Jack Oblivian & the One Four Fives at Davey’s

Correction: This blog originally identified the opening and backing band as the Tennessee Tearjerkers. They were in fact John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives.

Though it was advertised and listed plain as day in our paper and online, I still managed nearly to miss Jack Oblivian‘s stop in Kansas City this past Saturday night.

The Goner Records artist and Memphis garage-rock patriarch came through Davey’s Uptown on the heels of his latest release, Disco Outlaw, which features the Tennessee Tearjerkers.

I only found out a few hours before the show thanks to a text from a buddy. It was my birthday and I’d been drinking since … well, never you mind that … and I had no intention of reviewing the show, but, hell, I had my iPhone so I did my best. In any case, I wasn’t alone in my shame and ignorance, as only about 20 people at best showed up.

There was dancing and drinking and lots of sweet rock and soul, though. First John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives punched out a sharp set of twangy, bluesy rollickers. Then Jack O. took his spot front and center and led John Paul and pals on a roll through his catchy, soulful catalog, including songs off Disco Outlaw and his other two 2009 releases, the reissued American Slang (originally from ’97) and the Saturday Night Part 2 EP.

And that’s about all I remember. If you were there and would like to help piece it together (omitting, of course, anything awkward I did), by all means, post your impressions in the comments (looking at you, Matt and “Jerry”).

I got some video of the One Four Fives on the aformentioned mobile device, but the sound quality is almost too horrible to post. But I’m going to do it anyway, if only because I caught the bass player furtively drinking beer on stage at the 13″ mark. Please, if you do watch this, realize that the band sounded exactly and literally one million times better.