MMJ’s full performance

Louisville, KY hosted the 10th annual Forecastle Festival this past weekend. As the festival entered its second decade, it expanded its scope by partnering with Bonnaroo co-founders AC Entertainment and bringing hometown heroes My Morning Jacket on to headline and help curate. The festival’s diverse lineup included co-headliners Bassnectar and Wilco as well as Girl Talk, Andrew Bird, Sleigh Bells, Atmosphere, Neko Case, Clutch, A-Trak, Flying Lotus, Beach House, The Head and the Heart, Stax! Soul Revue, Dr. Dog, Deer Tick, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Beats Antique, Real Estate and Galactic, among others.

Part of the fan-powered The Spontaneous Curation Series, My Morning Jacket allowed fans to help choose the setlist for their headlining show on Saturday. Despite playing for their biggest hometown crowd yet, MMJ used the requests—which were sent in via Twitter—to perform several rarely played covers and forgotten originals. The group opened their show with the seldom played “The Dark,” from the band’s 1999 debut The Tennessee Fire, and then brought out Preservation Hall Jazz Band “Holdin On To Black Metal.” Soon after, MMJ invited out Luna/Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham for the band’s first-known take on “Isn’t It A Pity,” and brought back few covers the group has not performed since they ripped through most of their catalog at New York’s Terminal 5 in October of 2010: Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” The Band’s “It Makes No Difference” and George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.” A few other guests sat in, too: Former member Johnny Quaid, who played guitar with the group from 1998-2004, appeared on “Run Thru” and a show-closing “One Big Holiday” while Andrew Bird made a guest appearance on “Gideon.” Rare originals songs like “The Bear” and “Cobra” showed the depth of Jacket’s repertoire. A few fans were also treated to a short semi-private soundcheck performance by My Morning Jacket earlier in the day.

MMJ’s Jim James stopped by Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s set to play a few song both at the festival and on-board the Belle of Louisville steamboat along the Ohio River later in the night. James sang with Preservation Hall Jazz Band on “Louisiana Fairytale, “Blue Yodel,” “St. James Infirmary,” “Highly Suspicious” and “Carnival Time” during the late night set, with other members of MMJ sitting in at various points as well.

Likewise, Wilco brought out some special guests and celebrated a national treasure during their headlining performance last night. During “Handshake Drugs, ”Tim Barnes, who augmented the band on the 2004 studio album A Ghost Is Born, played percussion. The band also sang “Happy Birthday” to Woody Guthrie, who celebrated his centennial on Saturday, before “A Shot In The Arm.” Meanwhile, rising indie-jam group Real Estate also got into the interactive spirit by passing out beach balls and starting a beach party during their short performance.