Getting Cozy in My Morning Jacket
 Jim
James by Jon Bahr |
My Morning Jacket's
first H.S. appearance was a huge treat for us JamBasers. With two performances
- a main stage and a late night - they were able to let the festival sink in and
become an important part of this year's landscape. The MMJ late night performance
was the most exquisite high school dance anyone ever imagined. People swayed slowly
beneath snowflakes while the air shimmered with a glow that emerged from within.
As rocktastic as MMJ's main stage set was on Saturday, their late night had an
undeniable magic that was kick-started in a big way by opener Surprise Me Mr. Davis, who stirred our emotions to
the surface. SMMD and MMJ are so bloody sincere, so deeply interested in making
substantive, resonant music, that listening to these sets one was flooded with
memories of first kisses, broken promises, and dreams long tucked away from the
light. Wide vista marvels like "Gideon" and "It Beats For You" unfolded with relaxed
purpose, enveloping the senses in a complete and perfect way. When an intimate
jewel like "Golden" arrived, it slipped immediately past our defenses, making
us feel we truly were driftin' off a thing we'd never done before. The chatter
and noise of the outside world seemed far away while MMJ conjured with beautiful,
graceful hands in the "Arctic Tent," as Jim James came to call the room.
Two Tone Tommy by Dave Vann |
Saturday's main stage was a totally different affair. Perhaps stoked by the Sierra
Mountains and tall green trees rising around them, MMJ unleashed a Technicolor
rock storm. Not every band - perhaps not most bands - can inhabit huge, open-air
spaces with as such authority and bald-faced energy. During the aching pairing
of "Hopefully" and "Just One Thing," I was struck by how MMJ seems to have unlocked
the superstructure of popular song. They understand the basic dynamics of song-craft,
flirting and subverting in equal measures. At one point someone in the crowd brought
in a huge, gently-lighted balloon tethered to a fishing pole. It didn't take long
for James to notice it and jokingly suggest the band had arranged it. There's
a lot of spontaneity to MMJ, where the moment is cherished, respected, and allowed
to steer things in unpredictable ways. When you have the finest rhythm section
in modern rock as a foundation, you can do that. Patrick Hallahan (drums)
and Two Tone Tommy (bass) are the steady pumping heart of this enterprise.
Whatever else happens, one can be assured there'll be an irresistible pulse. Beneath
star-filled skies, Tommy and Hallahan sounded especially majestic - a feeling
the others clearly picked up on as they unfurled the winsome ghosts residing in
these compositions.
- Dennis Cook
Surprise! We Love The Slip and Nathan Moore
The Slip by SuperDee |
The Slip was welcomed
back for their 9th consecutive High Sierra. Their first showing of the weekend
- and the only "just" Slip set - was Saturday late afternoon on the main stage.
(Props to the festival organizers for perfect set scheduling.) The flames of the
love affair between West Coasters and The Slip were fanned as the band flowed
celestially through a sampling of their newer repertoire, while dipping back into
the cool waters of their earlier, more loosely structured compositions like "Wolof,"
which ignited with brass flames when incredible trombonist Josh Roseman
joined them. The Slip are provocateurs tempered by liquid romanticism. You may
hear the same cuts, but no show ever feels like another. Their imaginations are
too restless to allow things to fall into a rut. Combining an insanely brilliant
musicianship with trickster-like playfulness, they were heady, heartful, and happier
than the sun above.
Nathan Moore by Dave Vann |
First came The Slip, and then came Nathan Moore. Put them together and
you have... magic. High Sierra is no stranger to Surprise
Me Mr. Davis, who first performed a glam-style late night show in 2004. At
last year's double daytime set, we were the audience to Nathan's emotional and
gripping story about his experiences with the local authorities on the way to
the festival. The High Sierra audience was ready to see Nathan again to see where
his adventures had taken him now. Turns out he's been back in his hometown working
at the Y. This isn't necessarily the "glamorous" vagabond image that precedes
him, but he has a way of turning even the most mundane experiences into meaningful
life lessons, which he bestowed upon us.
SMMD serves as The Slip's alter-ego as they take the stage clanging with bells
and whistles, always looking dapper as hell in their Sunday best. With their
hearts clearly displayed on their sleeves, they rocked and rolled us and swept
us off our feet in their late-night pre-MMJ set. Each song is a treasure touching
on all corners of the emotional landscape - bittersweet surrender in "I Hate
Love," good-hearted mischief in "Rubber Ball," and frustration with more worldly
matters in "As Long As There's One of Us Standing." The music is a motivational
tool, encouraging us to be more open and honest - to pursue the stuff that is
most important to you while simultaneously remembering to not take life so damn
seriously.
Brad Barr by Susan J. Weiand |
Now it's sunset time on day three at the Big Meadow stage, and the High Sierra
crowd is bleary and blissful from the hot sun all day, tons of music, and a
couple of late nights under their belts. This is an audience primed for a set
of substance from SMMD. The treasure chest reopened, and more gems were set
free, opening with "The Shouters" sung by a masked Brad Barr. Through
Nathan Moore's ice-blue eyes, you could peer straight into his soul as he told
stories and performed a magic trick dedicated to the recently departed Max Pelta.
Apollo Sunshine's Sam Cohen hopped on stage bare-chested and rocked "19th
Nervous Breakdown" with the band (debuted in the wee hours at the super-late
night set at Camp Harry). For those that haven't yet been charmed by SMMD, don't
worry, your time is sure to come. Love's been looking for you, Sleepyhead.
- SuperDee
Nathan Moore's dedication to Max Pelta by Dave Vann
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