JJ Grey & Mofro at Waterfest in Oshkosh was Absolute Perfection!

As I scoped out Waterfest, I noticed Railbirds were already holding their places early. I watched the boats docking on the Fox River, people gathering on the riverwalk, people placing their lawn chairs into position, and the VIP section starting to fill. This is such a great little venue and so perfect for a family night of live music. I did not mind the distance between Milwaukee to Oshkosh because I knew this was my only chance to see JJ Grey & Mofro in 2021. The night was beautiful, with perfect weather, awesome fans, and one heck of a performance by JJ Grey & Mofro. It was, for many of us, as if nothing else mattered other than our time and place with this band. Disclaimer: I have no idea how many times I have seen JJ Grey & Mofro, but I can tell you it’s lots, and I am not tired yet!

Who’s in Mofro anyway?
The current Mofro members are Craig Barnette (drums), Eric Brigmond (keys & trombone), Dennis Marion (trumpet), Marcus Parsley (trumpet), Todd Smallie (bass), and Pete Winders (guitar). JJ Grey always has a way to showcase each member during his concerts, which helps the audience make connections with the band. As a fan, you suddenly realize you get excited about each member’s solo and how smoothly they transition this into the setlist.

New Song, Next Album
Wonderland is the new song, and it was well-received by the Waterfest fans, as JJ Grey surveyed our response as smoothly as he does. I caught his grin in response to our approval before he told us “it may make the next album.” What a tease! He made no further mention of when the next album will be released. I remain confident it will be sometime before year-end 2022 and I am not just speaking full of “hopium” here.

The Show & Setlist
JJ Grey & Mofro took the stage in a parade format, with JJ Grey leading while playing harmonica, and we realized it was “How Junior Got His Head Put Out” from the Lochloosa album. “A Woman,” from Country Ghetto was next and the audience was settled in and swaying while singing along with JJ Grey & Mofro. “Sweetest Thing,” off Georgia Warhorse, was next, and my spot check of the crowd showed they knew the lyrics too, as JJ Grey told us they were routing home and he looked forward to seeing his little girl.

Suddenly JJ Grey performed a great cover of “Hey Joe” highlighted by his soulful, swamp-funk vocals. How he holds his notes and plays guitar, with Dennis and Marcus blowing trumpets, and Eric on the Hohner organ with Todd holding down the low end, and Craig keeping everyone together are what makes this a great cover.

The way JJ Grey shares his childhood stories and life experiences are so easy for listeners to picture his descriptions in our minds, as if we were somehow there, while he also pulls us closer to knowing parts of who he is. We got a great childhood memory from JJ Grey as “Jookhouse,” from the Blackwater album was next, with a little change-up on the lyrics from the album version, which was fine with Waterfest.

“Brave Lil’ Fighter” from Ol’ Glory was next, followed by “Lochloosa” and then the new “Wonderland” song.

They had us in their groove with an extended “Slow Hot & Sweaty,” from Georgia Warhorse, and from there we heard “99 Shades of Crazy” from This River, making sure he stumbled through Wisconsin, with his slight change in lyrics. This song always makes me grin because I know how being so angry and resentful has put me on the same “bound for Chattahoochee on a turnip truck!” The song is also another example of what a great songwriter JJ is, by making his songs so relatable and usable in our lives.

Blackwater’s “Ho Cake” was next, and we were bopping around to their swamp funk while singing along, then back to his Country Ghetto album with “The Sun Is Shining Down.” At this point, I wonder what it’s like to be performing to an audience who remains able to lip-sync back to them because all of these songs don’t exactly get mainstream radio play. Certainly, they get we are so invested in their music and so appreciative they routed to Waterfest.

The encore was “Brighter Days,” from Blackwater, and the title track from Ol’ Glory. Hardly anyone left the Leach Amphitheater before the show ended. I took a peek at the merchandise while I made my way to the exit when a woman asked which album she should get. I told her “all of them” and heads turned to look at me like I was a weirdo. I explained JJ Grey & Mofro have never made a bad album, which is why you need all of them. Heck, I have all of them and could never favor one album above the others.