There are so many reasons to love rock and roll.
The spontaneity, the freedom and the grittiness it can evoke make it more than a just an idea; those things make it a way of life.
So, imagine the delight that an electrified Skipper’s Smokehouse crowd felt Friday night when Oklahoma native JD McPherson made his Tampa debut. Bursting at the seams with all of the things that make a rock show great, McPherson’s set showed off his many talents and seemed to only heat up as the night progressed.
Photos: JD McPherson at Skipper's Smokehouse
Diving headfirst into a sizzling, 90-minute performance that never lost any steam, McPherson and his four-piece band wasted no time getting down to business by kicking things off with “Desperate Love,” the superb opening cut from his latest studio album, 2017’s Undivided Heart & Soul. It was instantly obvious that McPherson’s wasn’t your run-of-the-mill rock band. Between the frontman’s strong, commanding vocals, drummer Jason Smay’s steady and sturdy beats and Jimmy Sutton’s booming basslines, the crowd got an immediate dose of what it was in for.
All night long — and with the utmost reverence for the music he loves — McPherson juggled cuts from all of his extraordinary albums (except for last year’s holiday record, Socks) and worked through a staggering array of styles, genres and tempos.
Effortlessly switching gears from the soul-infused rockabilly of “Crying’s Just a Thing That You Do” to the blues-tinged “Country Boy,” McPherson — dressed in a vintage Hawaiian shirt, slacks and black boots — was in total command of his arsenal of talents, especially his engaging stage presence and that rich, versatile voice. Not to be overlooked, however, are his chops. McPherson would be a major factor in any band thanks to his guitar skills, but the way he led the band, sang and interacted with a mesmerized crowd made him a bona fide force. There aren’t many guys out there who can do what McPherson does — or do it that well.
But a band is only as good as its individual parts, and each part of McPherson’s band was dynamic and essential. On keyboards and organ was Raynier Jacildo, who added the perfect enhancement to each number by playfully working samba and Booker T & The MGs-inspired R&B riffs in between songs. Doug Corcoran added stylish saxophone to the mix when he wasn’t complementing McPherson’s razor sharp guitar work with his own six-string magic. McPherson, for his part, magnificently shifted from rockabilly to R&B to fuzz pedal-driven garage-rock, and nailed all of them.
He engaged with the crowd, acknowledged audience members who also went to an Orlando performance and genuinely thanked the boisterous attendees for coming out and supporting him; McPherson seemed every bit the humble, down-to-earth guy that his records suggest he is.
And McPherson showcased his stamina as the perfectly balmy night flew by. The thumping, supercharged rocker “Head Over Heels” (from his fantastic sophomore album, 2015’s Let the Good Times Roll) opened the proverbial floodgates, and the band seemed to step it up a notch or three. A show that started strong only got better, tighter, and more energetic with each passing number.
The night’s closing tune, a revved-up reading of “North Side Gal,” found McPherson extending his mic into an audience which gladly sang the song’s chorus back to him. The cut from his very first album was a fitting way to end a show that was an unpredictable journey through McPherson’s catalog of so many standout songs.
McPherson (as he mentioned to in an interview with CL) was determined to find a good Cuban sandwich during his first trip to Tampa.
“I had one for dinner last night,” he said, “and one for breakfast today.”
Hopefully, those Tampa staples keep McPherson, his knockout sets, heartfelt delivery and endless well of charm coming back. Those lucky enough to witness this performance undoubtedly saw one of the best nights of rock and roll to sweep across our backyard in quite a long time. And those who missed it will more than likely catch McPherson’s next trek through the area after the word gets out.
I’ve seen a lot of shows, and I’ve witnessed a lot of great performances, so I feel more than equipped to quote one of McPherson’s song titles when describing this memorable night: It shook me up. And it reminded me of all the reasons why rock and roll can be such a transforming, transcendent force.
Despite some popular opinions, rock and roll is alive and well — especially when someone like McPherson keeps it going in such a faithful, genuine and sincere fashion. This is one night we won’t soon forget.
This article appears in Feb 21-28, 2019.