Jack Johnson performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2022.

BERKELEY — Jack Johnson was back in business on Wednesday night at The Greek Theatre, the first of a two-night stand while on tour for his new album, Meet The Moonlight.

Johnson took the stage in flip-flops, jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked and felt at home in Berkeley, making light out of an awkward situation when he forgot several lyrics to his first two songs.

“I was just thinking about how much it smells like the Greek Theatre,” he said as the stage filled with smoke from the crowd—perhaps conceding a tongue-in-cheek reason for his forgetfulness.

He appropriately mixed in a cover of Sublime’s “Badfish.” Jokes aside, Johnson looked like an artist in his purest form, reaching deep into his roots to show his virtuous guitar skills. The stage featured a xylophone-shaped wooden structure that formed the background of the stage and often lit up in bright, sunset-orange chiaroscuros and then alternated to a deep-ocean blue.

Jack Johnson performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2022.

The set kicked into gear with a few classics — the ones we know as love songs — like “Upside Down” and “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.” During “Flake,” Johnson went from his electro-acoustic guitar to a beautiful mahogany-colored electric guitar with an F-hole. A band member came out with a pedal steel guitar and ripped a face-melter of a guitar solo.

“Shot Reverse Shot” lit up the video screen with a series of black and white ’90s skate-punk drawings; lines of eyes, arrows and anything you’d see in a tattoo artist’s flash tattoo book. The title track of the new album, “Meet The Moonlight,” featured clips from the actual music video. 

The fun continued when Johnson, with four beer bottles in hand, began to blow on them during “Costume Party.” Things heated up when he brought opening acts Ron Artis II and Thunderstorm Artis on stage to join in on the show. What ensued was pure musical entertainment. The bassist delivered sublime vocals and the keyboard player brought out a few fun instruments like an accordion and a melodica, a breath-powered keyboard. Artis II delivered a heavy, inspired solo on a white electric guitar before Thunderstorm Artis jumped to center stage, singing and jamming on an electro-acoustic guitar with a capo on the first fret.

Thunderstorm Artis performs at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2022.

For the opening act, Johnson came out to introduce Ron Artis II and Thunderstorm Artis. Artis II, who notably recorded the original soundtrack to “Vela,” a movie by pro surfer John-John Florence about sailing to the Palmyra Atoll, joined his brother on stage and played an emotionally edifying set that incorporated blues, jazz, soul and rock.

Artis II played the guitar with an adroitness that stems from the intersection of ability, creativity and years of mastery. Thunderstorm Artis graced the audience with his infectiously upbeat guitar and soulful, powerful voice, showing that musical talent streams through the Artis family like an ocean current.

Follow photographer Karen Goldman at Twitter.com/Xposure120 and Instagram.com/XposureArts.