The North Mississippi Allstars are a fine advertisement for everything still vital in American roots music. Rock, blues, soul and country all feed into the sound, but nothing feels preserved under glass. The band treats the tradition as living material, bending it into something loose, modern and distinctly their own. The short support set mixes obscure covers with material from the excellent World Boogie Is Coming, and even in reduced form the breadth of the band comes through clearly. There is grit, swing and plenty of improvisational freedom, but also a strong sense of songcraft underneath it all.
As an opening act for a rock legend, they do exactly what they should: make the room pay attention and leave it wanting a longer set.
