Five piece Blackberry Smoke blew into Cambridge from Atlanta to be greeted with a packed out crowd at the Junction 1. Paul Jackson, Charlie Starr, Brandon Still, Brit Turner and Rich Turner have actually been tearing up the U.K. for the past week as part of a European tour on the back of this year's live album, 'Leave a Scar, Live: North Carolina'.
Formed in 2000 the band are three studio albums old. 'Bad Luck ain't No Crime (2004), Little Piece of Dixie (2009) and The Whippoorwill (2012) and their fan base is growing.
This was a rip-roaring rocking set (circa 1977). Nearest comparison and one which the band seem to encourage is their home town heroes Lynyrd Skynyrd (Workin' for MCA appears in the encore) and it really is time machine stuff if like me anyone experienced mark 1 Lynyrd Skynyrd in their prime.
By no means are Blackberry Smoke any sort of tribute band however, they have a growing rich catalogue of original songs in that 'Southern Rock style'. A cross selection of songs are played tonight from all three albums, those that lead singer Paul Jackson says are popular back home. Well they are certainly popular this side of the water as well now!
A couple of slower paced country style ballads sprinkled the set and 'The Whippoorwill' a ballad itself was pretty much sung word for word by the audience.
After the gig there were bootleg T-Shirt sellers outside which is always a sign of popularity, unless they thought it was Black Cherry Smoke playing at the venue!
Pete
Set-list
Like I Am
Leave a Scar
Pretty Little Lie
Scare the Devil
Six Ways to Sunday
Good One Comin' On
Crimson Moon
Sleepin' Dogs
Everybody Knows She's Mine
The Whippoorwill
Sanctified Woman
Up in Smoke
Ain't Got the Blues
Who Invented the Wheel
One Horse Town
Ain't Much Left of Me
Encore
Workin' for MCA
Shakin' Hands with the Holy Ghost