JD McPherson knows the secret to playing outdoor festivals in the afternoon: Give the people what they want. Playing a straight-ahead set with his backing band, McPherson tore through a set of his most familiar hits (including plenty of tracks off his latest album, Let the Good Times Roll). His trademark blend of rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and Fats Domino-inspired early rock 'n' roll kept the audience bouncing up and down the hill.

Dressed in a "Smith Fabrication" t-shirt and with all five members of his live band sporting slicked-back greaser hairdos, McPherson channeled the blue-collar, everyman aesthetic of Springsteen. And his set list proved that he was working for his audience: he finished off his set with wam-bam back-to-back performances of "Head Over Heels," "Let the Good Times Roll," and one of his earliest breakout hits, "North Side Gal."

Setlist

"Bossy"
"Fire Bug"
"It Shook Me Up"
"Abigail Blue"
"You Must Have Met Little Caroline?"
"Precious"
"Head Over Heels"
"Let the Good Times Roll"
"North Side Gal"
"Wolf Teeth"

Written by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Mike DeMark

More Rock the Garden 2015 coverage »

{% fetch file="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/tools/current-utilities/embeds/rtg-sets.html" %}

Gallery

Fullscreen SlidePrevious Slide

4 of 4

1 of 4

2 of 4

Next Slide