Article & Photos by: Linda Carlson

Lexington, KY – It was not a bad night to make the jaunt from Cincinnati to Lexington to catch Blacktop Mojo at Manchester Music Hall.  The band hit the stage to bring good southern rock to their Kentucky fans.

Opening the evening first was The Damn Shames from Bowling Green, Kentucky.  They lived up to their tag line, “the southern rock band ya mama been talkin’ that mess about!”  Good music!

Next on tap were The Josephines, a regional favorite, also from Bowling Green, KY.  The band is Brad Tabor (lead vocals, guitar), Zach Lindsey (guitar), Alex Lindsey (guitar) and David Page (drums), who together have an extremely lively on-stage energy.  Tabor in particular has a penchant for rowdiness, and a sip of whiskey from time to time enhanced the charm.

Both openers were fine pairings for Blacktop Mojo.  Matt James (vocals), Matt Curtis (bass), Chuck Wepfer (rhythm guitar), Malcolm Booher (lead guitar) and Nathan Gillis (drums) put on a terrific set, hitting all the right chords with the crowd.

Performed as the last song of the band’s encore, the band played “Dream On,” their popular Aerosmith cover that has amassed more than 28 million views on YouTube.  It was cheered enthusiastically.

Blacktop Mojo is a guaranteed night of fun.  They are just finishing this tour leg, but check their website for upcoming shows this fall: https://blacktopmojo.com/pages/tour

Be sure to check out the image carousel below for photos from the night!