Mikaela Davis has been incredibly busy these days. She seems to have found a way to burn a candle at more than both ends. Davis is winding up a tour in support of her latest album And Southern Star. A nod to her outstanding backing band. Prior to that, Davis was on the road with Grateful Shred and Circles Around the Sun. Her majestic harp and vocals are featured on CATS latest release After Sunrise. She’ll rejoin that tour after hers wraps up in mid-May.
Davis made a rare appearance at the Hi Tone in Memphis. She spent the night demonstrating the unique ability to perfectly blend her harp into numerous genres of music. From country flavored Don’t Stop Now and Home in the Country to a spacy Cinderella and Grateful Dead cover Birdsong, Davis perfectly melts her harp into whatever musical genre the song calls for. Harp led improv is a road she travels alone.
What makes Davis such a fast riser on the indie/jam band scene is the same ability to melt her vocals into the music behind them. Her voice is effortlessly beautiful. Good enough to have a very successful career as a vocalist alone. Throw in an equally proficient technical ability and its clear why Dead founders Bob Weir and Phil Lesh have sought her presence on numerous occasions. Her perfectly melded backing band (Cian McCarthy- guitar, Shane McCarthy – bass, Kurt Johnson – steel guitar, and Alex Cote- drums) add plenty of fuel to this unique harp exploration.
After a full set excursion from country to psychedelia, Davis made note of the increase in attendance from her last Memphis show. Which was at the beginning of the covid pandemic. As she continues to showcase her talents in front of more and more eyes, it will be interesting to see the increase on her next stop to the Bluff City.
