My Morning Jacket Brings an Electrifying Performance to Newport
MegaCorp Pavilion – Newport, Kentucky – October 20, 2025
With Special Guest BALTHVS
Even on a Monday night, My Morning Jacket turned the banks of the Ohio River into a swirling mass of reverb and euphoria. Touring behind their new album is, the Louisville legends reminded everyone why their live shows have become something of modern rock folklore, with equal parts mystic communion and psychedelic sermon.
The MegaCorp Pavilion, sitting just across the water from the Cincinnati skyline, provided a stunning backdrop for the Kentucky band’s return to the region. A crisp fall breeze swept through the open-air venue as frontman Jim James took in the moment, gazing out at the crowd before exclaiming, “What a BEAUTIFUL fall evening in October. This is when fall is romantic. And we all get to be particles on this romantic fall evening.” The crowd roared in agreement. This was one of those nights that felt suspended in amber.
James, ever the showman-shaman, gave the audience something new to chew on during “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream” when he slyly altered a lyric to proclaim, “I need a human right by my side, not fucking AI.” It was a perfectly timed jab that drew cheers, proof that even in the band’s most ethereal moments, My Morning Jacket’s heart beats firmly in the human world.
The night pulsed and glowed, the lights bouncing off the Pavilion’s canopy as the band leaned into their jams. “Dondante” unfolded like a fever dream, “Master Plan” shimmered with soul, and “Slow Slow Tune” offered a rare breath of calm before the storm of the encore.
By the time the band returned for a four-song victory lap with “Get the Point,” “Outta My System,” “Highly Suspicious,” and “Wordless Chorus”, the crowd was locked into collective transcendence. The closing chant of “Wordless Chorus” felt like a benediction over the river, the echo of thousands of voices carrying out into the Kentucky night.
Even if it was a Monday, there was no mistaking the feeling: My Morning Jacket still reigns as one of America’s most vital live bands, a reminder that rock and roll, when delivered with this much soul, can still feel like a spiritual experience.
Setlist:
It’s About Twilight Now · Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2 · Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1 · Big Decisions · Dancefloors · Run It · Everyday Magic · Master Plan · Die for It · Slow Slow Tune · Dondante · En La Ceremony · I Can Hear Your Love · What a Wonderful Man · Squid Ink · Love Love Love · Mahgeetah
Encore:
Get The Point · Outta My System · Highly Suspicious · Wordless Chorus
