My Morning Jacket Plays First Of Three To End 2017 In Broomfield – Review & Photos

Images & Words by: Andrew Bruss

My Morning Jacket :: 12.29.17
1st Bank Center :: Broomfield, CO

My Morning Jacket hadn’t done a multi-night New Year’s run in the same city in over ten years, so when they announced three nights in Colorado capped off with a New Year’s Eve performance, fans from as far as Australia acted fast to buy a ticket for the ride. Jacket doesn’t often play New Year’s Eve itself, as before a 2012 concert in Boston the group last performed on December 31 to ring in 2009 at Madison Square Garden. The band has released three full-length albums and has grown their fanbase dramatically since they performed their three-night 2006 NYE run in San Francisco, so for most of their fans, this is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to see a series of shows of this significance.

Before the band took the stage, the first thing ticket holders noticed was how much Jacket upped their game with regards to their stage production. In addition to an expanded lighting rig for the stage that featured strips of LEDs, the ceiling of the venue was primed with additional lighting trusses and a series of disco balls. The newer lighting features were gradually introduced throughout the night and although the hardware isn’t anything unique compared to other acts, the intentional asymmetrical execution of the design was in stark contrast to the work of prominent Lighting Designers like Phish’s Chris Kuroda and Jeff Waful of Umphrey’s McGee.

The Revolution opened for Jacket and served up plenty of Prince classics that were impossible to resist. It was an enjoyable set and their significant contributions to Prince’s discography cannot be ignored, however, without the charisma and otherworldly playing of The Purple One, the band felt more like a well-executed tribute act than reemerging icons.

Leading up to the show, there was a lot of speculation regarding what material we’d hear. If Phish can go thirteen nights without repeating a song, surely Jacket could pull off three. However, their tour this summer had plenty of fans scratching their heads at the disappointing lack of diversity in the setlist night after night. Any remote fears were put to rest as soon as the band inaugurated the run with “At Dawn,” and shortly thereafter ripped through songs like “Xmas Curtain” and “Aluminum Park” that are hardly part of their regular rotation. “Smokin’ From Shootin’” is another gem that was first released on 2008’s Evil Urges but hasn’t received a lot of attention in the live setting in recent years and its emergence during the first night was a signal that fans disappointed with this summer’s setlists would have nothing to worry about. Covers of Bob Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” and David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” put an exclamation mark on the matter.

Jacket’s set featured tons of material fans have been longing to hear and given how many ticket holders had traveled from out of state, it was undoubtedly met with enthusiasm. That said, the material itself was from the quieter end of their catalogue and a first-time attendee hoping to have his or her first live Jacket experience would have understandably been disappointed. At the same time, this run is a marathon, not a sprint, and while the first show was far more than a warm up, it’s clear they’re just starting to jack up the speedometer. Check back tomorrow for continued coverage of My Morning Jacket’s New Year’s run in Broomfield, Colorado.