Weathering The Storm With Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds

Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds entered the stage to the sound of a heavy descending guitar riff like something out of a doom metal track. Then the disco ball turned on, and Sturgill Simpson started playing a smoky blues guitar solo over jazz chords. The introduction then resolved in the funky syncopated groove of “Venus,” which was soon graced by the hearty twang of Simpson’s voice, country to the bone. The sequence worked well as an overture for a night when Simpson and his band would roam all over the stylistic map.Kentucky-born Simpson is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation, though he says he doesn’t care about such distinctions. He’s a naturally gifted vocalist, capable of conjuring timeless depths of emotion and authority with every bleary howl, and his lyrics are often as memorable as his voice is classic. His catalog contains aching beauty, snarling swagger, saucy licks, smoking grooves — the whole classic rock radio dial mixed in alongside outlaw country, bluegrass, and many kinds of dance music. He’s good at so many things, and a bunch of them were on display Wednesday night in Columbus. Only when Simpson leaned into jam-band aesthetics did th...