For over 20 years, My Morning Jacket has been one of the most relentless rock bands touring the country, and even for those just jumping on board now, it’s not hard to see why. Their blend of Americana, rock, and jam came at the perfect time in the early 2000s, as American festivals were truly ramping up and heavily courting bands melding those soundscapes.

They played five Bonnaroos between 2003 and 2008, with their 2004 performance being lionized by fans and memorialized with the recent release MMJ Live Vol. 3: Bonnaroo 2004 (Return to Thunderdome). They’ve been playing an important part in the US music festival circuit ever since, and have made a name for themselves with their live shows.

My Morning Jacket’s first full performance within the DC borders since 2008 landed at The Anthem. Between 2010 and 2021, the band played a whopping eight shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion, a testament to their relentless touring regimen and strong DMV fanbase.

Their latest album, 2021’s My Morning Jacket, was not heavily featured in their Anthem set as “Love Love Love” was the only song they played from it. Instead, the show was a trip through the band’s 20+ year history, including four songs each from 2003’s It Still Moves, 2005’s Z, and 2008’s Evil Urges.

Jim James and company perform with a level of intensity, purpose, and wonder, breathing new life into their recordings with every headbang, soaring call and response chorus, and the roaring chords on James’s Flying V guitar. Fans belted out the words to “I’m Amazed” and “Holding on to Black Metal,” and headbanged at the railing alongside the band, who all headbanged in unison during an extended and exciting rendition of “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt. 2.”

The quintet has been a tight operating unit for decades now, and they still are having a lot of fun on stage, just as much as those who are faithfully riding the rails and singing every word back to the band.

Opening for My Morning Jacket was Katie Pruitt, whose debut album Expectations was released by Rounder Records. Her sophomore album is currently in the works.

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