Music seen, at the White Heart, May 5, 2007
By TODD RICHARD | May 9, 2007
Roy Davis may be the last great hope of good rock-and-roll in Portland. While many bands look for a sub-sub-genre that they can have as their own, Davis sits sonically square in the middle. And, for once, it seems like that is the place to be.
Downtown Portland was surprisingly dead on Cinco de Mayo. Patrons were either holed up at parties celebrating wonderful weather, or crammed into the city’s handful of Mexican-themed restaurants. The White Heart had just enough people to make it feel comfortable.
There, Roy Davis led his band through two sets of excellently crafted rock that nodded towards pop conventions, and countered it with a dose of smart-alecky jangle. Making a guest appearance were the well-known Zach Jones and Andrew Hodgkins, on temporary loan from As Fast As. Hodgkins commented later that this was their second show with Roy, and while the creases and folds weren’t perfect, every song seemed like an earnestly delivered gift ready to be unwrapped.
Roy Davis may be trying to fool all of us. There is far more rock in his live show than on Grey Town, his alt-country CD release from this winter. Perhaps his new band is kicking him in the tail a bit. It’s possibly just a natural progression from the introspective confines of the studio to the electricity of a stage and fans. Whichever the case, Roy has something wonderful, and everyone should pay attention to what he offers next.
Related:
Further + Further, Shades of Grey, Lightning strikes, More 
- Further + Further
Roy Davis has made a number of good choices since the release of his promising debut disc, Grey Town , in early 2007.
- Shades of Grey
We know at least two things after Roy Davis’s January 4 Big Easy CD-release show: he’s got good taste — and a brass pair of balls.
- Lightning strikes
When Hank Williams sang a song like "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy" he could sell it because he'd been down low: born with spina bifida, father with a paralyzed face thanks to a stroke, brother he never knew because he was already dead.
- Portland scene report: February 8, 2008
Anybody catch their January 25 appearance at the Battle of the Bands?
- One man’s picks for the BiMPys
Pffft. That Phoenix Best Music Poll is just a popularity contest!
- Hot, hot heat
Is New Year's back? It seemed to have been taken away from us, by a general and hard-to-pin-down sentiment that it ought to be some kind of family holiday. Fuck that.
- Portland scene report: February 29, 2008
Called Destroy the Plastique Man , the album was begun on the West Coast in that Portland during Albee’s short-lived self-imposed exile from this Portland.
- Portland scene report: February 22, 2008
If you’re jonesing for some new Sara Cox, check out her Valentine’s Day present to the world, “White Dress and All.”
- Hi Octone
Like Paranoid Social Club’s debut before it, As Fast As’ first record for Octone Records will be pretty familiar for the band’s local fans
- Dilly Dilly dalliance comes to an end
Dilly Dilly may not be done with music, but she is apparently done with Portland.
- Portland scene report: April 20, 2007
Sidecar Radio have plans for a big CD-release weekend at the Big Easy.
- Less
Topics:
Live Reviews
, Zach Jones, Todd Richard, Andrew Hodgkins, More
, Zach Jones, Todd Richard, Andrew Hodgkins, Roy Davis, Grey Town, Less
