Pemberton Day 2: My Morning Jacket Call to the Mountain Spirits

Maybe it's the Kentucky in them, but My Morning Jacket slipped into the opening slot on day two of Pemberton's mainstage like they'd been hanging out among the mountains and trees for days waiting to begin. It was under a slight sprinkling of summer rain that Jim James emerged, complete with blanket poncho and a sprig of juniper, which the bearded singer held aloft shamanistically through much of the band's set. Leaning heavily on Z tracks ("Off the Record," "Gideon," "Anytime"), MMJ's noodling jams and James' soaring vocals were the perfect remedy to a night spent in the cold, dusty outdoors. Newcomers like Evil Urges' "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2" were welcome additions. "I'd like to dedicate this song to all the bull moose, grizzly bear and black bear that are roaming in this hemisphere," James said, and My Morning Jacket played "Golden" for the animals.

For complete coverage of the Pemberton Festival, check out rocknrolldiary.com.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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