Our old pal Marc Nischan was kind enough to hook in again and check the fantastic JD McPherson last week over at the Magic Bag in Ferndale
If you haven't found your way to picking up JD's new record please do so now
Tell them MCB sent ya
Thursday night marked the second time JD McPherson has played the Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI. The last show was absolutely amazing but Thursday night’s show proved that JD and Co. rock the house every night.
They played a scorching, solid hour-plus set with all of the favorites from the band’s 2012 Rounder Records release, Signs And Signifiers including Fire Bug, and of course the crowd favorite North Side Gal. Peppered in to the set were a few classic swing/jazz numbers and the stellar number Abagail Blue from JD’s old band The Stark Weather Boys.
Man, can those guys swing!
They played a scorching, solid hour-plus set with all of the favorites from the band’s 2012 Rounder Records release, Signs And Signifiers including Fire Bug, and of course the crowd favorite North Side Gal. Peppered in to the set were a few classic swing/jazz numbers and the stellar number Abagail Blue from JD’s old band The Stark Weather Boys.
There are a ton of bands in what I’ll loosely call the vein of “Americana,” whether that’s rockabilly, roots country or just straight rock’n’ roll. What really makes this band stand out from a sea of really talented bands is the masterful way that they handle the dynamics of the songs they perform. From the haunting, mellow roll of the title track Signs And Signifiers to a full on rave like Scratching Circles, the band can turn up the energy or dial it back to keep the crowd eating out of their hands for the whole show.
JD McPherson has criss-crossed America and touring in support of Signs And Signifiers and even kicked off 2013 with a tour in Europe before returning to the U.S. and it’s no wonder that they’ve earned the bragging rights for having the most-played album of the year on Americana radio according to Rounder Records.
McPherson and his band appeared on Conan, the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and performed for wildly enthusiastic audiences all over the country and are slated to play the Bonnaroo music festival later this year. What I’m really looking forward to is another killer album from JD, and although there’s no official info about upcoming releases, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that there was a new album out by this time next year.
