Mike Farris- Shout! Live

A careful look at Mike Farris paints images of a young upcoming Johnny Cash with a cool rock edge. Hearing him sing anything conjures the great legends of soul and gospel with a grain of country-rooted rock like American Idol finalist Bo Bice. Last year, he proved to be a strong contender in the underground gospel community with his highly-praised gospel debut Salvation in Lights project, after jumping the broom from performing bluesy rock for the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies in the 1990s. The shift to gospel came after attending a funeral of his best friend and a near-death experience from an accidental drug overdose. With just little experience, he sings the gospel like an Old Testament prophet like he’s been singing it all his life. And the musical experience feels just like that when he takes on a parade of hymns or Rosetta Tharpe selections using his old-school style of arranging obscure oldies. And while it was a studio effort, Farris sung with such an intensity and conviction that amazingly gave the production a raw, live concert. On Shout! Live, Farris capitalizes on the strengths of his debut by putting them into an intimate lounge setting at the Station Inn without losing the savor of his accompanying horn section or the explosiveness of his revival-anchored music.

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