My Morning Jacket to Showcase New Disc With May 31 Live Stream
‘We’re working on a narrative that’s going to tie the whole thing together,’ says drummer Patrick Hallahan
On May 31st, My Morning Jacket will celebrate the arrival of their new album, Circuital, by live-streaming on YouTube a special hometown gig at Louisville’s Palace Theater, directed by Velvet Goldmine’s Todd Haynes.
MMJ was approached recently by American Express’ Unstaged, a series of webcasts pairing musicians with filmmakers. They chose to work with Haynes (who also directed the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce), whom they got to know after frontman Jim James covered “Going to Acapulco” for Haynes’ Bob Dylan tribute I’m Not There in 2007.
Photos from Levon Helm’s 2010 Midnight Ramble With My Morning Jacket
“We’re working on a narrative that’s going to tie the whole thing together, so that it’s not just a concert video,” says drummer Patrick Hallahan. In addition to scripting interstitial scenes, Haynes is also helping the band brainstorm possible costumes and “a bunch of different visual surprises” for the webcast. “We really love Todd’s visuals. He has a wonderful eye.”
The set will likely last two and a half to three hours, including all the new tunes from Circuital intermingled with older fan favorites. “We’ll stick to the music, [Haynes] will stick to the narrative, and we’ll kind of find a common ground in the middle,” adds Hallahan. “It’s all still in the works. Down to the wire!”
In the Studio: My Morning Jacket Find Killer New Groove on ‘Circuital’
My Morning Jacket’s webcast starts live at 9 P.M. Eastern on May 31st. Check out a trailer for the show above.
