Louisiana-born Jordan Davis has been wowing audiences with his pop-country sound and smooth rich vocals since the release of his debut album ‘Home State’ in 2018. With seven Billboard Country Airplay top 10 singles (including four number ones) under his belt, as well as a standout set at last year’s C2C Festival, now he’s back in the UK for his first ever headline tour, kicking off last night at a sold-out Hammersmith Apollo – the venue where he made his UK debut five years ago opening for Old Dominion.
Davis arrived on stage to ‘Glory’ by Dermot Kennedy and an impressive light before his four-piece launched into an extended intro to ‘Damn Good Time’, the opening track from his latest album ‘Bluebird Days’. It was a great start to the set with tons of energy and saw Davis roaming across the stage – something he kept up for most of the night – with a backdrop video of quad bikes and water slides as he delivered the quick-fire lyrics in his trademark soulful tones. He also led the crowd in the first of many singalongs of the night (although to be fair they didn’t need much help on that front!) and they burst into deafening cheers as he brought the song to a close.
That set the bar for the rest of the evening and Davis absolutely didn’t let up for the next hour and a half. Tracks like ‘Singles You Up’ with its playful flirty feel, his rocky 80s-influenced version of ‘Whiskey Weak’ and the poppy ‘Almost Maybes’ (during which he told the crowd he wanted to hear them singing along ‘all the way back in Louisiana’) helped keep things upbeat throughout, and his connection with the audience was absolutely magnetic. However, he also shone in the slower tracks where he paused for breath with his acoustic guitar, such as the heartfelt ‘Lose You’ – which also featured the first of two impressive solos from his guitarist Dylan – and ‘Tucson Too Late’ with its introspective lyrics and a chance for Davis to show off his vocal runs at the end. ‘Church In A Chevy’ was the best of the lot, with an uplifting feel that added to the song’s dreamlike quality.
For me one of the highlights of the night was the acoustic section which saw Davis and his bandmates seated on stools as they played a selection of tracks from his two albums. Kicking off with a spine-tingling acapella opening to ‘Leaving New Orleans’ before moving into ‘Goin’ Round’ and ‘Tough To Tie Down’ from ‘Home State’, he really highlighted his versatility as an artist. The selection from ‘Bluebird Days’, meanwhile (including its bittersweet title track, ‘Fishing Spot’ – a touching tribute to his grandfather – and ‘Short Fuse’) saw him opening up about his desire to be more honest as a songwriter. It’s so refreshing to hear an artist speak like that and he’s definitely come on leaps and bounds since his first record. New song ‘Good News Sold’ was another standout, as Davis sang about the impact of focusing on the positive things in life. It was a really sweet moment and I suspect it’ll be another big hit for him when he releases it later this month.
Elsewhere in the set, I also loved the Summer ’07 Mix, which saw Davis show off his impressive vocal power as he took on songs from the likes of Lifehouse, Gavin DeGraw and Train (plus an appearance from band member Johnny on Maroon 5’s ‘This Love’), and his rendition of the summery, laid-back love song ‘Cool Anymore’ with opener Ashley Cooke taking on Julia Michaels’ part. Their voices blended perfectly together and Davis spoke very warmly of her afterwards, declaring he “can’t wait for her to sell this place out”. It’s clear he holds her in high regard and I’d love that to translate into them doing a song together sometime!
The theme of nostalgia was also a strong thread throughout the show, with Davis frequently speaking of his first visit to the venue in 2019 and reflecting on where he currently is in his life, particularly before ‘Next Thing You Know’ when he asked the audience to turn the phone lights on. The room took on a really magical quality that perfectly complemented his soaring vocals, and you felt like you’d witnessed something truly special. I also noticed just how skilled he is as a vocalist in this performance, with songs like ‘What My World Spins Around’ and ‘Slow Dance In A Parking Lot’ allowing him to highlight the belt in his voice but also keep it controlled throughout.
To close the show, after performing ‘Part Of It’ – a driving, touching tribute to his family – Davis switched things up with ‘Take It From Me’. I thought the twangy, sharp sound of the live version worked really well and would have been a very strong note to end on, but of course he wasn’t done yet. With a backdrop of black and white family footage, he finished off with ‘Buy Dirt’, thanking the audience once again for their support with his hand on his heart, and delivering an uptempo, bright take on the track with a rattling guitar riff and one final singalong. The crowd clapped along throughout and roared their approval at the end as he tossed picks into the audience and waved his goodbyes, and it’s safe to say we all left on an absolute high.
Overall Jordan Davis showed exactly why he’s one of the best entertainers in Nashville at the moment, combining incredible vocals, great showmanship and a mesmerising stage presence. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand throughout and his set ran the absolute gamut of emotions, whilst being warm and engaging throughout. At the end of the show he declared “I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun on a stage” and called it an “unforgettable night”, which I think was very much a mutual feeling! I’m very excited to hear the new music and hope it won’t be too long before he’s back playing live in the UK soon.
Set list: 1. Damn Good Time 2. Singles You Up 3. Whiskey Weak 4. Lose You 5. Good News Sold 6. Almost Maybes 7. Cool Anymore (with Ashley Cooke) 8. Church In A Chevy 9. Tucson Too Late 10. Next Thing You Know 11. Leaving New Orleans / Goin’ Round / Tough To Tie Down 12. Bluebird Days / Fishing Spot / Short Fuse 13. Hanging By A Moment / (Over My Head) Cable Car / You’ll Think Of Me / This Love (performed by band member Johnny) / I Don’t Want To Be / Drops Of Jupiter (Lifehouse / The Fray / Keith Urban / Maroon 5 / Gavin DeGraw / Train cover) 14. What My World Spins Around 15. Slow Dance In A Parking Lot 16. Part Of It 17. Take It From Me 18. Buy Dirt Performance date: 13th February 2024
Jordan Davis’ latest album, ‘Bluebird Days’, is out now on MCA Nashville/UMG Recordings.
See Jordan live on the Damn Good Time World Tour in the UK this month:
Wednesday 14th February – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Friday 16th February – O2 Institute, Birmingham
Saturday 17th February – O2 Academy, Bristol
Sunday 18th February – Academy, Manchester
Tuesday 20th February – O2 Academy, Glasgow
Wednesday 21st February – Ulster Hall, Belfast
Thursday 22nd February – Ulster Hall, Belfast
