When Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band got booked into a small performance space in an industrial pocket of Northeast Portland, Oregon most venue owners had little idea he was about to blow up with the release of his sprawling and masterful album New Threats From the Soul. Luckily, John Shepski did. The owner of Fluff & Gravy Records happily booked the Roadhouse Band into his intimate Cravin’ Gravy Social Club space for a Halloween show before anyone else was hip to the buzzworthy act. The album came out, accolades from highfalutin’ tastemakers like Pitchfork and The New Yorker followed, and the Portland show quickly sold out, with many larger venue owners undoubtedly wondering why they hadn’t gotten on the train earlier. Shepski was even able to add a second late-night show from the band, and that sold out, too. Such was the scene on October 31st when Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse band hit the stage in Portland to give just over a hundred fans a live taste of what they cooked up with New Threats From the Soul and more.
Taking the stage a few minutes late after getting held up eating pizza down the street, the band jumped straight into the title track of New Threats From the Soul with its country-tinged groove and warm harmonies. Playing in a Dead Moon hoodie as a nod to Portland’s punk legends, Davis had a modest presence as he let the songs and his bandmates’ talent take the spotlight. It was a challenge to fit these new tunes into an hour-long set, as each is an opus in its own right and often stretches well past the five-minute mark. “Monte Carlo/No Limits” was an early highlight with its cosmically twangified country undertones, frequent tempo changes, and flourishes of indie rock guitar all complementing the bizarrely beautiful lyrics. “Better If You Make Me” served as a proper showcase for Davis’ sandy baritone as it veered from dark and soulful to exuberant rocking, while “The Simple Joy” started off ominous and spooky with organ-like synths before moodily unfolding into a breezy rock number. Davis complemented the tune with his melodica playing, interspersed with jammy guitar and driving percussion.
Even though Davis is only now coming onto the radar for many listeners, he has been churning out excellent music for several years, both with this band and as part of the supremely underrated State Champion. “Junk Drawer Heart” was a standout tune with its Neil Young Ragged Glory-era guitar fireworks giving way to a smoother alt-country sound that cruised along with Davis’ literary lyrical flow. “Flashes of Orange” was also a rock and roll triumph with its easygoing guitars exploding into flashier moments, while “Crass Shadows (at Walden Pawn)” started slow and folky as Davis played harmonica and the band ventured into weird and wonderful sonic territory.
In Portland, the Roadhouse Band kept things straightforward and to the point. They didn’t need to do anything beyond that because their songs speak for themselves. Whereas the current wave of artists like MJ Lenderman and Greg Freeman (to name a couple) lean more into a sound that could easily have come from the 90s alt-country scene (this is not a dig by any means), Davis goes in another direction with sprawling songs and lyrics that are perplexing, epic, and entirely their own worlds. For those lucky enough to catch the performance, there was a feeling that this might be the smallest venue the Roadhouse Band would play for a while.
