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.
