Saturday night Michael Ray, Canaan Smith, and Brantley Gilbert played a nearly sold out Target Center. I’m sure the show was amazing, but for me, the highlight of the night was the six song acoustic set that nine of us fans got to experience with hit songwriter Brian Davis.
My introduction to Brian Davis was through a friend almost three years ago after she had seen him play in Raleigh, NC and couldn’t stop raving about the experience. So, obviously I had to check out his music for myself and after one listen of his song, “Long Line of Wrong” I was hooked. Flash forward three years and I’m walking into his VIP Meet and Drink Experience and giving him a hug! Definitely a bucket list moment! Brian couldn’t have been kinder or more grateful to the group of us for being a part of his VIP experience as he took requests, shared stories between songs, and posed for a few selfies.
Brian grew up in North Carolina where he spent time watching and learning from his dad and grandfather, who played gigs all over the state. From the time he was eight years old, he was tuning their guitars and hanging out in honky tonks. His love of music eventually led him to Nashville where he landed what he calls the apprenticeship of a lifetime with legendary songwriter, Harlan Howard. Besides writing songs made famous by Brantley Gilbert and Lee Brice, Davis has even had a song featured on hit show Nashville back in 2013 (“What If I was Willing”) and has toured with big names like Brantley Gilbert and Aaron Lewis. With more than six albums of his own recorded and the fact that Davis himself said he writes over 100 songs a year, his passion for music and songwriting is evident.
It’s that passion and a true talent for songwriting that comes through when you listen to his music. Brian Davis’s ability to not only tell a griping story, but also portray so much emotion in his voice that you feel it yourself just by listening to the song is something not many can do. Whether it’s a love song where he’s making you go weak in the knees with phrases you didn’t even realize were sexy on “Party For Two” or bringing out the raw emotion of losing someone too soon on the third verse of “Lights Of My Hometown”, you can tell Davis means every word he’s singing. He’s even managed to tap into the souls of true country guys and girls everywhere with his song “Bang Bang” because we all know that sometimes you just want to shoot some guns and drink some beer with your buddies.
Between his talent and his genuinely appreciative and fun attitude it’s easy to be a fan of Brian Davis. He’s expecting to have a new album out in September or October, but until then definitely get yourself acquainted with him by checking out his music on iTunes or Spotify. You can also catch him out on the Blackout Tour with Brantley Gilbert and be a part of his VIP Meet and Drink experience by checking out his website for upcoming dates.
Written by Jackie Ebnet for MinnesotaCountry.com.