Blacktop Mojo

Blacktop Mojo play Sam's Burger Joint on Thursday, October 15, starting at 7 PM. They're a Southern rock outfit based in Palestine, Texas, and this is a headlining date for them.

If you're not familiar with them, they describe their sound as a blend of post-grunge, classic rock and metal. It's the kind of music that sits somewhere between Soundgarden, Black Stone Cherry and Lynyrd Skynyrd, so you've got the heavy, grunge-inflected side meeting the Southern rock tradition. They've been at it since 2012, when frontman Matt James and drummer Nathan Gillis started the band. From there it grew into a five-piece with bassist Matt Curtis and guitarists Ryan Kiefer and Kenneth Irwin. Their debut album, I Am, came out in 2014.

Since then they've shared the stage with some big names across the rock and metal spectrum: Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Candlebox, Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels, Black Stone Cherry, Pop Evil, Puddle of Mudd and Drowning Pool. That's a wide range of bills to work through, and it gives you a sense of where they fit in.

The current lineup has Matt James on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chuck Wepfer and Malcolm Booher on lead guitar, Nathan Gillis on drums, Matt Curtis on bass and Ryan Kiefer on guitar. That's a lot of guitar on stage—three players across the rhythm and lead parts—which lines up with the heavy, Southern rock sound they're known for. Tickets run from $10 to $100, and the show starts at 7 PM at Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215.