Jim James shines through the dark at State Theatre

Jim James put his golden voice on display to a barely two-thirds-full State Theatre in Minneapolis on Thursday, December 1. The Kentucky musician, who is best known as the lead-man in My Morning Jacket, took a while to warm up. But with each song played, the show progressively got better.

With barely a word spoken in between songs, James and his band were all business all night. The opening track “Hide in Plain Sight” from Eternally Even could have been taken literally, as James and his bandmates were in the shadows as backlit purple-blue lights created an eerie visceral experience. Early on it felt odd seeing James so subdued and unemotional. But the show soon brightened up.

A breaking point was reached several songs in when Jim screeched at his pedestal-mounted electric guitar and shredded an extended solo to “The World’s Smiling Now” from his brand new sophomore release Eternally Even. “Dear One” from his 2013 debut Regions of Light and Sound of God also rocked hard two songs later. “We Ain’t Getting Any Younger pt 2” was spirited and uplifting towards the end of the set. Lyrically that song hits very hard.

The five song encore that ended the night was incredible. James grabbed his acoustic guitar and covered Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” that segued directly into “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” by Bob Dylan. Hearing James trying to nail Prince’s falsetto was both beautiful and humorously entertaining at the same time. The 70s R&B groove “Of the Mother Again” was another great tune, as was The New Basement Tapes’ rocker “Down on the Bottom”.

The night ended with “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)”, the brilliant track from Regions of Light and Sound of God. It was high energy, spirited, and what fans have come to expect from Jim James. For a show that took a while to warm up, it ended with a blaze. Jim James is a force on stage, and he proved that once again at State Theatre in Minneapolis.