Halfway into the second-set of a barn-burner opening night to the fourth annual Anders Osborne Holiday Spectacular, Mofro frontman JJ Grey thanked the sold-out Tipitina’s audience then tanked the host himself. “This man is like Santa Claus to me,” Grey said of Osborne, his Southern Soul Assembly collaborator. “He just gives and gives and gives. He brightens up the world.”

Photo by Jeffrey Dupuis.

Jubilant, frenetic and in full command of his considerable rock and roll prowess, Osborne once again kicked Christmas cheer into high gear with a crack band behind him blazing a trail through original material and choice covers.

An up-tempo take on “Back on Dumaine,” Osborne’s cherished paean to home and love, set the crowd to a fever pitch early in the first set, a rowdy, groovy energy sustained for the next three hours. Blues Traveler frontman John Popper, who shined all night with soul-stirring harmonica mastery, then took the stage to lead into his band’s 1994 hit “Hook,” highlighted by a stellar piano solo from John “Papa” Gros in the outro. Gros’ tickling of the ivories ushered in Osborne’s hard-hitting (and, sadly, still too relevant) “Five Bullets” about our city’s gun-ridden homicide epidemic. Grey then returned onstage with Mofro’s “99 Shades of Crazy,” complete with a face-to-face bro-mance guitar jam between Grey and Osborne, closing the first set.

Osborne’s post-rehab manifesto “Coming Down” opened set two, beautifully punctuated with Osborne’s vocal wails pleading improvised lyrics of “the devil chases me down.” Popper’s harmonica then drove the band into Blues Travelers’ “Carolina Blues,” a searing, soulful rocker ideally matched to John Fohl’s guitar, which all night plied excellent accents and flourishes to the songs. Grey then appeared for his poetic “Brighter Days” from Mofro’s 2001 debut album, Blackwater, before leading everyone into a thrilling “Marmalade,” the reggae grooves and Grey’s vocal skats on this Osborne original “Marmalade” (from Three Free Amigos) providing one of several show peak moments. A feisty “Burning Inside” followed and then Popper returned for the sing-along everyone knows whether they admit it or not, Blues Travelers’ girls-dorm anthem, “Run Around.” Jams, teases and improvised madness touching on the Grateful Dead vibe permeating this show (as many of Osborne’s recent-year performances do) came to full fruition with a rollicking “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” (Gros’ solo here was sick!) to close the second set.

A few minutes past 1 a.m., all the night’s cast took the stage for a mammoth “Mannish Boy,” with Muddy Waters’ classic paving an avenue for all the incredible individual talents to shine while also meshing into a cohesive sound that is the trademark of this new New Orleans Christmas tradition in the Anders Osborne Holiday Spectacular.

You can take a look at Jeffrey Dupuis’ full photo gallery from both nights of the Anders Osborne Holiday Spectacular here.