Melodic harp sounds reverberated through the Center for the Arts in Homer on Wednesday November 20, as Mikaela Davis brought her Solo+Acoustic tour to the refurbished church. John Lee Shannon opened the show.
Davis has risen to stardom over the last several years, thanks to a nearly relentless touring schedule. The Rochester native and classically trained harpist has performed muti-week residencies through out various music venues across New York State on several occasions the last two years. Those shows saw Davis joined by her band, Southern Star, and took on a very upbeat, jam-oriented vibe. For this run of dates, Davis stripped her music to its core, performing on either the harp or keyboard.
The evening opened with a set by John Lee Shannon. Shannon performed a 40 minute set of acoustic instrumental tracks, primarily off of Shannon’s 2020 release In & Of.
After a brief intermission, Davis took to the stage and took seat at her harp. She opened with the hauntingly beautiful “Cinderella” (off her latest release, And Southern Star), and followed up with “A Letter I’ll Never Send” and “In My Groove”. Stripped down to their foundation, the songs took on a different life and allowed Davis’ songwriting to shine. Davis would take turns performing on the harp and keyboard, while opener John Lee Shannon would add acoustic guitar for a new offering from Davis, “Rose Colored Glasses”.
Early in the show, Davis stated that this was the first time she felt nervous performing in a very long time. She talked about the fears that the audience would become bored and leave early. Any of those fears were squashed early on in the evening, as the theater became engrossed in the music. To say that the theater was so quiet you could hear a pin drop would be an understatement. The theater was so quiet, you could hear the click on the effect pedals as Davis switched amongst them during her songs. To garner such attention from the audience is a true testament to Davis’ abilities as a songwriter and performer.
Mikaela Davis – Homer Center for the Arts, Homer, NY – Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Setlist: Cinderella, A Letter That I’ll Never Send, In My Groove, Home in the Country, The Pearl, Promise, One of these Days, Delivery, Natural Women (Carol King), Rose Colored Glasses, Far From You, Little Bird, Emily, Saturday Morning
Encore: All I Do is Disappear
Comments are closed.