Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on October 28, 2025
The genre-fluid American rock band My Morning Jacket returned to New York City for another memorable three-night run. The Big Apple is almost a second home to this quintet rooted in indie, psychedelic, Americana, and Southern rock influences. Fans were in for a treat, as the band opted for the smaller, ornate Brooklyn Paramount, which has a capacity of 2,700. They vibrantly concluded this latest Empire State series with a high-spirited show on October 18, 2025, that included a sit-in by bassist Karina Rykman. BALTHVS provided support.
The band has played multi-night runs at many revered NYC venues, including Forest Hills and The Beacon Theatre. However, My Morning Jacket decided to treat their fans to the smaller yet richly intimate Brooklyn Paramount. The historic saga of this lavish baroque palace began when the building was constructed to be “America’s first movie theater built for sound” in 1928. After years as part of Brooklyn’s cultural fabric, the building was repurposed as a gym for LIU. In 2010, Live Nation swooped in, purchased the venue, and continues to operate the grand theatre to this day.
The music started with BALTHVS, an international psychedelic funk and groove trio from Colombia. They describe themselves as “Cosmic Music for the Psychedelic Mind” and fuse elements of surf rock, disco, funk, house, and cumbia to create a unique sound. They dropped a sweet, psychedelic “Bird Song” by the Grateful Dead.
My Morning Jacket began their set as the band wandered onto the darkly lit stage. “Here in Spirit,” a solo tune by frontman and guitarist Jim James, kicked off the music with an indie vibe. James wandered the stage on vocals without his guitar. “In Its Infancy (The Waterfall),” from the 2015 release The Waterfall, showcased four panels elevated along the back of the stage, lit in dark hues, and included a brief “Dear Prudence” snippet outro. The song featured elements of psychedelic guitar.
“Spring (Among the Living),” another tune from The Waterfall, enlivened the dance floor with synths. A big crowd sing-along unfurled during “Holding on to Black Metal,” from Circuital. A mellow piano intro drove “Feel You” into a tasty guitar solo by guitarist Carl Broemel.
The slow, ballad-like “By My Car,” from The Tennessee Fire, was up next and featured more of James soloing on stage before his bandmates joined in. Broemel elevated this tune with the pedal steel guitar. A breezy “Big Decisions” followed with more pedal steel. Drummer Patrick Hallahan delivered a strong drum intro into new tune “Everyday Magic,” which featured more blistering solos by Broemel. This tune is from their recent release, Is. Another Is tune followed with “Time Waited,” which included a cool piano line intro.
“Victory Dance” brought a huge reaction from the crowd. James wore a vocal box around his neck, giving precise control over his vocal sound, and roamed the stage as the music amplified a dark, Southern rock vibe. “Evil Urges” followed and brought a jammed-out section that ignited the dance party, which continued into “Highly Suspicious.”
Before diving into “Beginning from the Ending,” James took a few moments to thank the crowd. The melodic Americana tune followed, creating a rocking soundscape while the stage was drenched in red, magenta, and blue lighting. Vintage tune “Strangulation” followed and brought more euphonious ballad vibes to the stage.
The band welcomed bassist and New York City resident Karina Rykman to the stage for a bass-heavy version of “Run Thru.” She remained on stage as the band moved into “Fairies Wear Boots” by Black Sabbath. The band moved to jam together in front of the drum kit as they created an edgy, dark jam. The music cleverly moved back into “Run Thru,” ending this ripping sequence.
“Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2” flowed next, as well as the catchy rock tune “Love Love Love.” At the end of the song, the lights came on in the venue and the band’s microphones went out, apparently due to a false fire alarm. The band abruptly ended the set, as fans stayed put waiting for an encore.
About twenty minutes later, a firefighter shouted from the soundboard that the show would resume in five minutes. The crowd wondered what that meant, as there had been no official announcement regarding the end of the show.
However, the band quickly returned to the stage with James on the acoustic guitar, singing the heartfelt “Wonderful (The Way I Feel).” A bouncy “I Can Hear Your Love” preceded a stellar cover of “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears. The show ended with George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).”
My Morning Jacket crushed their three-night stand at the Brooklyn Paramount. They fortunately have a few dates left in 2025, including October 29 in Nashville, TN, and October 31–November 1 in Atlanta, GA. Looking into 2026, they will make an appearance at the High Water Music Festival in North Charleston, SC, on April 18. They are also on the exciting lineup for Viva El Gonzo in San José del Cabo, Mexico. This festival is put on by Goose and runs May 7–9, 2026. Keep an eye on their tour page for show dates in 2026.
Check out more photos from the show!
Date: October 18, 2025
Venue: Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn, NY
Band: My Morning Jacket
Set list: Here in Spirit, In Its Infancy (The Waterfall), Spring (Among the Living) [1], Holdin On to Black Metal, Feel You, By My Car, Big Decisions, Evelyn Is Not Real, Everyday Magic, Time Waited, Victory Dance, Evil Urges, Highly Suspicious, Beginning From the Ending, Strangulation!, Run Thru, Fairies Wear Boots [2,3] > Run Thru [3],Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2, Love Love Love[4]
Encore: Wonderful (The Way I Feel), I Can Hear Your Love, Head Over Heels [5], Phone Went West, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) [6]
Notes:
1. Brief “Dear Prudence” snippet outro
2. Black Sabbath cover
3. with Karina Rykman
4. At the end of this song, the show stops due a false alarm fire alarm, beginning 20+ minutes delay
5. Tears for Fears cover
6. George Harrison cover
