Ryan Montbleu opened with a good, but LONG set. I don't know if it was because I was wedged up front and didn't want to leave, but it seemed like he played for hours. He's a good songwriter, though, and has a great voice.
JJ Grey and Mofro played a blistering set spanning over their entire catalog. Every one of them (especially JJ) looked like he was having an absolute blast, which is great to see in a band that tours relentlessly. Since it was their first time in Boston since the release of their latest album, Georgia Warhorse, they played almost half of that album, but made sure to sprinkle it in throughout the whole set to not bore anyone unfamiliar with it. JJ loved the audience's reception, and had us sing along in every song that a singalong was remotely possible for. Personal favorites included Ho Cake, Orange Blossoms, Lochloosa, and Slow Hot & Sweaty. The one song that I really wanted to hear but didn't was Dew Drops (or Lullaby), I was hoping for one of them during the encore but no dice. In the end, though, they played for more than two hours and completely wore me out! Awesome.
Paradise looks great - a lot of construction was done over the summer months, which explains the lack of shows. The result is a much better flow, and a club that feels much larger, even though it was only expanded a little. Don't let the House of Blues take business away from this club, it's by far the best place in Boston for live music!