JJ Grey & Mofro at JAX Amphitheater in Jacksonville 2026

5 Nov, 2026 danielmollsphotography Blues, Concert Reviews, Latest, Soul, Southern Rock

JJ Grey & Mofro - Photo credit: Daniel Moll

November 5, 2026 was opening day for the 71st Jacksonville Fair. This year it moved to its brand new home on Normandy Blvd, moving away from the east side to west side, away from where it had been since its beginning. Headlining the fair night at the new JAX Amphitheater was one of Jacksonville’s favorite singers, JJ Grey. JJ Grey, John Higginbotham, grew up just about a mile down the road from where the fair was at.

JJ Grey & Mofro at JAX Amphitheater

He grew up on the Florida rivers, swamps and woods and based on a lot of his music, he liked it that way. JJ Grey writes about his family, childhood memories, nature, and how old Florida is disappearing. JJ met his guitarist, Daryl Hance, while they were working at an AC company together. They had some record deals that fell apart through the years, but have come up with the sound they have today which is Southern blues and a soul band. Now, they travel around with a full band, originally called, Mofro, but later changed to JJ Grey & Mofro after his grandmother questioned why he didn’t use his own name.

Opening Night at the Jacksonville Fair

Everyone was ready for the opening night of the first ever Jacksonville Fair on the west side. The biggest problem was wondering if the fair had enough beer for everyone. The concert started late because the beer line was so long they wanted people to have a chance to find their seats. The performance this night was amazing from start to finish and the guitar playing with the harmonica was amazing in itself, and then the brass section came in, which was awesome as well. The two backup singers who had wonderful voices, perfect for the part.

As the night went on, he sang “Seminole Wind,” a song by someone he admired, John Anderson, who recently passed away on October 21. His rendition of the song was awesome and John would have been proud. He also snuck in a song he wasn’t going to do called “99 Shades of Crazy.” It originated from him growing up and going to an old repair shop down the road.

Before the song “Lochloosa,” Grey said that when they arrived at the fair to set up, he and his friend were just sitting there and a bald eagle flew past them and his friend yelled out “AMERICA!” They then proceeded to sing the song “Lochloosa”, which is one of his signature songs and very personal to him. The song is about his love for old Florida and seeing the landscape disappearing because of development, and about protecting the Florida he called home.

Conclusion

As this night wrapped up, it was a fitting first show for the new home where the Jacksonville Fair will be taking place going forward. If you missed JJ Grey & Mofro this time around, don’t miss them the next. It was a wonderful experience and definitely don’t miss out going to a concert at the new fairgrounds. Even if you get a lawn seat, the sound back there is just as amazing as being in the front row. And it’s pretty awesome to be at this concert, which was as close to home as JJ Grey has ever performed and the first concert ever played at the new Jacksonville Fair.