Jim James performing at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Nov. 9, 2018
As the frontman of My Morning Jacket, Jim James has never shied away from making genuine connections with crowds. The group’s monumental jams effortlessly sweep fans away into a shared universe providing an escape in which to lose oneself in experimental waves of instrumentation, primal howls and imaginative melodies.
During James’ Nov. 9 performance at Chicago’s Vic Theatre, the artist traded epic sounds for a stripped down set of fan favorites and solo material including several songs from his 2018 releases Uniform Distortion and Uniform Clarity. With minimal musical accompaniment (at least by MMJ standards), James’ lyrics and raw emotions stepped into the spotlight uniting the crowd in a silent synergy of reflection.
The timelessness of James’ melodic poetry was evident from the moment he began the show with the Evil Urges hit, “I’m Amazed.” His now prophetic claims of astonishment at everything from “a divided nation” to what is said on “the TV stations” to “the love we’re rejecting’” spoke to our current times better than most songs written today. As James’ belted out “where is the justice,” fans cheered in unison, drawing in every ounce of the unspoken optimism living between the lyrics.
Jim James performing at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Nov. 9, 2018Later in the show, James drove home his plea for unity without any ambiguity, sharing the words of his 2016 tune, “Same Old Lie.” He abandoned all accompaniment for acapella, a technique which further emphasized his message as he sang, “They say we can’t live together but we know that’s a lie/Cause we know it in our heart we can make it if we try.” He continued to repeat the latter line, underlining the nature of humanity’s “collective heart, a shared heart.”
Even though James is currently on a solo tour, he still brought a few friends along for the ride. Many songs throughout the night – including “All in Your Head,” “No Use Waiting,” and the Timmy Thomas cover “Rainbow Power” – featured touring drummer David Given behind the kit filling out each arrangement with subtle precision. Hurray for the Riff Raff musician Alynda Segarra, who earlier opened the show with a beautifully understated set of her own, joined James to duet on “Over and Over.”
Jim James performing at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Nov. 9, 2018
James is always an emotive performer, but in the stilled setting of the intimate venue his expressive vocals were beyond moving. The crowd responded to his falsetto range at every opportunity, most notably during slow-burning renditions of My Morning Jacket’s “Hopefully,” “Dondante” and “Golden.” Elsewhere James played with vibrato on “A New Life” and tested the reaches of his baritone range with “No Use Waiting.”
Every era benefits from a troubadour helping make sense of the messiness of life. Personal stories reveal universal truths while overtly political storytelling unites music fans with a mission. By the time the show was through, James had facilitated a common resolve amongst the crowd to return to the outside world with a renewed belief in the power of community, kindness and trying to do one’s best.
Check out photos from Jim James’ Nov. 9 performance at The Vic Theatre in Chicago and head over to JimJames.com to pick-up tickets to his remaining tour dates.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)