Jonathan Briese vividly remembers the first time he saw the North Mississippi Allstars in 2001. They were the opening act for Widespread Panic in Memphis. Lanky drummer Cody Dickinson stole the show. He assaulted the electronic washboard, an instrument he pioneered, with a flurry of lightning-quick fingers and heavy doses of distortion, using the classic hill country instrument to create a whir of noise on par with any guitar solo.”I was truly impressed by their talent and simplicity for song writing,” said Briese, a University alumnus. “It was like The Grateful Dead and The Band made sweet love to a less mainstream drifter in Mississippi.”The Allstars, made up of brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson and their life-long friend Chris Chew, are playing the Varsity Theatre tonight in support of a double-disc retrospective, “Do It Like We Used To,” which will be released Tuesday on their record label, Sounds of the South.The Allstars take a modern approach to a classic style — Mississippi country blues. They have received acclaim from critics and fans alike and have released three Grammy-nominated albums over the last 12 years.Guitarist and singer Luther Dickinson said fans should expect a great show with lots of foot-stomping, blues-inspired rock music.The Hill Country Review, a side project of Cody Dickinson and Chew, will open, followed by the Allstars.”Then we all get together and play with a little double drums, double and triple guitar and a lot of singing,” Luther Dickinson said. “It’s a really exciting lineup, and we’re going to throw down.”The Allstars formed in 1996, a product of a special time for Mississippi blues. Brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson absorbed the music of their father, Jim Dickinson and Blues legends R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Otha Turner as they played juke joints throughout the South.Luther Dickinson said working with his family gets better as time passes.”I wouldn’t trade anything for it,” Dickinson said. “I was blessed to grow up in a musical environment. I’ve always known exactly what I wanted to do.”The Varsity marks the second stop on the Do It Like We Used to Do tour, and several students are excited to see Mississippi blues in Baton Rouge.”I really hope the Varsity continues to get decent bands like this and goes away from the ‘80s retro that has been the norm for the better part of the last decade,” said fan Paul Gil. “Usually I have to travel to New Orleans and farther to get this caliber of music.”Philip Dunham, economics senior, said he likes the band’s raw sound, diverse musical influences, improvisational ability and energy.”I’ve seen them a number of times and they always put on a great show,” Dunham said. “The shows are always unique, and they always do something to surprise you.”The band’s most recent studio album, “Hernando,” is a return to classic blues-inspired rock ‘n’ roll.”‘Hernando’ is just balls-out rock,” Dickinson said. “We’re a trio, so I was like let’s play some blues rock ‘n’ roll. It’s what comes natural to us, so let’s go with it.”The Allstars did just that, with an album reminiscent of ZZ Top and Black Sabbath with the addition of Cody Dickinson’s electronic washboard and extended jam-band style improvisations.Luther said fans should expect to hear songs from “Hernando” as well as some older material and new songs from the Hill Country Review.”Hill Country Review is an amazing band,” Luther said. “They are totally taking the hill country blues tradition in their own direction.”Allstars drummer Cody Dickinson plays guitar in the Review, and Chew plays bass. The Review recently signed a record deal and will be releasing an album in April. Luther Dickinson also plays on several songs,   making it another family project.Cody Dickinson and Chew formed the Hill Country Review while Luther Dickinson was touring and recording with the Black Crowes. Luther Dickinson will be recording another album in February and March with the Crowes, but for now he’s excited about the Allstars’ current tour.Tonight’s show marks the second show in a 23-stop tour that will span the country in five weeks. It is the band’s first extended tour in more than a year.”[Their concerts are] creative, soulful and artistic, while still having the ability to keep the girls dancing,” Briese said. “Their music is honest, and they seem down to earth, just doing what they love.”
—-Contact Jack LeBlanc at [email protected]