My Morning Jacket Spreads Rock Gospel

At Radio City Southern rockers strut spiritual side, showcase 'arena-rock ascendance'

By Drew Nelles, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 23, 2008 4:33 PM CDT

(Newser) – My Morning Jacket is officially an arena-rock force, Nate Chinen raves in the New York Times. The Southern-rock darlings walked the line between spiritual and sanguine before a sold-out Radio City Music Hall on Friday, playing the majority of new album Evil Urges, which "features some of its strongest songs alongside some of its strangest."

As "he crooned with ebullient confidence, bounded across the length of the stage and tossed his unruly curls in time," frontman Jim James stole the show, even dashing to the balcony during the lengthy, intimate affair, billed as “An Evening With My Morning Jacket.” Expect another chapter come New Year's Eve in Madison Square Garden, Chinen predicts.

[Images (7)]

[Videos (2)]

Members of My Morning Jacket, from left: Two Tone Tommy, Carl Broemel, Jim James, Bo Koster, and Patrick Hallahan are shown in New York on March 27, 2008. (AP Photo/ Jim Cooper)

In this image released by ATO records, the latest CD by My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges," is shown. (AP Photo/ATO)

Singer Jim James of My Morning Jacket performs with the band Calexico during "I'm Not There", a Bob Dylan tribute concert at the Beacon Theater, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007 in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Lead singer Jim James and My Morning Jacket perform during "I'm Not There", a Bob Dylan tribute concert at the Beacon Theater, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007 in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Jim James, right, of My Morning Jacket and special guest M Ward perform together on the third day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, Sunday, April 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

My Morning Jacket performs Friday night, October 1, 2004, at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania, on Friday, October 1, 2004. (KRT Photos)

Members of My Morning Jacket, from left, Two Tone Tommy, Carl Broemel, Jim James, Bo Koster, and Patrick Hallahan are shown in New York on March 27, 2008. (AP Photo/ Jim Cooper)

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Jim James sports a cape in this bootleg clip from Friday's performance. (dillsnufus)

The crowd sings along enthusiastically in more bootleg footage from Radio City Music Hall. (noellemdean)

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My Morning Jacket Spreads Rock Gospel