Muscle Shoals Meets the 70s rewind

Part 21: Too late to stop now

As night one of Muscle Shoals Meets the 70s was winding down, something happened that left an indelible mark on my soul. James LeBlanc harnessed the soulful energy of “Into the Mystic” by seemingly channeling Van Morrison. It was otherworldly.

I’ve dubbed this phenomenon we witnessed in Florence’s historic Shoals Theatre (Labor Day weekend 2025), the “James LeBlanc Effect.” I have wished upon impossible stars too many times to count that I could have experienced a 1974(ish) Van Morrison concert. Thank you, James, for gifting my soul the next best thing.

There is nothing like an authentic stand and sing love letter, friends. Standing before a microphone with his hands in his pockets — that’s the "Into the Mystic" James delivered that Friday night during Muscle Shoals Meets the 70s. Some artists have a quiet confidence that empowers them to simply stand and sing. James has that and that’s what he did with this performance. Many try, but not every artist can pull off this move, friends. There’s an understated vulnerability that bubbles to surface during an authentic stand and sing love letter. Egos get checked at the door and an artist allows the song to take over and guide the performance. Wow. I bow to James — he’s the stand and sing love letter master. I love an artist who knows when and how to simple stand and sing.

You know what else I love? I love it when horns do the talking in a song. Often times, the horn section — I see you, Polyester Horns — is hanging out in the shadows doing their job by adding “umpf” in all the right places. Sometimes, though, even in a guitar-driven music decade like the 1970s, there's a jewel of a song that shines the spotlight on those fabulous horns and lets them tell the story. For me, “Into the Mystic” is one of those rare songs.

“Into the Mystic” is a beautiful dance between the sax and the guitar. For once, though, it’s the horns dancing lead with such a gentle and loving sway. What a treat it was to be gently rocked by those warm Polyester Horns with the Fiddleworms (plus Scott Campbell) as their partner. What a great song to highlight the brass magic of Brad Guin, Drew White, and Ricky Burks. Superb. I'll slow dance with those horns until I can't dance no more.

What a treat it was to see “Into the Mystic” performed live by such a talented group of humble, sincere artists. That’s the way it’s done, y’all.

More to come ... stay tuned.

Dig worms, friends.

Photo credit: Angel DeAnn Pilati