A Monstrous three hours

There were all sorts of signs that the members of new all-star band Monsters of Folk were having as much fun as the crowd Thursday night at the Orpheum Theatre.

Like, for instance, the fact that the show went on for three hours. And the way the band's core all-star trio -- My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, Bright Eyes namesake Conor Oberst and solo indie-rocker M. Ward -- earnestly sang each other's songs. Or how those three singer/songwriters gladly alternated playing on the least starry instrument of the night, bass guitar (at least it lacked sex appeal in this "folk" band).

There was an unpretentious, share-alike joy to Thursday's show that was obvious and infectious -- even when the band delivered such dour songs as the faith-questioning "Dear God (Sincerely MOF)," the opener to the group's month-old eponymous debut album.

The band's origins go back to 2004 when Oberst, James and Ward did a couple of acoustic tours together. Rounded out by fourth member/utility player Mike Mogis and added drummer Will Johnson (of the Texas band Centromatic), the group certainly lived up to its folky moniker for about three-quarters of its performance. In addition to such album tracks as the pedal-steel-laden "The Right Place" and Dylan-esque "Man Named Truth" early in the show, the members teamed up for acoustic-heavy versions of songs from their other acts.

If you had to break it down by individual members, the Portland, Ore.-based Ward had the best showing of the night -- perhaps by design since he's not quite the star that James and Oberst are. His "One Hundred Million Years" produced the first loud woo-hoos from the crowd, and his piano-plunking performance of "Vincent O'Brien" evoked Jerry Lee Lewis.

James, on the other hand, helmed the best of the new "Monsters" tracks, including the songs that ended the regular set ("Losin' Yo Head") and the encore ("His Master's Voice"). But then Oberst and Mogis -- whose Omaha roots helped make Bright Eyes a favorite in the Twin Cities -- provided a couple of crowd favorites with "Another Traveling Song" and a bluegrassy "Bottom of Everything (We Must Sing)."

Surprisingly, Thursday's show was far from a sellout, even though both James and Oberst have filled the Orpheum with their other bands. But that was just one of many clues that Monsters of Folk is a truly unique beast. Too bad more fans didn't turn out to appreciate the beauty of it.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658