The John Popper Project Preview

The John Popper Project
Abbey Pub, Chicago
Wednesday, October 25, 2006

We can’t explain it, but somehow Blues Traveler evaded the flash-in-the-pan status nearly everyone thought they were destined for when they struck gold with “Run-Around” in the mid ’90s.

Not only are the Travelers still going strong (though founding bassist Bobby Sheehan died of a drug overdose in 1999) but the New York group is now . . . hip! They even landed a cherry 7:30-8:30 Sunday night time slot at last summer’s Lollapalooza. So while the news Blues Traveler frontman John Popper has teamed with the cutting edge DJ Logic might sound surprising, it’s just all part of bein’ in the in crowd, baby.

The self-titled debut (Relix) from the band (completed by Mosaic drummer Marcus Bleeker and Blues Traveler bassist Tad Kinchla) was released earlier this month and is a pretty successful experimentation. A few songs (“Everything,” “Open Hand”) simply sound like Blues Traveler songs with some turntable scratching, but the rest is a impressive hybrid of sounds. Logic adds hazy trip-hop to the already sultry “Fire In Her Kiss” (featuring Gov’t Mule frontman/guitarist Warren Haynes), a bouncing beat to the Hurricane Katrina-anthem “Louisiana Sky,” and an electro freak out to “Horses.” Even the late-’80s Def Jam cowbell loop and manic scratching at the beginning of “All Good Children” works with Popper’s big-air attack. One complaint, though, “Lapdance”‘s “cigarette ashes/thrust to thrust/move with me until you bust” refrain is a little icky, even post Popper’s gastric bypass surgery.

— Trevor Fisher

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly