LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Blues Traveler Perform Like Legends
Matt Jameson
It was a hot evening, and the tiny town of Jacksonville Oregon was crawling with hundreds of Blues Traveler fans. I’ve written about the Britt festival a couple of times before. It’s a once semi-unknown local festival that has grown into a regionally recognized musical destination for artists, performers, and thespians. The cool thing about Britt is that it’s a great outdoor venue with a campground feel. Plus, you can bring your own alcohol. ‘Nuff said.
Since first watching the VH1 behind the music on this group, I’ve been aching to see them live. The great thing about this band is the stark honesty of their lyrics and personalities. Front man John Popper has never held back during interviews about the bands grateful dead-esque beginnings, or his own personal health issues. Once over 300 pounds, Popper has turned his life around following a narrow miss with cardiac problems. His huge persona has only grown larger since his dramatic weight loss. Once imprisoned by the typical rock and roll drug scene, this band has pulled themselves together and remained a solid act since their inception into the major label scene some 15 years ago.
One thing is immediately apparent once Blues Traveler takes the stage. These guys know how to make an entrance. The stage goes dark and lyrics to the familiar theme song of Team America World Police begins. Classic.
Overall the show was excellent and the crowd loved every minute of it. It is absolutely amazing to watch Popper play the blues harp in person. Combine this with his stunning ability to pull of scatting and you’ll find yourself very entertained. Their set was excellent, and included a few songs I did not recall hearing before. The music was tight and their sound was amazing.
The only nitpicking to be done surrounds the closing of the show. The band went into a medley of short blended cover tunes that left me feeling a bit like watching a lounge singer show. I was relieved when they closed their set with run-around, their most popular radio song.
The evening was perfect, the show was great; and I felt myself leaving with the feeling that I had just seen a legend perform. Experiences like that are far and few between anymore, and I would certainly recommend their live show to people of any age.
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