So there’s this band, Blacktop Mojo, that’s been getting a lot of attention as of late. I thought I’d get out to see them play and find out if the hype is justified.
When I arrived at Dante’s in Portland, OR., opening band Within The Pyre was in full swing. Within The Pyre had a great vibe with some pretty heavy guitar riffs. Unfortunately, the vocals were lost in the mix and didn’t shine through as much as they should have.
Another local band right out of St. Helens, Set In Stone, provided main support for the night. The crowd at Dante’s was starting to fill out when Set In Stone took the stage. Not as heavy as the opening band Within The Pyre, this five-piece had a great balance between crushing guitar and melodic vocals. Lead singer AJ Hendricks, although relatively soft spoken, demonstrated excellent vocal control and a wide range througout the set. Guitarist Matt Trexler, clearly a stage veteran, roamed throughout the venue during the set, walking off stage and through the crowd while never missing a note.
When headliner Blacktop Mojo came on, it was clear that they’ve gathered quite a following. Seemingly, from out of nowhere, fans adorned in Blacktop Mojo shirts and merch filled out the floor area near the stage. Blacktop Mojo opened up with “Lay It On Me”, the first track off their new album Under The Sun. After setting up a groove with that opening track, they shifted into “Burn The Ships” from their album of the same name. Bassist Matt Curtis lunged, bounced, and strutted around the stage, clearly in the zone.
Blacktop Mojo also performed Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”, as an acoustic duet with Matt Curtis on guitar and singer Matt James belting out the words. The crowd at Dante’s were all singing along and for the drum fill, Matt asked the audience to help clap it out. Apparently, it wasn’t done satisfactorily though. Stopping the song, he said “Come on, that’s one of the most iconic drum solos ever. We’ve got to do better than that”. I guess people decided to put down their drinks for the second go ’round because we were able to get through to the end. Good job, Portland. When all was said and done, Blacktop Mojo played eleven songs and left quite an impression on the folks that had gathered at Dante’s to see what all the fuss was about.
The band will be making their way east with tour dates into July. Get out there and find your mojo.
