By Christopher TaylorJustin Brogdon’s set at the Boar’s Head Saturday, March 3, 2009, was a mixed bag of acoustic covers. His selection ranged from Dave Loggins to the Black Crowes to Bob Dylan.
A stylistic chameleon, Brogdon’s vocals, at different times throughout his set, a touch of Damien Rice’s crooning, Kenny Rogers’s Twang, and Brad Arnold (of 3 Doors Down fame)’s affected growl. He seemed to try and tailor his sound to individual songs, but as the night wore on and he had a few more beers, his voice seemed to move toward a more consistent southern drawl, and remain there.
His voice wasn’t without flaws; he didn’t hit every note quite right. His range seemed fairly limited; he didn’t dare attempt many notes in the upper registers, nor lower his voice to Johnny Cash levels. Yet it was not without a kind of homegrown, self-taught charm that Brogdon sang through the night. His DIY enthusiasm mostly made up for any technical shortcomings.
Just as musically varied and creative was his guitar playing. For some songs, he’d de-tune, try a different style of picking, or just use his fingers. Toward the end of the night, for a particularly bluesy rendition of Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” he used his beer bottle as a glass slide both to great musical effect (he’d obviously practiced this) and to great amusement among the crowd.
Brogdon was quite skilled at drawing the crowd’s attention in general. He played the outdoor patio section of the bar, and even on a cold Saturday night with a warm cellar, full bar and plenty of games below, over the course of his set, much of the bar’s indoor patrons filtered out into the cold to hear him. What little conversation there was remained respectfully quiet, and conceded the battle of focus to him. It is clear he’s more than comfortable with audiences, particularly relatively small and intimate ones like the Boar’s Head patrons.
Justin Brogdon has some roots in music, but mostly succeeds as an entertainer. His frankness and willingness to talk to the crowd do him credit. His use of props and ability to play to the crowd are generally amusing and occasionally inspired. His song selection is interesting and varied, staying mostly somewhere in the realm of rock; nothing too horrendously popular, but mostly tunes the majority have heard. I can’t say that he’s an excellent musician, but I will say that I was well-entertained for an hour or so, and that I’d certainly see him again.
Click here to see a video of a Justin Brogdon performance
No comments:
Post a Comment