DECEMBER FEATURE ARTIST OF THE MONTH: KARLA DAVIS

Let me introduce you to Karla Davis, our feature artist for the month of December ...

Karla Davis, a former soccer player for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a contestant on Season 2 of NBC's hit series "The Voice" and singer songwriter from Monroe, NC may be a small name but her voice is huge and her talent immense.

 I had the pleasure of seeing her on a side stage at Rapids Jam in Roanoke Rapids, NC in 2011 and again a couple of weeks ago in Sanford, NC when she opened for Mark Wills at the Temple Theatre. I was completely stunned and mesmorized by the power and clarity in her voice, the amount of control she possesses, and the wide range. I was also impressed by the depth of her songwriting. There is no wading in the shallow water when Karla writes a song, she jumps right in the deep end. Her songs are written from experience, from situations, from a sense of humor and most of all, from her heart. Karla also is a great entertainer, doing so much more than just sitting and strumming a guitar. She's a storyteller, injecting humor into her performances and strives to include audience interaction. If you get a chance to see her perform, please take that chance. 

For her full bio and more insight, go to www.karladavismusic.com

You can purchase Karla's music on iTunes and Amazon.

CONCERT REVIEW / EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: MARK WILLS AND KARLA DAVIS - TEMPLE THEATRE, SANFORD, NC 11/16/13

Artists: Mark Wills / Karla Davis (Finalist on Season 2 of NBC's "The Voice")
Date: 11/16/13
Venue: Temple Theatre
Location: Sanford, NC

First let me preface this by saying that this review will be rather lengthy. Why? Because when a show gives you a lot to talk about, you talk about it. I could go longer than this, but I think this sums it up pretty well for me.

When I was first approached by Brandon, the show's promoter, about  promoting and reviewing a show with Mark Wills and new artist, Karla Davis, in Sanford, NC, I have to admit, I got more excited about this opportunity than pretty much any other show I've covered this year (with the exception of the Oak Ridge Boys, well, because they're the Oak Ridge Boys). Even though I'd never seen Mark perform live, I knew that this performance would be different than the majority of shows I attend, this show was not going to be about the stage show, special effects, loud instruments that nearly drown out the vocals, or dodging overly intoxicated rude people crowding the stage just to be able to get that perfect concert shot. I knew this was going to be a simple show, the kind that would take music back to the good old fashioned basics and make me fall in love with good music all over again and reaffirm my belief that country music isn't dead (it just smells funny) and that not every artist has to sing about trucks, getting laid, and girls in cut off shorts. Don't get me wrong, I honestly don't mind some of the so-called "bro-country" music that's out there, but there are times where you just to hear music that is so good and so heartfelt that it can bring a room to silence. Mark Wills is an artist known for his realistic approach to writing a song, songs based on personal experience and things that mean something to him, songs that mean something to those that hear them. He's known for his deep love of family, his heartfelt appreciation for our military and his love of country, both country music and the country we live in and he infuses them all into his music. Having seen Karla Davis perform at Rapid Jam in 2011 and watched her time as a finalist on Season 2 of NBC's hit series, "The Voice", I already knew that she could sing my grocery list and turn it into a story, heck, she could make it a best seller.

When I first arrived at the theater, the first thing that caught my eye was the outdoor sign with the ticket price of $35.00. For an acoustic show, most would consider that on the high side, myself included. You can go to an amphitheater show with multiple top names and get a lawn ticket for less than that, but what you can't get is the intimate setting (this theater holds 300 people), wonderful acoustics, comfortable seating for everyone, and a well behaved crowd that is there for the appreciation of the music. This show was well worth the cost and if you were in the audience, you left with a newly enriched love of music that is honestly priceless.

The venue, the Temple Theatre, in downtown historic Sanford, NC was fantastic! It didn't look like much from the outside, unassuming with a simple plain awning, a marquee and an entrance that reminded one of an old 40's movie theater but when you walked in the door, it was actually quite breath taking and impressive.

Built in 1925 by Robert Ingram, Sr (owner of the Sanford Coca Cola Bottling Company), the Temple Theatre, located only one half block from the town's railroad station, was a frequent stop for Vaudeville shows and their performers. For years, it was the only venue for entertainment in Lee County, NC. Through out the years, the theatre showcased such various entertainment such as burlesque, 1930's road shows and was at one time a movie theatre. It even played host to the MGM lion at one time. In 1981, a group of people got together and decide that it was time to renovate the aging theatre and to once again make it the jewel in the Lee County crown for entertainment. The building was designated a National Historic Site in 1983. Since then, the venue has gone an extensive and ongoing renovation, adding decorative metal squares to accent the high ceilings, a perfect sized stage, elaborate chandeliers, a concession area, and comfortable padded theater seating. I honestly got so wrapped up in exploring the venue that I almost forgot why I was there. The owners of the Temple Theater have really done a great job in converting an old space into a new, updated place for locals to enjoy quality entertainment and to bring their families.I live 4 hours away and would make the drive anytime for a show. Sanford is a great location, it's only a one hour drive from the Raleigh/Durham area and only 30 minutes from Ft. Bragg, one of the country's top military installations and depending on the show and ticket prices, they offer various discounts to military, police, firefighters, and Lee County school employees.

Monroe, NC native Karla Davis took the stage at 8pm to quite an impressive round of applause. This crowd obviously already knew Karla and her music and made no attempt to keep that a secret. She took her stool and picked up her guitar and put on a show that I can promise was still being talked about long after she sang her last note. The range of emotion in her voice, her versatility is incredible and her vocals are 100% flawless. Karla isn't your typical female country singer, I would consider her a country Etta James, with an essence of raspy blues crossbred and blended with a splash of Bonnie Raitt soul, not to mention she is an amazing songwriter. She performed mostly original compositions like "Don't Give Me Roses", "Whiskey's Got a Job to Do", "Carolina", "Mississippi Thing", and "When I'm Gone". Every song brought silence to the room. There was no texting going on, no talking, none of the things you see at every other show. This audience was here for music, nothing more, nothing less and that's exactly what they got from Karla Davis. She's also quite funny, bantering with audience members, giving her dad grief (who was sitting in the balcony) and just being Karla. There's nothing average, ordinary or un-original about this artist. Be sure to check her out online at www.karladavismusic.com and follow her on Twitter at @KarlaDavisMusic. Her music is available on iTunes.

After a 10 minute intermission, Mark Wills walked out on stage in typical Mark low key fashion, wearing a Superman t shirt, a hat, jeans and boots. He always keeps things simple and this time was no different, he only brought 2 things with him, his guitar and his fellow guitar player, Kevin Key (who was a phenomenal musician and harmony vocalist in his own right). They both had a stool and a mic stand so you knew this was just gonna be good but I completely underestimated just how good it was going to be. One thing I wasn't expecting was to laugh my ass off all night, not just periodically, but from start to finish, from meeting him before the show and hearing his stories all the way through until the end of the night. His sense of humor is wonderful and part of what makes him such a well loved entertainer. He let us know that he doesn't use a set list, that he prefers his shows to be different and provide audience participation so this night was going to be strictly request based. He cracked jokes with various members of the crowd, trading "insults" with people that were just belly shaking funny. I absolutely love an artist who interacts with his fans and doesn't just sit in front of a mic and sing. This is what makes Mark Wills a stand out from the rest and puts him with the best. Other than a great performance, you get a fun performance. You never know what he's gonna say or do. From the start, I should have known just from sound check that he was going to be great, but he proved himself to be one HELL of a vocalist. There aren't many artists that can give me the goosies, but damn if he isn't one of them. His vocals are spot on, not a note missed and he has a tone in his voice that is, well, I guess I could compare to a home cooked Sunday dinner, it's familiar and comforting. It's like coming home. There were several friends of Mark's in the crowd who were military and you could see in his eyes the appreciation he has for them and he expressed that vocally several times throughout the night. When he sang his song about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, "Crazy Being Home", the person he wrote the song about was in the crowd and you could see the emotion all over Mark's face as he sang it and as he made eye contact with the person throughout the song. It was only one of the soft spots of the night. He sang the songs he's most known for, his radio hits, but he also sang songs that were extremely personal to him such as "In My Arms" that he wrote for his oldest daughter. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house, including his own.

After the few seconds he needed to compose himself after that one, he went right back into his other persona, Mark the Vegas Strip Stand Up Comedian. He announced to the crowd that in his decades of performing, he's realized there are 2 distinct groups of people at country music shows, the true country fan and those who were dragged to the show by the said country fan. He had the house lights turned up and asked the crowd by a show of hands who was in which group. There was one girl front and center who wasn't a country fan but was there with someone who was. She immediately became this hunter's target. He asked her "so you don't know ANY of my songs? Not one?" She replied she did not. He said "not even this one, it was one of my biggest" and well, I'll just let the video below take over from this point.


I can honestly say I could only find one thing to be critical of and that was the fact that it just didn't go on long enough for me, even though the show pretty much ran an extra hour thanks to Mark's random personality and his love of performing. I can also honestly say that  both Mark and Karla have a fan for life in me, all of their music is now happily at home on my iPod and I would just like to thank both for a wonderful night, for maintaining the integrity and character of true country music and for giving us music that we can believe in, music that moves the listener and for giving it meaning again. I think that should be the new trend in country. Trucks and hot chicks are cliche, but a song with meaning will always be timeless. You can also find Mark online at www.markwills.com and on Twitter at @MarkWillsMusic. He does run his own twitter the majority of the time and he's great about responding so don't hesitate to follow him and say hello.

VIDEO: Adley Stump Watching Her "The Voice" Blind Audition

Looks like "The Voice" has turned into "Team Nashville" this season with so many great artists representing country music - Karla Davis, Adley Stump, RaeLynn, The Line, Nicolle Galyon, and Gwen Sebastian.
 No matter which artist's team they're on, they're "Team Country" or "Team Nashville". Here's one of our favorites, Adley Stump, who became the last member to round out "Team Blake" on last night's episode, watching her blind audition for the first time with her friends and family. If you love any of these, regardless of whose team they're on, keep supporting because they're all representing the love of country music and they all represent the best of those who auditioned.

What a FIND! Check out Karla Davis' Cover of "Highway 20 Ride"

Wow, what an AMAZING voice and acoustic performance by Karla Davis. We missed her at Rapids Jam but I won't be missing her from now on. She is OUTSTANDING. Swing by her website and let her know what you think at www.karladavismusic.com. You can follow her on Twitter too - @karladavismusic.

RAPIDS JAM 2011: A LOOK BACK AT DAY TWO

Event: Rapids Jam 2011 (Day 2)
Date: June 17, 2011
Location: Roanoke Rapids, NC
Artists: James Wesley, Craig Morgan, Darius Rucker and Sugarland (plus other new artists on side stages)

Photos: http://imgur.com/a/1bBhg

If you missed Rapids Jam, the inaugural 3 day country music "Woodstock" held in Roanoke Rapids, NC on June 16-18, you missed an INCREDIBLE 3 days of music from such top names as Willie Nelson, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Sugarland and more. Unfortunately I had to miss the first and last days due to prior commitments with work and personal issues, however I drove the distance to be front and center on day two which featured Drew Davis Band, Karla Davis, McKenzie's Mill, James Wesley, Darius Rucker, Craig Morgan, John Berry and Sugarland.

Ingrid, my unofficial yet official "assistant, camera person, cohort and partner in crime" and I hopped in the car and drove from Raleigh to Roanoke Rapids with one thing on our mind, a full day of good country music. Well, I had something else on my mind too, finally meeting my friend, James Wesley ("Real", "Didn't I"), whom I'd been tweeting with since May 2010. We'd been planning this one for quite awhile and the day was finally here, and yes, I was downright giddy and I don't do giddy. We got to the grounds and let me tell you, this was done up right. There was a carnival setting with rides, games and a huge Ferris wheel on one side of the field, vendor tents, merchandise tents, food tents, side stages and the huge main stage set up on the other side. From the sheer size of the stage, you knew it was gonna be a good night even in heat topping 95 degrees with 90% humidity. Man, it was hotter than the bottom of Ghandi's flip flop out there! We pulled into media parking which was nice since we didn't have to walk 5 miles to the entrance and we had a nice clean portajohn to use! We met up with Leigh Parr and Amanda French from EB Media and let me tell you, those girls are the nicest, classiest publicists I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. EB Media has helped me out so much with being able to get to these shows so I can review them for those of you unable to make the show itself but who want to know what happened and how the artists performances were so first off, THANK YOU to Amanda, Leigh and Ebie for all they do to help me bring my view to you.

Amanda came out to get us and walked us past all the massive amounts of equipment, big rigs and extravagant buses to meet up with James in his trailer. When we got to the trailer, I was turned around asking Amanda a question and I heard "Jenn!". I turned around and there was the greatest smile in country music, James Wesley, smiling especially for me. I think I got all verklempt and misty finally getting to get a heartfelt hug and time to spend with someone who has become one of my favorite people. James was everything I knew he'd be, down to earth, friendly and warm and just himself. There is no "star" attitude with James, he's very humble and what you see is what you get. That's what everyone loves about him. We sat down and had a nice chat, which you can see on the website if you click on "interviews" on the right side of the page or if you type James Wesley into the search bar. We laughed and just had a good time getting to know each other. I was actually disappointed that he had to go sing even though I couldn't wait to hear that voice. James, Jeremy (his drummer) and Zac (his bass player), walked us out and we talked some more walking towards the buses and rigs. I asked him which bus was his and he pointed to a 15 passenger shuttle and said he couldn't see paying that much money for an extravagant bus when he could spend less money and be able to pay his band more money. That right there is what makes James Wesley so amazing, his outlook on things that matter and he recognizes how blessed he is to be in the position he's in and that it's people like his band that helped get him there, so he makes sure they're taken care of. I was blown away, but not that I didn't expect that from James, it was just so nice to hear. With that great ending to a nice chat with James, he had to get ready for his 4:30pm show. All I can say is Big Gulp will never have the same meaning again ... right James? LOL! How cool is that, I have a private joke with James Wesley!

1:30pm - 2:30pm - Unfortunately we arrived too late to hear Karla Davis perform but she got a raving review from those in attendance. I checked her out online and this Monroe, NC can definitely carry a tune in a bucket and man does she have a set of strong winded pipes. Wow, love her music! Highly recommend checking her out.

3:00pm - 4:00pm: On stage prior to James was the Drew Davis Band. Having performed nationwide as part of the biggest fairs and festivals incuding Country Thunder and Country Stampede, Drew Davisʼ fan-base has grown to vast proportions over the course of his 500 shows. Drew has shared the stage with such big names as Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Trace Adkins, and others. Drew Davis was also featured on "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" and quickly signed by Doc McGhee (KISS' manager) and Windswept Records. I was only able to catch about a song and a half by the time I got to the main stage area, but what I heard was outstanding. Drew can rock a stage like nobody's business and keep a crowd on it's feet. One thing I overheard by several attendees following his performance was about the fact that he apparently said something about "hitting your kids". I personally missed it, but apparently the comment rubbed some people the wrong way. Everything else I heard was nothing but praise for his performance.

4:30pm - 5:30pm: Oh yeah boy, it was time for some "real" music, James Wesley. James may be from small town Mound Valley, KS but there is nothing small town about his performance or his voice. I was standing in the photo pit waiting on the show to start when my phone rang. James was calling asking if I knew anyone "trustworthy" to help with his merchandising while he was "meeting and greeting". Wait, did I know anyone trustworthy that would love to help? Uh, hello! ME!!! Pick me! I told him I'd be more than happy to help him with whatever he needed and would meet him at the merchandise tent after his set. Giggity giggity goo, y'all! So, James came out and sang his Mound Valley butt off. He sang all the favorites, "Jackson Hole", "Real", his new single "Didn't I" (which y'all need to be requesting like crazy mad by the way) and he also broke out some old school Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. Loved it, loved James, and did I mention LOVED IT??? What a voice, the crowd really enjoyed it too. Listening to James Wesley and spending time with him has reconfirmed what I love about country, it's a caring genre and it's artists are like no other, humble, down to earth and genuinely kind people.

6:00pm-7:00pm: Holy majoley, Craig Morgan is way to underrated for what he can deliver as an artist. Wow, he put on one of the best vocal sets I've ever heard. I'd sit behind his international harvester any day of the week. I really was hoping for an interview with Craig but alas it was not to be THIS TIME but y'all know me, it'll happen next time! I have so much respect for Craig, as a former serviceman, he is a huge supporter of our troops and the USO. He runs a charity called Billy's Place and he plays his country his way and apparently it's our way too because we sure like it when he sings! When Craig took the stage, you saw a little bit of yee haw, a little bit of spice, a little bit of country and was it nice! He sang all the hits like "Little Bit of Life", "Love Remembers", "International Harvester" and some others. He also brought 3 women up on stage and broke into "Easy" by the Commodores and made all three of those faces blush when he sat down between them and made each one feel like they were the only one he was singing to. What a nice thing to do! Wish I'd been up there, he would have been the one blushing! LMAO! I can say that Craig Morgan is now a favorite of mine and I admit, I too underestimated his talent. 

7:00pm - 7:30pm: What a nice surprise that John Berry came out as a last minute replacement for the LoCash Cowboys who apparently had to cancel due to, from what I heard, "overbooking". A dear friend of mine, Kenny Head, who plays keyboards for the Georgia Satellites also plays keyboards for John during his Christmas tour so I was hoping Kenny was part of the last minute booking but unfortunately not. It was John, John's guitar and John's wife, Robin. He sang maybe 3 songs, but man did he sing them good. When he ripped out, "Your Love Amazes Me", yes, I think I cried a little. It might have been the salt from the sweat getting in my eyes, but either way I cried.

7:30pm - 8:45pm - DARIUS!!!! As a HUGE fan of Hootie and the Blowfish in their early pre-pop radio days, I was all slaphappy and unhinged waiting for years to see Hootie in person. What I got was far from Hootie, he's definitely Darius now. There's a maturity in his songs, a depth and soul to his voice that wasn't there during the Hootie days. He's definitely found his calling and it was calling "HEY HOOTIE, PLAY SOME COUNTRY!". What a great set, he took that stage and the crowd went nuts. He walked the catwalk and there were hands all raised trying to just touch him as he danced by. Speaking of Darius dancing, would someone tell him not to do the white boy shuffle? LOL! I love the man, love everything about him but I giggle like a kid every time he breaks that move out. He sang "Alright" and his other hits but the one I really liked that I hadn't heard was "Love Can Do That". Guess what Darius, Love can do that and it did because I love that song now! Unfortunately we weren't able to stay for the entire show or the (insert gasp here) Sugarland show, but I can promise you the rest of the night was unforgettable and top shelf entertainment. Come on, it's Sugarland, every thing they touch is top shelf.

All in all the event was well put together, the entertainment was OUTSTANDING, and we had an amazing time despite my face melting off and my new farmer's tan. There are a few recommendations I'd give for next year's show, which I hope they have. The recommendations are as follows:

1.) Make sure there is enough water. Most vendors ran out of water before Sugarland came out and in 90 plus heat, that's not a good thing.


2.) Make sure there is somewhere to get out of the sun, maybe a misting station or just a tent to sit in if you can't stand the heat. It was just too darn hot for alot of people to enjoy.


3.) Porta-Johns - Uh no. There needs to be an actual restroom or at least make sure to have someone making sure these PJ's are cleaned regularly, at least the interior part. I'm not putting my posterior down in a nasty interior.


4.) Tickets for Food Purchases - Who came up with this brainstorm? 8 tickets for $5. Most foods cost between 10-15 tickets, my beef brisket sandwich was 15 tickets! Do the math. Just the sandwich without fries or a drink was almost $10.00! Small water bottles and sodas were 4 tickets and the larger bottles were 6 tickets. Very expensive. Next time I will eat before I get to the festival and save some money to spend on artist merchandise, which was moderately priced this time.

Loved it and again, thank you to EB Media for just being an awesome group to deal with, James Wesley for taking time out to spend with me and the organizers who put this all together. Great job, next year is gonna rock!