My Morning Jacket and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats See "Eye to Eye" in South Carolina

If you are happening upon this article as a Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats fan, then you are going to resonate deeply with my review of what I consider one of the greatest (and dare I say most underrated?) bands of the 21^st century. Formed in 2013, the group of seven is all soul, folk rock, Americana, and vintage rhythm & blues.  

They kicked off the show with their hit, “David and Goliath”, from their fourth studio album, South of Here. Nathaniel has openly shared his struggles with mental health issues and this song is a testament to overcoming those internal battles with anxiety. I find his fan base to be diverse overall (and that’s not biased— even though I did bring my grandparents to the show!) but when he sings about these heavy topics, you can feel the closeness and similarities among us, as we all shout the lyrics along with him! The band sang hit after hit, playing my favorites; “I’m On Your Side” and “Hey Mama”, to name a few. 

The band is touring with My Morning Jacket on their Eye to Eye Tour spanning over 11 cities. The two bands have decided to play equal sets and rotate with who plays first and last. I have never been to a tour that was evenly divided between two powerhouse bands and it was a treat! I didn’t feel cheated when Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats stopped playing as sometimes an opening act will do. I couldn’t fathom the thought of two more hours of music from the talented My Morning Jacket after a 21-song set from Nathaniel and the guys! Credit One Stadium houses 11,000 people and Thursday night did not disappoint with a packed house. 

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are Patrick Meese (drums), Joseph Pope III (bass), Mark Shusterman (keyboards), Luke Mossman (guitar), and Andy Wild (saxophone), with some rotating members depending on the tour. This was my sixth time (in three different states) seeing the band perform and I can say wholeheartedly that Nathaniel’s voice somehow gets better, and the band’s energy is magnetic! Jim James and Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket both jumped on stage to sing a Traffic cover, “Feelin’ Alright” with Nathaniel, and he joined them to sing “(You Can Never Tell) C’est La Vie” by Chuck Berry during their set. Overall, both bands left the crowds chanting for encores, with hoarse voices, after almost four hours of jamming! 

My Morning Jacket has been rocking for 26 years. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky, the indie, psychedelic, and alternative rock band consists of Jim James (vocals, guitar), Patrick Hallahan (drums), Tom Blankenship (bass), Carl Broemel (guitar), and Bo Koster (keyboards). The catchy name stems from Jim who found a jacket monogrammed with the letters “MMJ” and the rest is history. They have toured with Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and the great Bob Dylan. 

They’ve been called a jam band for their lengthy guitar riffs, but they prefer to fall into the alternative country and experimental rock categories. They played only 13 songs for their set, but those songs were captivating, and each one left you yearning for the next! Both lead singers released statements about this tour and the pure excitement they have about working alongside each other and it was truly something special to witness. Catch them on their remaining tour dates if you can!