Eric Johanson: Live in Mississippi Review
The exuberant crowd at Ground Zero Club in Biloxi, Mississippi recently welcomed a power trio lead by one of the most acclaimed modern blues guitarists – Eric Johanson. Luckily for all blues rock fans, the red dot indicating recording in progress was on that Friday night. “I want Live in Mississippi to make people feel like they’re at our show” says the Louisiana-born bandleader of the live album released via Ruf Records on March 21st 2025. A set of 10 songs, cherry-picked by the artist from his Billboard-topping studio catalogue, captures that authentic live show energy and provides a front row ticket to this electrifying performance.
The eager crowd goes wild right from the first note the band hits together – Eric takes over with a dirty riff, the snare drum fill counts in for the bass guitar to join in and off we go. The driving beat behind “Nowhere to Go” moves the shoulders, not caring if you are ready for it or not. Right from the start, the band sounds so compact – evidence to their individual musicianship as well as the fact that they have spent a year on tour across Europe and America leading up to this show in the home of the blues. The energy levels are taken up a notch on “Undertow” – the rhythm section is like a locomotive in this one, and if it’s Terry Scott Jr behind the drums loading the coal into the engine with his tom-laden groove, then it’s Will Repholz’s pumping bass line that ignites it. Eric adds swagger to this tune with his killer guitar solos and tasty blues licks – reminding us why he has earned his spot in Total Guitar magazine’s Top 50 blues guitarists of all time. Staying true to the studio version, “Just Like New” features slide-blues parts reminiscent of the blues of the olden days, however, the overarching sound and arrangement are very modern.
The band then decides to shake things up with a somewhat funkier sound, and “Yellow Moon” is sure to bring it. Eric’s guitar work once again is pure class. The guitar solo starts with a clever excerpt from the “Entry of the Gladiators” (better known as that circus theme), before giving way to darker shades. Experimenting with different scales, the guitarist is keeping us on the edge with his playing throughout this track. Anyone familiar with the studio version of “Galaxy Girl” will know it as an upbeat catchy blues rock tune, however, on Live in Mississippi it’s a real 4-minute burst of energy. If you were actually part of the turnout on that Friday night – lucky you! The audience is then treated with another classic blues rock tune – “I Walk on Guilded Splinters”. Built upon a juicy groove, Eric Johanson’s guitar playing is simply otherworldly. The vocal line in unison with the guitar gives this track a Hendrixesque vibe at moments. Eric goes on to perform a Skip James cover in “Hard Times Killing Floor Blues” – with nothing but his guitar and voice. Can it get more Mississippi than that?
“Familiar Sound” is filled with captivating bottleneck guitar parts, slowing the rhythm slightly, leading into a downtempo “Changes the Universe” that carries SRV influences all over it. Johanson really pours his heart into this one – his singing is spot on and his goosebump-inducing guitar playing is packed with emotion. The fiery set culminates with “Don’t Hold Back” – a wild ride in its own right. A song so dynamic and so dirty it’s sure to make you frown while rocking your head to the beat. Eric uses it as a perfect platform to showcase his guitar virtuosity to its full extent.
Live albums often tend to lack in audio quality, they can sometimes be packed with bloopers, but all is sacrificed and all is forgiven for the sake of the emotion. This is most definitely not the case for Live in Mississippi. Eric Johanson and his band managed to get it all together. The emotion is there, the set is amazing, the album was produced to the greatest of standards, and the songs are well-executed by the trio. With that in mind, it’s safe to say Live in Mississippi is a truly fantastic live album – completely mind-blowing, and raw in the best possible sense.
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Nowhere to Go
– Undertow
– Galaxy Girl
– Don’t Hold Back
The Big Hit
– Galaxy Girl
