Jerry Joseph and Friends Overcome Doom, Gloom and Plenty of Smoke For Special Portland Performance (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

On Saturday, September 12th, a group of friends braved adverse conditions and came together outside of Portland, Oregon to celebrate the birthday of a longtime fan of Jerry Joseph. Joseph brought along his band, The Jackmormons, as well as a couple of guest musicians to play two full sets of music. Poor air quality and global pandemic be damned, people traveled to attend this show, and guests sported varying sorts and styles of facial coverings and respirators to match their comfort levels.

The Jackmormons are made up of Joseph on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Drizos on drums, and Stevie James Wright on bass. On this night, the lineup was fortified with frequent collaborators Jenny Conlee-Drizos (The Decemberists, Black Prairie) on keys and Al Toribio (Renegade Saints, Mexican Gunfight) on guitar. The Jackmormons are as tight a band as you’ll find, and both guests proved their mettle with some inspired solos during two sets of longtime favorites, a few covers (including a run through “Pressure Drop” in honor of  the recently departed Frederick “Toots” Hibbert), and a few cuts from Joseph’s new album, The Beautiful Madness.

After decades of delivering hard-charging live shows and releasing album after album full of poignant rock songs with lyrics that cut to the bone, The Beautiful Madness is earning Joseph some much-deserved media attention. Produced by Patterson Hood and backed by Hood’s band Drive-By Truckers, The Beautiful Madness finds Joseph at the top of his songwriting game. You can read our review of the album here.

In addition to his catalog of studio albums and live releases, you can catch Joseph on Thursday evenings during his Happy Book Live weekly livestream.

Jerry Joseph, Craig’s Birthday Party, Portland, Oregon, 9-12-2020

Set I: Positive Vibration, Brother Number One, Pressure Drop, Wonder Wheel, Fastest Horse, Days of Heaven

Set II: Bone Towers, San Acacia, Staple Gun, Bouncing Very Well, Istanbul, Speedwater > Craters of the Moon > Let It Be > Speedwater