It’s not a common occurrence, which makes it all the more important. An occasion when Johnny V is coming to play near Toronto is, for music buffs and guitar geeks alike, on par with − if you happened to be an astronomer − the International Space Station crossing the moon’s surface. It’s been almost a year since Johnny packed up the truck and moved from Calgary to Harrow, just outside of Windsor but a night of V-dom remains far too rare an experience for fans of what the man can do with a guitar – namely, throw a lifetime of musical influences into an aural Cuisinart and send them back, with love, to those savvy enough to enjoy the adventure, offering equal appeal to those simply hungry for an exceptional night out. He calls it “Houserockin’”.

Many others might call it essential listening and − even better, given the depth of Johnny’s home schoolin’ – you always leave a Johnny V show with some homework to do…..digging up the roots of what you just heard to gain a better appreciation for where it came from, adding more chapters to your own mental, musical Britannica.

Sturdy originals like “Bouncing Baby Boy Boogie” (written, much to the chagrin of his now fully-grown, drummer/son, Little V to commemorate his birth) and “Let The Door Hit You” work seamlessly with twisted versions of songs that might sound familiar until Johnny adds his patented touch. Albert King’s “Born into a Bad Sign” segues into Etta James’ “Damn Your Eyes”. T-Bone Walker’s “T-Bone Shuffle” bounces off a rousing “Cold, Cold Feeling” by his hero, King Biscuit Boy. 50’s-era Louis Jordan run into 60’s-era Floyd Cramer. All of which tells you this ain’t your average Top 40 run-down, no matter what your birth date. And no mean feat to pull off by anyone’s standards. Funk is grafted onto pure blues while rock gets a jazz wedgie before launching into vintage rock’n’roll with a side of swing. If it’s musical, Johnny will redefine it to his purposes and throw in some pop culture for good measure. Esoteric? Damned right – but always grounded in foot-tapping, butt-slapping, knee-hopping music with the power to satisfy on an ever-reliable, if not ebullient level.

The Elder V’s gruff vocals meet his aggressive playing style while his Dangerous Youngbloods (Little V, drums and Darren Snowden, bass) provide skin-tight rhythm and backup vocal support, freeing up their bandleader to go to places where, it seems, he doesn’t always know he’s going until he get there – which is half the thrill as you travel along with him. So wide-spread are his influences and so in-depth are his musical touch-points, you can guess that his repertoire is seldom the same twice. Tone-wise, V – with his barrage of pet guitars run through his own V-Verb® amps, recalls the lates, the greats, if not the reprobates: Amos Garrett, Albert King, Robin Trower, Roy Buchanan, Hendrix, James Burton. The list is endless but the key point is how much of our musical upbringing Johnny is able to meld into a sound that’s so very much his own. He doesn’t so much clone as own what comes out at the other end. If this sounds too tall a tale to be true – even by Scuttlebutt Lodge standards – you owe it to yourself to disprove the myth. Find out for yourself that you can have this much fun in one sitting. It’s the disbelief that such a player is even possible that drives the adventurous towards Johnny sightings like moths to flame. Once you get a taste and give Johnny a chance to sink his hooks, you’ll gladly become V-bait as well.

Johnny V performs at the Southside Shuffle both Saturday, September 11th (Shore 71 - 71 Lakeshore Road East, Port Credit, ON, 7:00 pm - 11 pm before heading over to the Legion Jam with Johnny Max) and Sunday, September 12 at Roc N' Docs Live Music Grill (105 Lakeshore Road East, Port Credit, ON, 4 pm - 8 pm)

2010 Copyright Eric Thom.
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