July 22, 2012, Sunday - Stuart Davis, Music for Mortals at Southern Theater
Time: Doors 6:30p, Show 7:30p
Location: The Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South
Stuart Davis, Music for Mortals
Davis, aka the “punk monk” and the creator of the edgy TV show Sex, God, Rock ‘n Roll, is a bit more hyphenated these days; he's becoming a Musician-Director-Comedian-Author. With 15 albums to his credit and guest appearances on NPR and syndicated radio’s “Coast to Coast Live,” music is still his main squeeze. His latest release, Music For Mortals, out August 2 on SDM, is proof, funded by fans from 15 countries. They put up over $80,000, to see the project come to life, and then waited two years for it to be completed. "It was astonishing, this outpouring of support from around the world,” he says.
Their enthusiasm was contagious, because the new music finds Davis more on fire than ever. Recorded at Henson Studios in Hollywood, Music for Mortals explores themes of spiritual awakening, death, and the mess of being Human. Stuart wrote most of the songs over the last year of his father's life, the music guiding him through a dark time.
"It was brutal gift, letting go of my dad,” Davis says. “It pulled me closer to everything -- darkness, impermanence -- but also profound love. His death moved through us like a mysterious storm. I kept sifting through the debris, and finding songs."
But it's no album of dirges. Engineered and produced by Alex Gibson, songs like “Spit It Out” bristle with punk provocation, while others such as “Beautiful Place” and “Love” are lifted by Davis' unique take on tough subjects, one that USA Today says "...shimmers with pop savvy." The songs crackle with an intensity that owes much to his new band, including Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass (Beck, Nine Inch Nails), Joel Shearer on guitar (Alanis Morissette, Annie Lennox), and Blair Sinta on drums (Alanis Morissette, Stevie Nicks).
Davis will bring his live show to the Southern Theater on July 22. This show is all ages.
Tickets are $15, Cash and Credit Card at door only. No presale.