Jimbo Mathus
June 22, 2006
The Flying Anvil
Greensboro, N.C.

It had been quite a while since former Squirrel Nut Zippers frontman Jimbo Mathus had played a show in the Greensboro area.

That may have been evidenced by the small turnout for his show at The Flying Anvil.

It would be sad to think that North Carolina has forgotten one of its best blues guitarists.

Sure, he may have moved to Clarksdale, Miss., a few years ago - though now he calls Memphis, Tenn., home - but for years, Mathus would pack local clubs as he tore the joint up with his smoking Southern blues riffs.

While he may have packed Cafe Europa and the Green Bean a few years ago, he only drew about 30 people to The Anvil.

Those in attendance weren't disappointed. He didn't play anything from his latest acoustic release, "Old School Hot Wings," but he tore through a number of blues songs with his band, Knockdown South.

Laid back, as always, Mathus appeared to have fun from the get go. I would give his bandmates as much credit - though he didn't introduce them, to my knowledge.

Mathus is never one to travel without the best musicians he can find, and those with him on stage last night were as good as any others he's played with.

Though his show ventured into jam-band territory, as the four-piece wandered and riffed over standard blues chords, it was more about the talent than the song.

Mathus' pick-free strumming and down-and-dirty style of guitar got the crowd moving for the duration of the hour-and-a-half set.

Hopefully, next time, more will be there to witness it.

Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at June 23, 2006 10:10 AM