Friday night I had the pleasure, nay the privilege, of seeing My Morning Jacket in concert at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. I had never been to the amphitheater before and had heard mixed reviews about the acoustics and general atmosphere of the place, but upon arrival I found the woodsy setting to be quite appropriate for the show. It was hot, and it didn’t get any cooler when the sun went down since the lawn was completely amass with people. Fortunately, I had a spot saved for me by some people who had gotten there earlier and was able to grab a seat at the very front of the lawn seating, stage left.
The hush and then the screams when the band took the stage were reminiscent of so many major concerts I had been to, and unfortunately, so was the performance. Everything seemed sort of quiet and lacking energy. I kept waiting for the emotionally electrifying display of musicianship I had seen on a DVD of My Morning Jacket performances, but it didn’t arrive – at least not until about three or four songs from the end of their set. Finally, things seemed to blow up but I was so tired and hot by that point that it was difficult to enjoy. Don’t get me wrong. I had a great time and the music was good. Maybe next time I’ll try to catch the boys from Kentucky in a smaller venue.