Ken Davis
Ken Davis’ 2020 In Review
no sign of slowing down
Dawes’ “Good Luck With Whatever” Reviewed
great songwriting and harmony singing
Willie Nile And James Maddock At the Blue Grotto, Saturday, August 15th, 2020, Reviewed
a comfortable, civilized way to see a show
rock nyc Watches the Pandemic Era Southside Johnny Concert From A Car, Saturday, July 11th, 2020
yesterday I saw one way live music might return
The Best Rock And Country Of 2019
rock is not dead
Bob Dylan And His Band At Beacon Theatre, Tuesday, December 3rd, Reviewed
on top of his game
Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul At Beacon Theatre, Wednesday, November 6th, 2019, Reviewed
more like a benevolent ringmaster
Art Garfunkel At Kean College, Saturday, September 21st, 2019, Reviewed
retained its sweetness but not its power
Gurinda Chadha’s “Blinded By The Light” Reviewed
inspiring and satisfying
Jackson Browne And Lucius At the Beacon Theatre, Monday, June 24th, 2019
Two blonde Valkyries
Nils Lofgren (5/20/19) and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (5/23/19) City Winery, Reviewed
he’s fine but not that charismatic
The Who At Madison Square Garden, Monday, May 13th, 2019, Reviewed
Would this be another example of an aging band trying gin up interest with a gimmick?
John Hiatt On April 30th, 2019, Graham Parker On May 7th, 2019, At City Winery Reviewed
singing terse well-written songs with wit and skill
Joe Jackson At City Center, Saturday, February 16th, 2019, Reviewed
a very satisfying evening.
Dawes At The Beacon Theatre, Tuesday, February 5th, 2019, Reviewed
A perfect match of band, audience and venue.
2018 in Music
2018 was not a great year for music, at least for the kind of music I love.
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts At Union County PAC, Rahway NJ, Friday, October 26th, 2018, Reviewed
The band was as tight as the pants as they performed just about all the songs you’d want to hear
Paul Simon, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Saturday June 16th, 2018, Reviewed
We were treated a 26 song show by a true American master
On Broadway
the name isn’t the thing – it’s the play.
In Praise of Working Musicians
There is a special pleasure in seeing a great performer in a smaller venue
Springsteen On Broadway, Tuesday, November 7th, 2017, Reviewed
It was special to see him in a 1000 seat venue
Paul McCartney At Prudential Center Reviewed, Monday, September 11th. 2017
3 hours of music in the original keys
U2 At MetLife, Wednesday, June 28th, 2017, Reviewed
Stark Western landscapes
Dead and Company, Citi Field, Saturday, June 24th. 2017, Reviewed
An uneven performance
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers At the Prudential Center, Friday, June 17th, 2017, Reviewed
passion, gusto, and a tremendous sense of fun
Ryan Adams At The Beacon Theatre, Wednesday, May 3rd 2017, Reviewed
“I cant’ talk to you now, I’ll get in trouble”.
Roger McGuinn At the South Orange Performing Arts Center , Thursday, May 4th, 2017, Reviewed
He is still a master of the guitar
Eric Clapton At Madison Square Garden, Sunday, March 19th, 2017, Reviewed
an enjoyable evening but not quite what it used to be
Dawes At Beacon Theatre, March 10th, 2017, Reviewed
Fits the formula of great
City Vineyard: None Better
comfortable and civilized setting
Tedeschi Trucks Band At Beacon Theatre, Wednesday, October 5th, 2016, Reviewed
the next best thing
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band, Tuesday, August 23rd And Thursday, August 25th, 2016 At Metlife, Reviewed
These were my 30th and 31st Bruce shows, and two I will never forget.
Willie Nile At City Winery, Friday, April 30th, 2016, Reviewed
Warm and friendly
Lucinda Williams At City Winery, Wednesday, March 16th. 2016, Reviewed
The love she gave which equalled by the love she received from the audience.
Bonnie Raitt’s “Dig In Deep” Reviewed
Still love you, Bonnie!
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band, Prudential Center, January 31st, 2016, Reviewed
Bucket List: Get Married, Get Pregnant, Dance with Bruce
Steve Earle At City Winery, Wednesday, January 27th, 2016, Reviewed
He performed solo, and showcased his talent with one song from each of his albums in chronological order
Steely Dan At Beacon Theatre, Tuesday, October 7th, 2015, Reviewed
Fagen’s voice was never great, and the years haven’t been kind to it. Fortunately it is augmented by three slinkily clad background singers including Cindy Mizelle who is also an E Street Choir member. With their great voices Fagen didn’t really have to sing much. Becker contributed some fine lead guitar and some amusing stage patter.
U2 At Madison Square Garden, Saturday, July 18th, 2015, Reviewed
The set combined a fair number of songs from the new album, Song s of Innocence, with a nice mix of hits and obscurities. Among the latter were the first live version of “October” in about 25 years, played on the small stage with only Edge on keyboards.
John Fogerty At Radio City Music Hall, Wednesday, June 24th, 2015, Review
I wish he would talk less, especially since I’ve heard most of these stories before. A few times he brought out his guitar rack and started talking about the different individual instruments and what sounded good on each one. Interesting for a guitar nerd like me but probably not so much for most of the crowd.
The Decemberists At Beacon Theatre, Monday, April 6th, 2015, Reviewed
The band features the songs and lead vocals of Colin Meloy. He has a unique point of view and a unique voice. The songs are richly textured, with little soloing. Lead guitarist Chris Funk and keyboardist Jenny Conlee play in a way that reminds of Peter Buck’s guitar in REM