Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam

Posted by Jamaal Jackson on December 15th, 2009 at 1:31 PM

To See Rating: 5/10
Just Curious Rating: 5/10

Band Members:
Davy Knowles – vocals, guitar
Steven Barci – drums
PK – bass

Photo by Jamaal Jackson

Davy Knowles is living proof that inspiration can transcend the boundaries of cultures as well as generations. Hailing from the Isle of Man located in the middle of the Irish Sea, “Davy Knowles has known what he wanted to do with his life since the age of 11,” according to his official website. Having grown up listening to and learning about the blues by way of his father’s record collection, Knowles’ journey in many ways is just beginning despite the incredible distance he’s already traveled, both literally and musically since his younger days (he is currently 23 years old). Currently on tour with his band Back Door Slam, Knowles recently made a stop at The Crocodile on December 12, headlining an evening supported by Rob Drabkin from Denver, CO dazzling the audience with his blisteringly complex acoustic guitar heroism.

Although most of the evening was characterized by the constant din of background conversation which lasted throughout each opening act, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam commanded attention by taking the evening to a level that catapulted above the proverbial bar set by the previous performances. Knowles and Back Door Slam kicked off their set with a collection of songs drenched with such sweet blues rhythms one couldn’t help but feel the urge to sway with his/her arm around their ”honey.” Each and every song was seasoned with Knowles’ distinct smokey croon accompanied by the the wailing distortion of his electric guitar, from which the very sound of heartbreak seemed to pour forth as if Knowles was wringing every last tear from its frets. Not one song was without its own unique and mind-boggling electric guitar solo which surely left several people wiping the drool from their lips once the magic wore off. Back Door Slam played with such an intricate closeness that when bassist PK unexpectedly lost power to all his equipment, the band never missed a beat and simply improvised until the situation was remedied. The response from the crowd was monumental.

The second half of Back Door Slam’s set was punctuated by lively dueling solos between Knowles and guest keyboardist/organist and also between PK and the keyboardist. They did covers of songs from Bob Marley and Knowles’ mentor Peter Frampton. Knowles even took a moment to show off his brand new phone with which he explained only exacerbates his addiction to Twitter. Shortly before closing the evening with a well-deserved encore, Knowles had the crowd pose for a photo as a kind of souvenir of his time in Seattle.

Although you could practically set your watch to the many solos of the evening, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam certainly delivered the goods, as was evidenced by the crowds’ incredibly positive energy towards the band. While many would agree that Knowles exhibits an understanding of the blues well beyond his years, few can deny that the great blues musicians of the past would also be proud of his performance.

Please enjoy a clip from the show!