Jim James with Alynda Segarra, Pabst Theater, 11/8/18

There is just something about Jim James.  Few artists have more of an aura about them on stage than the long-haired, charismatic My Morning Jacket frontman. James was performing a rare series of "solo acoustic" shows in support of his recent releases Uniform Distortion and Uniform Clarity.  Both albums feature the same songs, except on Uniform Distortion they are played electrically and with backing instruments and on Uniform Clarity it's just Jim and his guitar and voice.  While most of the show stuck to the singer and guitar format, Jim James put his own take on "solo-acoustic," opting for electric guitars at times, a backing drummer for other cuts, a duet with Horray for the Riff Raf singer Alynda Segarra, and a stellar light show.  Did I mention that he jammed out tunes as well?  This is Jim James, after all, and if you've followed James throughout his career you are ready to expect the unexpected.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Dressed in all black, James took the stage opening with "The World Is Smiling Now," a soulful track off of his 2016 Eternally Even record.  He then quickly jumped into new material from his Uniform Clarity/Uniform Distortion releases with "All in Your Head."  James dusted off some deeper cuts including "Changing World," a track he recorded with the folk-rock supergroup, "New Multitudes" commemorating the 100th anniversary of Gutherie's birth.  James also played a couple of stripped-down cuts from his early work with My Morning Jacket including, "If All Else Fails," from 1999's The Tennessee Fire record and "If It Smashes Down," and "I Needed it Most," from 2001's At Dawn release.

Show highlights drew from all aspects of James's work- from solo material to more well-known My Morning Jacket songs to thoughtfully selected covers.  "Over and Over," a catchy track from Uniform Clarity/Uniform Distortion was enhanced with Hurray For the Riff Raff's Alynda Segarra harmonizing with James and adding backing vocals.  "I'm Amazed," an anthemic rocker from 2008's Evil Urges My Morning Jacket record was given a new acoustic re-working that when paired with James's sincere soaring voice gave the track a whole new sense of life.  The set-closing combo of "Here in Spirit," and "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U)" featured perhaps James's most rocking cuts from his solo catalog, performed with a backing drummer and great lights.   James's social activism came out in his selection of the penultimate song of the evening a cover of Timmy Thomas's "Rainbow Power," a throwback to the seventies urging people to live together in harmony.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Above everything, James's voice stands out has his most powerful and unique instrument.  Simply put, the man just can belt out tunes like no one else. 

Alynda Segarra and her guitarist Jordan Hyde put on a strong opening performance drawing heavily from their most recent record with Hurray for the Riff Raff, the critically acclaimed 2017 release, The Navigator which features Segarra telling tales about growing up in the Bronx.  Her vocals, like James's, have a soulful power and quality that elevates her music to a new level when played solo.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Setlist from Setlist.fm: