David Adam Byrnes:
With the help of Ray Scott’s band, David Adam Byrnes got the party started at The Bluestone Friday night, April 10th. Brynes, a talented entertainer with a big voice and the stage presence of a headlining act, featured many songs from his upcoming EP. He also covered “Unwound” by George Straight (Brynes’ favorite singer), “Pickup Man” by Joe Diffie, and a countrified portion of Sir Mix-a lot’s “Baby Got Back” (something Byrnes saw Joe Nicholas do when he opened for him). Brynes was able to keep the crowd captivated throughout his set by featuring his soaring voice in songs like his ballad, “She Only Wanted Flowers,” and by getting the crowd to sing along on upbeat songs like “Alcoholiday,” his just-released single.
Ray Scott:
With his deep voice and Johnny Cash inspired lyrics, Ray Scott started out his set with his song “Gotta Quit Drinkin’.” Throughout the evening Scott told the stories behind the songs he has written and the music that inspires him. With his wit and sing-speak style, Scott delivered some of his most popular songs including the pickup-line centered “Those Jeans” and the self-deprecating “The Ugly One.” He also performed a praiseworthy cover of “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash. Scott engaged the audience by playing songs out of his diverse catalog. His song selection spanned from his current single, “Ain’t Always Thirsty,” to the song, “Plowboy,” which Scott describes as the song that got him his first record deal.
Brain Davis:
If one thing can be taken from this Friday night concert, it’s that Brain Davis knows how to throw a party. Davis, who stated to the rowdy crowd that he had been “dying, counting down the seconds to be back in this room [The Bluestone],” started off his set with an array of his upbeat, drinking-style songs. Davis rocked the stage with his songs like “Hurt Like Hell Yeah,” “County Line Crossers,” “Long Line of Wrong,” and “I Earned This Beer.” He slowed things down with his song, “Against the World,” a ballad that he described as “close to his heart.”
One of the highlights of the evening is when Davis performed a set just featuring a box drum, strums on a guitar, and his voice. The softer music allowed for the showcasing of the power and slight rasp of Davis’s voice. In this set he performed noteworthy covers of Eric Church’s “Springsteen,” Blake Shelton’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” and Kenny Chesney’s “Back Where I come From” with inserts of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel.”
After the stripped-down set, Davis returned to his stronghold of upbeat, rocking music. Throughout the evening he proved to be at the level of some of Country Music’s top hit makers. With a style similar to chart-toppers, Brantley Gilbert and Eric Church, Davis showcased his arena-ready songs and charisma to The Bluestone crowd.
Jared Cox – CMA EDU – April 13th, 2015
