My Morning Jacket at Somerset Amphitheater, 8/10/12

Photo by Ryan Cutler

By Abbie Gobeli

My Morning Jacket
With Band of Horses and Trampled by Turtles
Somerset Amphitheater, Somerset, Wisconsin
Friday, August 10, 2012

See Also:
Slideshow: My Morning Jacket at Somerset Amphitheater

My Morning Jacket don't verbalize much in concert. During Friday's show at Somerset Amphitheater, however, singer Jim James did halt the show to reflect for a minute. "This is giving me nostalgia. It's like we're at a county fair, I can even smell the campfire...this has been a perfect evening," the crowd agreed while they are captured by the "cold dark fever" of "Where To Begin." In all, the night was decked out in festival fashion with camping, beer, and a strong line-up of musical acts.

Duluth-based Trampled by Turtles opened to an animated, chattering crowd with "Midnight on the Interstate." A blue, cloudless sky served as their backdrop with the sun setting to the audience's back creating a picturesque Wisconsin summer evening. The bluegrass group conquered the crowd last weekend at Lollapalooza and drew them in Friday like they were a gathering of their closest friends.

Photo by Ryan Cutler

TBT performed plenty from their newest release, Stars and Satellites including the beautifully rambunctious, "Walt Whitman" and "Sorry." "Wait So Long" fired up the crowd into bouncing and singing along to every word. Ending on a high note was "Alone," with soft harmonies and gentle fiddle swells. The set felt too short for concertgoers as they repeatedly chanted for one more song.

Band of Horses galloped in with the appropriately titled, "The First Song" from their 2006 debut album, Everything All the Time. Through their frequent instrument changes in between songs, frontman, Ben Bridwell had a couple of guitar difficulties. During "The Great Salt Lake" he stops, "Sorry this guitar is so messed up, I must fix it." The fix must not have been needed because he continued to shake the notes furiously out of the guitar, losing his sunglasses in the process. The throng of attendees clapped along with the beat of the tambourine in "The General Specific," escalating into heightened, wailing vocals and playfully dribbling piano.

Photo by Ryan Cutler

"We're pretty much in Minneapolis...love that town," said Bridwell with a lively grin as he introduced "Long Vows" from their upcoming fourth studio album, Mirage Rock, set to release September 18. Haunting at the finish was "Is There a Ghost" when Bridwell's reverberant vocals, "I could sleep" seared through the strumming squall of guitars.

By this point, the sun had finally retreated. A smoky blue ambience flooded the stage accompanied by quirky woodland creatures including a stuffed bear sporting a poncho. My Morning Jacket entered through the mass of gleeful cheers while lead singer, Jim James shows off his blue cape lined in red, white, and yellow stripes like it was sacred clothing from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Quickly, they soar into "At Dawn," bursting with bassy reverb and slow additions of instrumentation amping up the crowd's eager expectations. The Kentuckian men have compiled quite the discography, containing six studio and three live albums since they formed in 1998 experimenting in alternative country to psychedelic rock.

"Circuital" established a foundation of hypnotically darting guitar chords to contrast the untainted vocalizations then transitions back and forth with a hearty acoustic vibe and dancing piano keys.

Photo by Ryan Cutler

Chill sound waves hit the audience swaying with back-to-back eight min songs; "Touch Me, I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2," "Dondante," complete with improvised guitar riffs and an unpredicted lengthy saxophone solo that evolved into "Phone Went West."

Collaboration with Trampled By Turtles "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" was greeting with much praise during their encore blending a cordial blend of bluegrass hum and fluid vocalizations. My Morning Jacket concluded of their two-hour set by celebrating "One Big Holiday" influenced heavily with whirling guitars, exploding drums and massive hair flipping.

Critic's Notebook

Personal Bias: Band of Horses had way too many guitar changes for my liking but I deeply admire the use of Electric Guitar Company Standard: a hybrid of wood and aluminum making it flashy, but tragically blinding if it's in the path of sunrays.

The Crowd: Plaid shirts bouncing, swaying, whooping, and hollering in gratefulness

Overheard/Seen in the Crowd: "People here are so friendly!" after receiving a stick of licorice from one of the security guards

Random Detail: This photo tells you everything you need to know about the ease, or lack thereof, for beer purchase at this show.

Photo by Ryan Cutler

Set List:

MY MORNING JACKET
At Dawn
Circuital
Outta My System
Holdin' on to Black Metal
The Dark
The Way That He Sings
Where to Begin
I Will Sing You Songs
Mahgeetah
It Beats 4 U
Wordless Chorus
The Day Is Coming
Touch Me, I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 2
Dondante
Phone Went West
ENCORE: Wonderful (The Way I Feel) - with Trampled by Turtles
I'm Amazed
Anytime
One Big Holiday

BAND OF HORSES
The First Song
The Great Salt Lake
Weed Party
General Specific
Long Vows
No One's Gonna Love You
Laredo
Older
Cigarettes, Wedding Bands
The Funeral
Northwest Apartment
Is There a Ghost

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
Midnight on the Interstate
Walt Whitman
Sorry
Victory
Widower's Heart
Risk
Wait So Long
Keys to Paradise
Bloodshot Eyes
Alone