Blackberry Smoke w/ Temperance Movement at First Avenue, Minneapolis (27 Feb 2015)

Ben Miller Band

The evening began with a short set by the Ben Miller Band, an Ozark-fuelled mud-stomping Joplin, MO threesome that takes everything back to basics.  Miller plays banjo, guitar and harmonica through an old telephone receiver and cord, percussionist Doug Dicharry plays traditional percussion as well as washboard and spoons, and Scott Leeper plays a self-constructed bass, made from a weed eater string strung up a wooden pole on a metal washtub.



After opening for ZZ Top in 2013, the band returned with New West Records release, Any Way, Shape or Form last year. Set highlight was probably the ending medley which featured a sped-up mix of BMB originals and standards like Ram Jam’s ‘Black Betty’, all whirled about in a hootenanny hoedown.


There’s space at the table of classic-sounding British blues rock as well.

The Temperance Movement

Bands like Free, The Faces, and early Rolling Stones, Who and Led Zeppelin, helped set the tone of UK artists influenced by American blues originators like Howlin’ Wolf, Son House, and Muddy Waters. London-based The Temperance Movement refreshingly resuscitates that sound with its just released self-titled debut on Concord Music/Earache Records.

Temperance Movement: Phil Campbell

Singer Phil Campbell looks a little like a backwoods Thom Yorke and moves like a manic Mick Jagger.  Storming out of the gate with the new ‘Modern Massacre’, the song’s high-revv’d tempo lived up to the band’s description of it being a “real smack in the chest”.  The growly Campbell sounds a little like Chris Robinson, who himself channels those UK bands and earlier blues greats, but Campbell and co. mesh it all into a sound of their own, that looks forward with a nod to the past.



‘Pride’, done midway into their 40 min. set, is a slow building romp and the title track of their initial EP.  Last song, ’Take It Back’, started casually like ZZ Top’s ‘La Grange’ with Campbell wailing on harmonica and repeating the line, “it’s all gone, but it’s all right now” before drums and bass kicked it, with guitars following, for a restlessly ideal finish.



The band clearly won over the mostly unaware-of-them-previously audience who supported everything about them except the origin of their name – a social movement urging us to moderate our alcoholic consumption- as most held drinks and beers high as they left the stage.



The ‘Smoke has definitely been rising.  Since leaving Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Records last year, expectations were high for their new record, and as the chart positions show, they delivered.  The full crowd that was present for Blackberry Smoke’s 100 min. set was a good cross section of their fan base- motorcyle riders, country types, older classic rock fans, college students, and others.

Blackberry Smoke: Charlie Starr

Though the band doesn’t talk much between songs, its tight southern rock sound, ever-changing setlist, and choice covers, make them an entertaining watch.  The Georgia five-piece (Charlie Starr – Vocals/ Guitar; Richard Turner-  Bass; Brit Turner-  Drums;  Paul Jackson- Guitar; and Brandon Still – Keyboards) started their Friday night with ‘Six Ways to Sunday’, a not-so-subtle declaration of affection, then followed it up with the new album’s opener and band’s own declaration of independence, ‘Let Me Help You (Find the Door)’.



Starr and Jackson’s guitars alongside the Turner’s rhythm section provided a wall of deep-fried sound, while Still’s keyboards were mostly in the background, putting the seasoning on each of the tracks.  “Everybody feeling loose now?” Starr asked before slowing it down for ‘Sleeping Dogs’, from previous album, The Whippoorwill, which melded into a pitch-perfect refrain of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Your Time is Gonna Come’.   A verse from the 1929 blues classic ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’ led seamlessly into their own ‘Sanctified Woman’.

Setlist: Live Long and Prosper

Things slowed mid-set with the knee-slappin’ ‘Lay it All on Me’ and acoustic ‘Aint Got the Blues’, which had the crowd singing along with the chorus, causing Starr to mention, “you kick Kansas City’s a$$!”.  ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’, a song from 2003, was noted by Starr as the band finished as it being the first time it was played live, which seems surprising.



‘Leave a Scar’ the title of the band’s recent live double album, seemed an appropriate end to the main set;  then after a break, they re-emerged with an unexpected cover of ‘California Man’, a 1971 song by The Move, featuring co-lead vocals by ELO’s Jeff Lynne on the original.  The Allman-esque ‘Who Invented the Wheel’ followed, and the band wrapped with ‘Ain’t Much Left of Me’ which after 100+ min, is maybe what they were feeling, being spent after giving so much.


Southern Blues Rock has a band on a new level, as evidenced this night, and maybe UK blues rock has its newest shining star as well—places at the table have been assigned.