A millennial on the cusp of Gen Z, Hobo Johnson’s sound and style is suggestive of how music is consumed and regurgitated in the current era. The hodgepodge is a hyper-sensory blend of Hip Hop, Emo, Pop, Folk, Jazz and AltRock whipped together and given distinctiveness and singularity thanks to Johnson’s colorfully multifaceted personality.
That magnetism comes out in his lyrics, which are a mix of hilarity and more inward-looking emotional honesty. But it’s his oddly charismatic and actorly vocal delivery that seals the deal. Part rapper, part spoken word poet and part performance artist, Johnson’s voice sounds simultaneously as if he’s on the verge of both cracking up laughing and breaking down crying. That charming brand of vulnerability — the smart ass with a heart of gold — makes it hard to hate him, though he has his share of haters, some of whom seemed almost startled and uncomfortable with Johnson’s geekily conversational, nakedly confessional and awkwardly confrontational tone.
Johnson’s rise is also fairly indicative of our times, where one viral moment can kick off a career that once would have required slogging it out for years. Born Frank Lopes Jr. and raised in Sacramento, California, Johnson self-released music online and worked the YouTube circuit. Cultivating his following DIY-style was working out just fine for Johnson, but last year he truly blew up thanks to his video submission for National Public Radio Music’s Tiny Desk Contest. The clip featuring Johnson casually performing with his bandmates in a backyard didn’t win the contest, which would have netted him his own Tiny Desk Concert (a hugely popular web series where artists perform intimate sets in the NPR Music offices) and a high-profile tour. But the attention the clip scored separately worked out pretty well for Johnson, who signed a major-label deal, went on large headlining club tours and, yes, was given his own Tiny Desk Concert.
Reprise Records released his third album, The Fall of Hobo Johnson (his last joint was The Rise of Hobo Johnson), in September and its trademark mix of comedy and neuroses didn’t disappoint his hardcore fan base, though critics were fairly harsh, seemingly put off more by Johnson as a person than the actual music. He’s definitely a love-him-or-hate-him entertainer — there’s no “Meh – he’s OK” with Johnson. That’s what happens when you put yourself out there without an Instagram filter hiding your faults.
Speaking of which, Hobo unveiled the best album promo of the decade when in early October he posted a video compilation of “celebrities” big-upping The Fall. The funny, very on-brand stunt featured testimonials and endorsements from famous/notorious figures like Charlie Sheen, Ron Jeremy, Jose Conseco, Andy Dick and Ice-T, all hired via Cameo, a service where cash-strapped (or just cash-hungry) stars earn a few extra bucks by filming personal messages for fans.
Johnson and his Lovemakers are playing Bogart’s this Sunday, Nov. 17 with Mom Jeans, The Philharmonik and Nate Curry, but unless you have a ticket (or $99 for official “resale” ones), you can’t go. The concert is sold out.
This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2019.