Review: Eddie 9V Brings Honky-Tonk Swagger and Southern Soul to Jannus Live

The Georgia bluesman mixed blues-rock, swamp funk, and plenty of stage banter during his St. Petersburg stop.

With his cowboy hat, shades, beard and all, Eddie 9V looked like he could've wandered straight out of a Hank Jr. tribute band.

But the Georgia bluesman brought more than Bocephus swagger to St. Petersburg's Jannus Live. He had a personality as big as his music, cracking jokes and swapping stories between songs while leading his band through a sound that rarely stayed in one lane.

With ample standing room left in the courtyard, much of the evening's energy came from the stage. And Mr. 9V, it seemed, had plenty to spare.

"Down Here," an unreleased track from his forthcoming album, offered a welcome dose of country storytelling, following a working man with an aching body, empty pockets, and little to show for his labor. Keyboardist Chad Mason added some roadhouse piano to the mix, establishing himself early as one of the night's musical standouts.

"Blowing Up," a recent single, cranked things up a notch with a gritty blues-rock riff and country-boogie rhythm.

"Baby mama, just you wait and see / This town will make a star of me," Eddie sang, promising to paint the whole town red.

"Yella Alligator" then switched gears into swamp funk, grabbing attention with a change in rhythm. "Little Black Flies" dipped into the warm Southern soul of Muscle Shoals, while the familiar "Halo" helped pull the audience back in after the occasional lull.

While Eddie commanded the stage, Mason provided much of the evening's musical color. His organ helped carry the band through its frequent shifts between blues, funk, and soul, and "Satisfy the Way I Do" gave the keyboardist another opportunity to stretch out on a solo.

For all his lyrical bravado, Eddie was quick to poke fun at himself.

When a recurring squeal of feedback interrupted the early set, he jokingly instructed bassist Lane Kelly, his brother, to stay in the one spot where the problem seemed to disappear.

He also recalled opening for the Black Keys in Clearwater and seemed surprised by how many Jannus attendees had caught the performance.

"I wish we could tour with them forever," he joked. "We could pay all our bills at once."

But the evening's most fitting local connection came when Eddie introduced Lane and recalled their aunt used to run Ringside Cafe, the longtime live music staple that once stood next door to Jannus Live.

Despite the family connection, Eddie joked that she told the brothers they weren't big enough to play there.

Now, they were performing next door.

A tease of Collective Soul's "Shine" then stretched beyond a minute before Eddie apologized for his apparent ADD and moved along. It was a veteran move, using a familiar riff to pull the audience back in without committing to the whole song.

The final third of the performance eased into a softer stretch, with the laid-back groove of "Love Moves Slow" recalling William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got." "3 AM in Chicago" continued the soulful direction, giving the band room to explore a gentler side of its sound.

The energy picked up again when Eddie welcomed opening act Katie Skeen back to the stage for J.J. Cale's "Cajun Moon."

The band kicked off the tune with a driving rhythm closer to Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" than Cale's laid-back original. Eddie and Skeen squared off, trading guitar licks before Skeen stepped to the microphone and pulled the song back toward its familiar, easygoing groove.

Eddie appeared thrilled by the musical exchange, grinning as he encouraged Skeen to stretch out on another solo. The two continued trading riffs, each giving the other something new to answer.

Skeen stayed for "Saratoga" before Eddie dispensed with the usual encore routine.

"Normally I'd leave, but let's skip that part," he told the crowd. "Don't need you to chant my name."

Instead, the audience began chanting for Skeen.

Eddie laughed it off and launched into "Whole Lot Coming for You," a high-energy blues rocker that gave the evening one last jolt. After spending much of the night commanding the stage with his oversized personality, he handed the finish to drummer David Green, whose solo closed the show.

For a guy who sings about becoming a star, Eddie 9V seemed perfectly happy sharing the spotlight.