JJ Grey and Mofro: The Music Farm, Charleston, SC 1/21/11

During the past decade or so, JJ Grey and Mofro have ventured to Charleston 2-3 times each year. By now, fans know what to expect: sweaty, down-home, funky rock and roll, punctuated by the in-the-pocket meter of drummer Anthony Cole, a wall of horns and the formidable pipes of band leader JJ—and the band’s packed show at the Music Farm provided more of the same.

 As JJ and Mofro’s popularity have grown, so too has the front man’s stage presence and confidence, as well as his apparent delight in stirring the room’s energy with frequent instrument-less sing-alongs and shout-outs. The set started with an up-down-up trio of the surging “Country Ghetto,” a sultry rendition of “A Woman” and the cheerful “Brighter Days,” the last of which set the tone for the night: less frenetic than usual, more mid-tempo choices, lots of open space and plenty of room for the audience to join in on JJ’s well-known lyrics. Unfortunately, this led to somewhat lackluster versions of two of my Mofro favorites, “Dirt Floor Cracka” and “On Fire.” Rhythm- and structure-wise, the songs are perfect companions, dance-floor gold, but neither took flight.

Two classics, “Fireflies” and “Lochloosa,” played further on the audience-interaction theme, as each wound slowly through the melody with pauses along the way for JJ to strut, give props to his N. Florida homeland and generally ham it up for an adoring crowd. Though JJ was undoubtedly attraction #1, the band stretched out on “Orange Blossoms” and “Ho Cake,” during which Todd Smallie, Art Edmaiston, Dennis Marion and company emerged from the back-of-the-stage shadows.

I’ll likely continue to check out JJ and his team when they come to town—they’re always a reliably good time—but this last show left something to be desired. To be sure, this is JJ’s band, and his voice still commands the room, but this night I found myself longing for the days when that room was smaller, smokier, less bombastic.

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