Photos by Michael Weintrob

My Morning Jacket kicked off a three-night run at Port Chester, NY’s Capitol Theatre last night. It was the band’s first show at the recently renovated theater, and MMJ’s crew supplied the Cap with custom-designed images to use with the theater’s psychedelic projections.

In the weeks leading up to their Cap run, the members of My Morning Jacket promised “no repeats” during their three-night stand, and last night they delivered a set filled with rarities. Though the band surveyed all of their studio albums and several of their EPs, they paid careful attention to their earlier albums. Of particular note, My Morning Jacket offered five songs from their 1999 debut The Tennessee Fire: “Heartbreaking Man,” “Evelyn is Not Real,” “Nashville to Kentucky,” “It’s About Twilight” and “Now Butch Cassidy.” My Morning Jacket rarely played material from The Tennessee Fire for a number of years but the album’s core songs returned to regular rotation when the band played the album in its entirety in 2010. They have continued to pepper their setlists with early songs during their fan-selection The Spontaneous Curation Series shows this year.

Last night, the group busted out some rarities, too. Early in the set the band debuted the funk instrumental original instrumental “Octoplasm,” which fans have been requesting since MMJ released it to their Roll Call fan club members via their Self-Hypnosis Series in April, 2011. Later in the night, My Morning Jacket performed “Sooner,” from the Chocolate and Ice EP, for the first time since October 21, 2010.

Frontman Jim James mentioned that the days between the holidays and New Year’s Eve were his favorite time of the year due to their sentimental moments. They also nodded to the holiday spirit with the At Dawn song “X-Mas Curtain” and the rarely played track “Welcome Home,” off of the band’s 2011 Christmas iTunes release. MMJ highlighted their diverse influences as well with cover of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone.” In addition, the evening featured several pockets of improvisation as well the extended EP track “Cobra.”

Deer Trick opened the night and nodded to their Nirvana tribute project with a cover of “In Bloom.” MMJ will return to the Cap this evening.

Here’s a look at last night’s setlist via Setlist.fm

Thursday, December 27, Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

Heartbreakin Man
X-Mas Curtain
Outta My System
Evelyn Is Not Real
Octoplasm
The Way That He Sings
Off The Record
Steam Engine
Sooner
Thank You Too!
You Wanna Freak Out
Nashville to Kentucky
Strangulation!
Smokin From Shootin
Tyrone (Erykah Badu cover)
It’s About Twilight Now
Mahgeetah

E:
Butch Cassidy
Bermuda Highway
Welcome Home
The Day Is Coming
Cobra
Gideon