Recording a live album can be understandably tricky.
You can take the risk of recording only one show, praying that there are no technical hiccups or lyrical brain farts. You can also go the route of spanning over the course of several shows, like Denver-based, ska band Five Iron Frenzy, who picked the best tracks from more than 10 shows during a tour.
It takes a certain type of band with the support of extremely talented producers and mixers to ensure that the sounds - from instruments to vocals and even cheering from the audience - are going on the tape.
If it isn't enough pressure to perform well every night on stage, imagine the kind of stress My Morning Jacket might have been under as they recorded two nights in concert at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
This band is no stranger to live performance, having been around since 1998. Its impressive live show has created so much buzz that the band has been asked to such infamous festivals such as Austin City Limits, Coachella and even four times to the Bonnaroo, a record for the festival.
Take all of these factors and a little bit of luck and you have "Okonokos." With five members, My Morning Jacket pieces together perfectly on this album, creating a seamless recording that features a wide array of songs from the band's eight-year history, including "Steam Engine," "The Way That He Sings" and ending disc two with "Mahgeetah."
However, many say the true essence of a live show is exactly that - the show. That is why not only did My Morning Jacket release the aural aspect on Sept. 26, but the visual aspect with a subsequent DVD on Oct. 31.
It's impossible to not take in the entire experience in whatever way reaches you best, and for fans, or even people curious about the band, the insight that either the DVD, CD or both give you is enough to truly encompass the all-encompassing music of My Morning Jacket.
Reach the reporter at: ashley.e.harris@asu.edu.
