img_5808.jpgWhen North Mississippi played the Farm last year, I left at setbreak. They had Jon Spencer in tow, billed as Spencer-Dickinson for the opening set, and I thought my eardrums were going to literally bleed out of my head. For a band that normally comes out with a low key swagger and then flips your face off, the ridiculous antics of overboard showman Spencer were too much to handle.

So I wondered if that failed (in my opinion) tour had some effect on them moving to the Pour House this Wednesday, a significantly smaller venue. However it was that the Pour House managed to pull off NMAS, it was a good call. By the end of “Shake What Yo Mama Gave You” (second song) the room was absolutely exploding. Luther was grinning ear to ear. By “Shake ‘em on Down” I was making bold claims about his slide playing rivaling Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.

And while it’d be hard to rate those three, Luther’s nuts. The whole band is. North Mississippi is as good as any act I’ve seen in awhile . They brought out Alvin Youngblood Hart for about an hour of the set, and “Let My Baby Ride” in the encore had me jumping up and down.

After Stephen Marley on Tuesday, I almost didn’t make it out. I’m glad I did — seeing them at the Pour House felt like being there for a moment in history. And it’s nice to get your face completely rocked off now and then.

(Photos by John Zara)

img_5797.jpg