Swamp Dogg Leaves It All on the Stage at Grimey’s

Swamp Dogg high res-13.jpg — Swamp Dogg at Grimey's, 7/19/2024
Photo: H.N. James

Over his extensive career, Jerry Williams Jr. — better known as Swamp Dogg — has skillfully developed a distinctive identity as part curmudgeon, part social philosopher, part ribald jester and total entertainer. He recently celebrated his 82nd birthday, and he's evolved from his early days performing a repertoire of just R&B and soul as Little Jerry and Little Jerry Williams into the contemporary, edgy and unpredictable character whose songs and music easily bridge multiple idioms.

He's had a somewhat uneasy relationship with Nashville dating back to the early ’70s. As the story that he’s often told goes, he came to town for the 1972 CMA Awards after co-writing the Johnny Paycheck hit "She's All I Got,” and at the ceremony, he was initially mistaken for part of the kitchen staff. But the atmosphere was very congenial for his appearance Friday at Grimey's New and Preloved Music, where he was promoting his new LP Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street, released in May via Oh Boy. Featuring a healthy complement of Nashville talent (including guest appearances from Margo Price and Jenny Lewis), Blackgrass finds Williams blending a strong dose of country and string-band music into his idiosyncratic formula. Depending on how you count, it’s his 26th album; it’s his third collaboration with producer Ryan Olson. Swamp Dogg also made a guest appearance Saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry and is due for a return visit on a date TBA later this summer.

Swamp Dogg high res-22.jpg — Swamp Dogg at Grimey's, 7/19/2024
Photo: H.N. James

Accompanied by MoogStar on keys, Swamp Dogg amused and delighted the audience throughout his nearly hourlong set. Whenever he’d make an occasional fumble, Williams would mock himself, he’d abruptly restart a tune, or else stop and take another run at a high note. “When you get old, you don't give a fuck,” Williams said at one point. But there were a lot more highs than lows, and he offered instructive reflections on his extensive career and a lengthy list of associations and friendships, citing such names as Tommy Hunt and longtime friend John Prine.

While the focus was primarily on material from the new LP, he also went down memory lane on a couple of occasions to do fan favorites from past recordings. One was the powerful "Synthetic World” from 1970’s Total Destruction to Your Mind, a socially conscious number that feels unsettlingly fresh today. That was hard to top, but he did it with Prine’s “Sam Stone,” long a Swamp Dogg staple. On that one, Williams was vocally totally in command, relaying the story of a veteran whose combat experiences and injuries shattered his life and led to an addiction that resulted in tragedy. Afterward, Swamp Dogg offered the crowd a stirring monologue about not ignoring the struggles of those less fortunate. “Don't just turn your back on people you see asking for help on the street,” he said. “That might be you tomorrow.”

There were also plenty of lighter moments. One was “Mess Under That Dress,” a spicy and innuendo-laden number that represents the best of the borderline X-rated Swamp Dogg wit. The same held true for “Ugly Man's Wife,” an even funnier and smarter tune. From his top-notch songs to his finely honed performance chops to his unbeatable stage presence, Swamp Dogg offered reminder after reminder that it’s a blessing to have artists with decades of experience making records and taking the stage.