PRINTFlapjacks and jam
Mississippi Flapjacks flip for Mojo's
February 28, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
If The Mississippi Flapjacks weren’t real, they would make a particularly fascinating figment of the imagination.
Exuding sounds darting from funk to classic rock, ragtime and bluegrass, MFJ saturates its shows with mandolin, electric washboard, guitar and even cowbells.
What: Mississippi Flapjacks
When: Tues. 8:30 p.m.
Where: Mojo's
Cost: $5
Call: 875-0588
The antics of the Mississippi Flapjacks don’t necessarily remain on the stage. Just ask Dan Goonicorn, the band’s mentor and spiritual advisor, who also happens to be a one-horned goat that was a gift to the band from a friend named Red. The goat and lead guitarist John Clark used to baffle neighbors by using a trampoline as a concert venue.
“I would play mandolin, and Dan would sing to the best of his goat greatness,” Clark says. The scene would certainly make for a captivating album cover.
The St. Louis-based band has been together four years and is releasing its first album this summer. “Half of the album is composed of instrumentals; the other half has vocals,” Clark says. “That’s pretty much where we stand live, as well.”
Clark throws around words such as psychedelic, progressive and spacefunk when describing the band’s music. Like many jam bands, he cites Phish, Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic as influences. More uniquely, however, Clark also draws inspiration from the British comedy The Mighty Boosh. He says MFJ enjoys crossing genre boundaries. “We like it all, and it comes out at different times,” he says.
Lead singer Todd Wait of East Ash Street Band has played with MFJ in the past. He says its music is good for dancing. “It’s real trippy,” says Wait. “It’s real easy to get lost in their music and to stop what you’re thinking about — real easy.”
Goats, spacefunk and all, Clark and his band are looking forward to doing some “face melting” at Mojo’s. Although MFJ is willing to disclose its quirks, there is still one thing the world will never know — the origin of the band’s bizarre name. That, according to Clark, will always remain a secret.
