Spirtual Experience

My favorite band is My Morning Jacket. Their music has actually been very important to the way that my work has developed. I started really getting into their music at the same time that my work was changing in graduate school and their tone, sound, and energy played a role in the way I was making the work and the aesthetic that I was getting into. They have a sublime, transcendental sound. I've always imagined their sound as light cutting through a velvety darkness. I listen to MMJ a lot when I'm making my art. They act as a generative juice. I feel that I make my best work when I listen to their music.

I had only seen them live once before Friday night. That was the best show I have ever seen; it led me to make an installation based on the sublimity of the experience. (started, but never finished) This Friday they played a sold-out Radio City Music Hall. Nicole and I had given up on getting tickets months ago. Well, three hours before the show we found ourselves with a pair of third mezzanine front row tickets that we paid face value for. (tickets were being scalped for $150-$400 a piece as they have become a renowned live act) That morning I had no idea I was going to be witnessing that show. When we got to RCMH, it seemed unreal for some reason. The show was nothing short of a religious experience. We stood at the edge of the upper-most mezzanine, with the expanse of the music hall before us. I can imagine riding the crest of a rouge-wave as being a similar experience (without the terror). It felt as if they were heroes, confronting the unknown with their instruments; Jim James speaking to something mystical with his voice. The whole performance was ritual and and expedition. They tethered themselves out into the abyss and took the entire hall with them.

I captured some images. Maybe you can see some connections to my work. Not to mention the experience of being in the space of Radio City Music Hall. Click to enlarge the image, most of them look better close up. The band encourages taping and file sharing. Here's a link to a taping of the performance: http://www.archive.org/details/mmj2008-06-20.dpa4023.flac16

I tried to post a video of the show, but it wouldn't upload. I think I should be able to get it onto my facebook page though. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=694855264