It's a rare and dear thing to watch a big break-out act come back to play its hometown. I imagine The Avett Brothers Asheville, North Carolina New Year's show this year was a special one.
North Florida native JJ Grey and his band Mofro played Freebird Live in Jacksonville for a 3-night run on New Years Eve, Jan. 1 and Jan. 2. I caught the Jan. 2 show and it was special, indeed. What can you say about a crowd which sings the lyrics to "Lochloosa" so loud that JJ Grey just stops and directs it all with a huge grin? This song is a sad tale of the development-bombed landscape that our state has become, and JJ sings his wrenching lament with heart. I got goosebumps when the crowd bellowed with raised fists: "All we need is one more developer tearing our heart out!" "All we need is another shopping mall, another golf course, another gated community!"
Mofro was absolutely smoking, with hot horns, a killer drummer and JJ's bad-ass guitar, harmonica playing, and soul-drenched vocals. JJ wails like the soul great that he is, on a par with the Otis Reddings and Wilson Picketts of the world.
JJ Grey and Mofro are off on Jamcruise. When they hit land, they will play two more Florida dates with New Orleans funk powerhouse Galactic: Jan. 8 at Orlando's House of Blues, and Jan. 9 at Fort Lauderdale's Revolution. Catch 'em if you can, you won't be disappointed.
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