Northern Florida quintet plays bayou style for Bluebird Nightclub

Northern Florida isn't known for much. But can you blame it? Referred to as the "blackwater region of florida," it is a land with an alligator population almost as large as its human population -- densely occupied by miles of swamps and marshes which host the region's alligator community. It is here the feet-stomping, chair-rocking sounds of Mofro originated. And Monday night at the Bluebird Nightclub, they treated fans to an hour and a half of southern-fried blues, soul and funk.\nIf there's a way to combine and perfect front-porch blues with southern-style soul, Mofro figured it out a long time ago. Throughout the entire show, I kept having to remind myself I was still at the Bluebird and not at a smoky bar in St. Augustine, Fla., recanting alligator tales with the locals. The band's subtle Southern authenticity existed somewhere between lead singer John JJ Grey's home-made rocking chair and guitarist Daryl Hance's camouflage baseball cap. \nMofro's performance saw Grey hunched over in his rocking chair like a wise old story teller recanting tales of life on the bayou while an excellent rhythm section followed his lead. Nathan Shepherd's bluesy electric piano riffs highlighted Grey's vocals on "Air," a song I consider far superior to any Beck or Kenny Wayne Shepherd attempt to combine blues and soul together and do it well. \nBeyond Mofro's bass-style of blues and soul, they also throw in an extra-funky (and extra-southern) sound indicative of their regional culture. Bassist Fabrice Quentin fueled the funk of the song "Nare Sugar" as he plucked away at his punchy bass line. The song included a jazzy saxophone back-drop by Shepard as well. \n"How Junior Got His Head Put Out" was an unusually upbeat and positive-sounding song considering its melancholy implications toward suicide. Who knew mental health problems could sound so good? \nBut Mofro's performance lacked a little in sound distribution. Often I felt the keyboards or drums (played by Tim Stombaugh) were a little overpowering. This kept Hance's guitar at bay for a good portion of the show. I admit that when I strained to listen for the guitar it sounded good, but I shouldn't have to strain my ears to identify a particular musical section in the first place.\nAside from the minor setback of sharing the soundboard ineffectively, Mofro put on a very laid-back yet emotional set of Blackwater bayou blues. If you ever happen to find yourself driving through the northern part of Florida during the wee hours of the night on your way to South Beach, I recommend Mofro's music to you. Hopefully, it will make the drive more tolerable, but at the very least it will make you feel like a full-blooded Blackwater native. \nMofro is currently on tour in support of their album, Blackwater.