By Michelle Morrissette Cucchiaro
Big Head Todd and the Monsters photos HERE
G Love and Special Sauce photos HERE
JJ Grey and Mofro photos HERE
Concerts at the beach are always fun no matter who is playing. You’ve got sun, sand and ton of vacationers having a blast. Add music and a cool place to listen and you’ve got yourself a ready-made party! The Casino Ballroom, located in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, is just such a place. I’ve been going there since I was a kid and it’s never disappointed me. With three very cool bands in the line-up for the evening’s entertainment, tonight would be no different.
The show started at 8pm and doors were open at 7pm. I arrived just about 7:30pm and the house was already packed. While all three bands that played were worthy of headlining, Big Head Todd and the Monsters were up first. Big Head Todd and the Monsters are a rock band formed in Colorado in the mid 80’s by Columbine High School classmates Todd Park Mohr (guitar and lead vocals), Brian Nevin (drums and vocals), and Robert Squires (bass and vocals). Along their successful path Jeremy Lawton was added on keyboards, pedal steel guitar and vocals. With a host of studio and live albums to their credit, one of which (Sister Sweetly) went platinum in 1993, it’s no surprise that thousands of fans across the country continue to flock to their live shows. Many of those fans were present at the Casino tonight and Todd and his Monsters did not disappoint. They rocked the house for a solid hour to applauding fans before handing over the stage to G.Love and Special Sauce.
G. Love and Special Sauce are an alternative hip hop band with a bluesy sound out of Philadelphia. The band formed in 1993 when Garrett Dutton (G. Love) was performing in a Boston bar and met Jeffrey Clemens (drums). The two hit it off and formed a duo and were later joined by bassist Jim Prescott. The group has had its differences with some members leaving the band but in the end the three remain together and continue to rock the house. They’ve got an incredibly interesting sound and by interesting I mean cool. G. Love will start a tune and you’re convinced its classic blues and a second later he takes off on a hip hop rant and the audience goes crazy. To say it’s entertaining doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. They are unique and very, very cool. Awesome band, awesome show!
Last but certainly not least, G.Love gave up the stage to JJ Grey and Mofro, a soulful and funky southern rock band with a splash of blues. JJ Grey and Mofro are a band out of Jacksonville, Florida who got their earliest start touring Europe under a label based in the United Kingdom. Mofro has seen a number of band members come and go since forming in the mid nineties. Present members include JJ Grey, Andrew Trube, Jeff Dazey, Dennis Marion, Anthony “AC” Cole, Anthony Farrell and Todd Smallie. Mofro has completed a number of studio albums the most recent of which is Ol’ Glory, released in February 2015.
In comparison to the first two bands, JJ Grey and Mofro had a much more soulful sound but equally as pleasing in a very different way. While song tempos ranged from an upbeat folk to an almost mournful slow soulful sound, every song was met by an eager and appreciative audience. It was a perfect end to a perfect evening. Three fantastic bands and a great venue made for one hell of a summer night out!
Big Head Todd and the Monsters, G.Love and Special Sauce, JJ Grey and Mofro – Jackpot at the Casino Ballroom!
