Week in Rock: Auld Lang Edition

My Morning Jacket Never Ends

For anyone who has seen My Morning Jacket perform, there is no argument that once they get into a groove, there are few better live bands in the world. So on New Year's Eve, the jammy fellas from Kentucky played their biggest, and longest local set ever at Madison Square Garden. The band played for nearly 4 hours, with a set consisting of their entire new album, much of their back catalog and a handful of covers. Despite the special occasion, it was a pretty straightforward affair, with the onslaught of music continuing through 1 a.m. It included a guest appearance by Nicole Atkins and a fitting stroke of Midnight performance of Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" as the balloons dropped. With this performance, MMJ has established themselves at a legitimate arena act, a role they've seemed destined to fill for some time now. It was a fitting way to kick off their new year.