My Morning Jacket

Friday, August 2, 2019, was one of those nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver. The sky was clear and black, and singer Jim James had a spiritual epiphany that complemented the big, spacey, country rock of his band, My Morning Jacket, and the light show that bathed the stage in symmetrical neon polygons and choreographed strobes.

Jim James will probably never be mistaken for a Wall Street banker. Sporting a woodsy beard and long mane of curly hair, the My Morning Jacket singer-guitarist looks like his band sounds. At least he did at the onset. Emerging at the dawn of the 21st Century amid a period devoid of music featuring driving guitars and golden harmonies, the Kentucky-based group embraced its heritage with open arms. Soaked in reverb and steeped in ragged country, its early songs spoke with a Southern accent that gave the band a distinct identity.