"Davy Knowles, the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, is talented like very few bluesmen these days. He shreds like a young Robert Cray and wails like the love of his life was just hit by a truck." - Nick Alderman, Village Voice.
"If this were a more just world, the band's startlingly talented guitarist, singer and songwriter Davy Knowles would already be a star." - Shane Harrison, Atlanta Journal Constitution.
"I heard the spirit of Jimi Hendrix." - Patrick MacDonald, Seattle Times.
“Davy is very young but he already has got a recognizable style. He’s definitely the gunslinger guitarist of the 21st century. He’s a phenomenal talent." - Peter Frampton
"Holy shit! I have seen the future and his name is Davy Knowles!" - Me
I recently took in the Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam show at Summerfest in Milwaukee. I was up there on business and decided to head out on a cool and rain-threatening evening to catch his show.
I first heard Back Door Slam a couple years ago when WXRT in Chicago was playing a track from their first album, Roll Away. The group consisted of three friends from the Isle of Man in Great Britain - Davy Knowles on guitar and vocals, Adam Jones on bass and Ross Doyle on drums. I immediately went out and bought the CD and have been loving it ever since. The band got their name from a song on Robert Cray's 2003 album, Time Will Tell.
It was apparent from a standpoint of musicianship and talent that Knowles was the prodigy in the group. Only 20 years of age when Roll Away was released, he garnered the attention of a number of guitarists including Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Warren Haynes and Peter Frampton. And it was easy to read between the lines of an announcement on Back Door Slam's web site (which now re-directs to Davy Knowles.com) earlier this year that announced that Jones and Doyle had left the group to "embark on new projects of their own in the UK and Europe." I don't think anyone has heard from those two since.
Now known as Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Knowles' follow up album - Coming Up for Air - was produced by Frampton (the first album that Frampton has produced for someone other than his own albums) and mixed by the great studio engineer Bob Clearmountain. Frampton enlisted the help of longtime Jackson Browne bandmates Fritz Lewak (drums) and Kevin McCormick (bass) to back up Knowles in the studio. Frampton also hired Tom Petty's keyboard player, Benmont Tench, to play on a number of songs on the album. And Frampton and Knowles share guitar licks on a remake of George Harrison's "Hear Me Lord" from his "All Things Must Pass" album. It turns out that Frampton played on the original cut on the album, as well. It's one helluva CD if you're into that blues/rock type of music like I am.
Davy Knowles was playing at the revamped and remodeled Harley-Davidson Roadhouse stage that evening, opening for Buddy Guy. While it was a cool evening (low 60's) and there was a threat of rain (it began after Davy Knowles played), I was decked out in shorts and a t-shirt. It was either wear that or put on my slacks and a button-down shirt. I may have been only one of - maybe - two or three people wearing shorts. There were guys in pullover jackets, women in turtlenecks, kids with coats on. Yeah, it was cool, but I was fine.
Moments before the 8 p.m. start time, I found a seat smack dab in the middle of the stands in front of stage at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse. I was incredulous. Here was this great young guitarist getting ready to play and there were - maybe - 300 people sitting there. I thought, "Well, there's a lot of people who are here at Summerfest who are going to be missing out on a great show."
And from the opening number, it was a great show. Knowles was backed by a bald bass player only known as "PK" and on drums by Steve Barci. I could tell right away these two were much more talented musicians than Knowles original Back Door Slam bandmates. Knowles has also been joined on tour this summer by keyboard player Ty Bailie, a tour that has included opening up for the new rock supergroup Chickenfoot that consists of Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar (formerly from Van Halen) and Chad Smith, the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But it was just PK and Barci with Knowles that evening.
By the time Knowles had played his fourth song of his set - a combination of songs from his new CD and from "Roll Away" - the seats around me began to fill in. Then Knowles did an unbelievable and mesmerizing redux of David Crosby's classic "Almost Cut My Hair." I was just blown away by the passion and emotion he exuded during the song. I just sat there thinking, "My God, this kid can PLAY!!"
Knowles also did a great rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Commotion" with Knowles commenting beforehand, "We're gonna slow it down a bit." But he played it with even more punch and ferocity as the original CCR rendition.
I felt a couple of sprinkles about an hour into the performance, so I got up and stood over under the awning of the Miller Lite beer station for the rest of the show. The rain was coming down pretty well by the time I made it back to my hotel and I was happy it held off as long as it did for Davy Knowles' performance. It was an amazing performance and a completely flawless show.
Knowles recently played at the Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Prairie du Chien, WI. I had some friends go up for the fest and I was talking to one, Tom Laake, the next day after the show. I asked him how Davy Knowles was, and in a slow, measured voice, Tom said, "Davy...Knowles...was...exceptional."
To catch a song from Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, click on the You Tube link below and see him play "Tear Down the Walls" from a live performance he gave in Atlanta about three weeks before I saw him in Milwaukee. It's tasty stuff, Maynard.Tom was spot on - Davy Knowles is exceptional. I get the chance to work the River Roots Live event here in Davenport again this year, and we're having Joe Bonamassa coming back for an encore performance of his great show last year. While I'm a huge Bonamassa fan, I stand by my original quote - "I have seen the future, and it is Davy Knowles."
Comments