Johnny Franco: The Professional Entertainer
By Lila Eidi
On the Sunday morning of the Treefort10 Music Festival, I woke up and could barely move. I had thrown my back the night before and it didn’t take long for me to realize, this was all Johnny Franco’s fault.
The Portland-based musician from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with his catchy rhythm and lyrics transported me back to another time where I could actually dance, twist, and shimmy without repercussions. Well, there were repercussions and I’m here to tell you: totally worth it.
Johnny Franco: “The Professional Entertainer“, is a force. From his performance style to his engagement with his audience. Johnny is confident, in charge and definitely not shy. He is a swirl of sheer musical energy. His Treefort bio describes him as “a Brazilian rock n’ roll marauder who now resides in Portland, and who crafts inventive spaghetti western/folk-rock stompers. Armed with propulsive, spindly guitars, Dylanesque vocals, and adventurous vibes, Franco recently signed to label Blanket Fort.”
Not to mention, he and his bandmates bring in some seriously flavorful hints of Brazilian salsa and some jammy-jam sounds — a word I may have made up. Then, there’s the comedic banter, interacting with his audience at Penguilly’s Saloon in downtown Boise, telling us how good we look, how well dressed we are. He launches into dialogue where he talks about how humble he is. That he is so humble. That he was driving recently thinking just how humble he is. He has the audience laughing, even those who have heard this bit before.
We caught up with Franco after the festival wrapped up to ask him about growing up in Brazil, living in Portland, the Real Brother Dom — an amazing guitarist and the other half of the band, and his determination to never be a boring musician:
zenruption: How did you like Treefort?
Franco: Yes, absolutely. Hmm... It felt like a "Portland Carnival" or something like that. The largest hipster convention I have ever been to. We all looked alike. It was terrible. I had a good time.
zenruption: Who are members of the Johnny Franco band?
Franco Yes, absolutely. Other than the Real Brother Dom on the guitar, the band will vary according to my friends' schedules.
At that show, in Boise, in particular, we were joined by the very awesome Logan Adam, on drums.
zenruption: How long have you all been making music together?
Franco: Yes, absolutely. Dom and I have been brothers ever since he popped out of my mothers. We play together for about 16 years now. Logan joined us on the drums in 2020.
zenruption: You are from Brazil. Did you start your musical career there or when you came to the States?
Franco Yes, absolutely there.
I was professionalized in the entertainment business at a young age. My main gig in Sao Paulo was always acting, but, as they say, a pretty face doesn't last forever.
I tried to grow a beard, I started a band and I sang on a couple of DJ tracks before I fell in love and moved to Portland as a saner version of myself... The Professional Entertainer.
zenruption: You now live in Portland. How do you like the Portland music scene?
Franco: Yes, absolutely. Portland is full of music and it excites me to be a part of it. My only complaint is about these guys from Montana called 'Left on Tenth'. They play everywhere all the time and I randomly end up with their music stuck in my head at unforgivable moments.
zenruption: You bring a lot of laughter and fun to your shows. There's also a bit of theatrics. Where does this all come from?
Franco: Yes. Absolutely.
Those bits are part of my arsenal of convincement, which I will go to the grave trying to improve. It comes from my desire to deliver a show that isn't boring.
zenruption: Talk about the importance of humor to you and your shows?
Franco: Yes. Absolutely very important. I have no desire to watch a bad-humored performer, unless it's Bob Dylan. I assume most people feel about the same about it.
zenruption: What are you working on now?
Franco: Yes, absolutely working... on paying the bills. That involves playing as many shows as possible. Which leaves me, usually, with very little time to record new material. But I'm hoping by the end of this year I'll find a way around it and join the list of newest releases in everybody's players.
zenruption: Is there anything you want to add about yourself, the musical path/journey you are on?
Franco: Yes, absolutely. I'd like to use this space to thank my real brother Dom, who is so incredibly talented and has been kind enough to spend some of his youth-years working with me on my music without any form of pay whatsoever. He is, really, a good guy. Not in it for the money.
Also, a shout out to everybody that continues to join us at Laurelhurst Park, for the weekly shows on Thursdays by the dog area and to David Pollack, a talented songwriter and good friend, who decided to join me in the effort to bring "Curbside Serenade" to life. A platform in which fans can find artists that'll deliver 30- minute to an hour performances to wherever they like.
zenruption: What is the question you didn't get asked that you would like to answer?
Franco: Yes, absolutely:
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth and so help you god? To which I'd have answered:
Yes, absolutely.
We were lucky to catch Franco not once on that Saturday night, but twice. Walking home late night after a show, we saw them on a street corner busking, with random bystanders cascading bills into an open guitar case. We stopped, watched, danced, then finally forced ourselves to go home.
During Treefort, a friend said to me if he rates a band 5-stars that means he would be willing to drive 5-plus hours to see them.
Would I include Johnny Franco in this scenario?
Yes, Absolutely.
Franco, The Real Brother Dom on guitar and Logan Adam on drums.
Busking downtown Boise after their Treefort10 show.
See more of Johnny Franco music here: Jam in the Van