been forced to back out due to a wedding. Brett had passed the tickets along to a co-worker who purchased them for his parents. The brothers spent the bulk of their Saturday evening sending panicked e-mails and telephone calls before learning that the friend’s parents were safe and sound.
Such is life in Indy, where events are rarely isolated. In the days since the collapse, stories of those connected to the event have surfaced at every turn. Hoosiers are left picking up the pieces as nightmarish photographs and videos scroll across national news stations. The Fair has cancelled performances by Janet Jackson and Lady Antebellum scheduled for later in the week. Plans for an alternate venue for Train and Maroon 5 will be announced today.
Only once have I been able to stomach the video footage of the falling stage at the Fairgrounds. To put it simply, it hits too close to home. In the summer, a weekend rarely passes without my attendance at some sort of live music. The incident serves as a terrifying reminder of all that I take for granted as a spectator. We walk blindly into these events assuming that every stagehand and volunteer has performed to the best of their ability.
I sincerely hope, for all involved, that Saturday was no different. That the event staff took every conceivable precaution and the worst still happened. In all likelihood, we will never know with certainty. Life is unfair that way, leaving only questions when we so desperately seek answers. All we can do is learn from the experience and remember those that fell at the next show, wherever that may be.
Written by Rob Peoni