Last week, Jim James returned to Lousiville, his hometown, for a special pre-Thanksgiving solo acoustic performance at the W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre to help raise funds for the Young Authors Greenhouse, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring children aged six to eighteen to embrace the power of their voices and stories.

Kiana Del, the lead singer of Kiana & the Sun Kings, kicked off the evening with an impassioned performance, setting the stage for an unforgettable night of music. Following her captivating set, young authors Jaden, Riyan, and Nandan took the spotlight with their readings. Kiana Del and Jim James joined them on stage to pose questions after each reading, creating a unique and interactive atmosphere that showcased the young authors.

Jim James, known for his role as the frontman of My Morning Jacket, took the stage with a pair of James’ original compositions, “The World’s Smiling Now” and “A New Life,” setting an intimate and personal tone for me as I recalled covering James on the stage back in 2013 on his solo tour debuting the Regions of Light and Sound of God album. James then delved into My Morning Jacket’s catalog with the “Knot Comes Loose” and “I’m Amazed.” The audience was so quiet that Jim’s vocals cut deep with lyrics:
I’m amazed what they want me to believe
After all is said and done- where is the justice?
I’m amazed, the lack of evolution
I’m amazed, at the lack of faith
I’m amazed, at the love we rejecting
I’m amazed, what we accept in its place

James debuted several covers, which made for an extraordinary night, starting with George Harrison’s moving “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).” Jim continued to surprise the audience with first-time renditions of classics from Marvin Gaye, George Harrison, and The Beatles.

The encore started with My Morning Jackets’ “In Color” and continued with soulful performances of Marvin Gaye’s iconic “What’s Going On” and a beautiful rendition of The Beatles’ “Real Love.”

Closing the night on a poignant note, James played “Here in Spirit” from his solo album “Eternally Even,” followed by New Multitudes’ “Changing the World,” and he closed the evening with Brian Wilson’s “Love and Mercy.” The night was a testament to James’ ability to blend his heartfelt original compositions with timeless classics, all for a fantastic cause.

Set: The World’s Smiling Now
A New Life
Knot Comes Loose (My Morning Jacket)
I’m Amazed (My Morning Jacket)
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (George Harrison)
Why Can’t We Live Together (Timmy Thomas)
Hopefully (My Morning Jacket)
Look at You (My Morning Jacket)
Throwback, My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
Only Memories Remain (My Morning Jacket)
Big Decisions (My Morning Jacket)
I Will Be There When You Die (My Morning Jacket)
Movin Away (My Morning Jacket)
Over and Over
I Needed It Most (My Morning Jacket)
Never in the Real World (My Morning Jacket)
The Right Place (Monsters of Folk)
Peaceful Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin)
Wonderful (The Way I Feel) (My Morning Jacket) * Kiana Del joined
State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)
Encore: In Color (My Morning Jacket)
What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye)
Rainbow Power (Timmy Thomas)
Bermuda Highway (My Morning Jacket)
Real Love (The Beatles)
Here in Spirit
Changing World (New Multitudes)
Love and Mercy (Brian Wilson)

Photo gallery link: Jim James