BUY TICKETS
Join us for another installment of Analog Soul featuring Will Davenport and the boulevards
DOORS: 6 PM / SHOW: 7 PM
GA: FREE
RESERVED SEATING: $20
No Refunds.
21+
ABOUT WILL DAVENPORT
More than words on a page or notes to a melody- William Davenport has had an intimate relationship with music that dates back to his childhood in Atlanta, GA. A soulful spirit with gospel roots, he scribes music reminiscent of mature love in its truest form. From his beginning days, William has been lauded as a true balladeer and music prodigy skilled in piano, guitar, violin, and organ. While in college pursuing a degree in Engineering, William appeared in and won several high-profile talent shows including the Embassy Records National Talent Search, and the opportunity to be a singer/songwriter for Neyo’s recording label, Compound Entertainment. More recently, William has continued to be recognized as an independent artist, including being spotlighted in the BET Music Matters campaign.
No stranger to the stage, William has shared a stage with legends such as India Arie, Will Downing, Boney James, Laura Izibor, Mary Mary, and Kirk Whalum. A powerful voice in his own right, William continues to pen musical stories that genuinely reflect the heart songs of everyday love and sensuality while carving a career in the industry with his unique sound and undeniable talent.
ABOUT THE SMOKE SHOW
Jon "Smoke" Lucas, a musician since age 8, is a Nashville native, multi-instrumentalist & GRAMMY Award-winning musician with a passion for curating immersive live music experiences.
Lucas is a highly sought-after drummer and DJ within the local Music City scene. He has toured the US, Canada & Europe playing various genres including Country, Soul/R&B, Funk, Rock, Gospel, and Hip-Hop/Rap. Lucas has shared a stage with artists such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Robert Randolph, Gramps Morgan, Indie Arie, Chris Janson, James Otto, Bas, Mr. Talkbox, Shannon Sanders, John Oates, Bob Weir, Meghan Linsey, CeCe Winans & more.
ABOUT BOULEVARDS18-month
In February 2022, Boulevards, the project led by musician Jamil Rashad, released its fourth studio album, Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud. That album culminated years of slow building and provided the Raleigh, N.C. native the breakthrough he deserved. After an 18-month, rigorous run, he wasn’t ready to take a deserved break.
Upon Electric Cowboy’s release, Rashad’s creative ideas continued to flow. He reached out to friends and collaborators, like writer Gentle Nature and J.J. Whitefield of German funk group The Poets of Rhythm, and began to mold his new ideas into full-fledged songs. After the campaign for Electric Cowboy wound down, Rashad returned to his home state of North Carolina and got to work on his fifth studio album.
As the song ideas flowed, Rashad explored the importance of self-reflection and personal experiences, particularly themes of love and vulnerability. Drawing from that prism and channeling the joy of his recent engagement, the artist had plenty of positive momentum heading into the recording sessions.
“After Electric Cowboy was released, I thought hard about my intentions for the next album,” shares Rashad. “The objective was to make a record that echoes the spirit of my live shows and reflects the truest ‘me.’”
Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road is a tip of the cap to his home and will be released by the New West Records imprint Normaltown Records. At Killion Studios in Los Angeles, Rashad teamed with producer Sergio Rios (Neal Francis, Say She She, Orgone) to create an album chock full of memorable uptempo “Southern Fried Funk.” For the first time in Rashad’s career, he recorded live and straight to tape, capturing the true essence of these songs, which were brought to life by Dan Hastie (keys), Dale Jennings (bass), and Sam Halterman (drums).
“Working with Sergio Rios as a producer allowed me to refine my vision while preserving the raw, infectious sound that feels most authentic to me,” Rashad adds.
With an assist from Whitefield, Rashad captured the raw, crunchy sounds he’d been hoping to incorporate into his recordings. The album also features the handy work of Mike Buckley (Daptones, Budos Band, Jalen N’gonda), who composed the horn parts, Blake Rhein (Durand Jones & The Indications), and Kendra Morris (Colemine Records). This is the album that finally captures the energy of Rashad’s high-octane live show onto wax. Black Pumas virtuoso Adrian Quesada and Will Grantham mixed Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, giving Rashad the exact sound he sought to capture.
Rashad points to “What We Live For” as one of his favorite songs from the 10-song collection. In the past, he’s hidden his personal lyrics underneath the power of his groove-laden instrumentals. Not here. He admits that hearing the finished version gave him chills and he teared up a bit. At its heart, it’s what Carolina Funk is about celebrating love. As tender as “What We Live For” is, Rashad didn’t want to get too hung up on sentimentality. The song’s rhythm and melody are club-ready with its funk soul.
The same goes for “Run and Move.” Describing the fears of vulnerability in a relationship, Rashad brings an astute perspective to describing human nature. Despite it being one of his favorite songs, he admits that it was one of the toughest to track in the studio. Even so, the collection captures Rashad’s ethos as an artist and is his most well-rounded to date.
Like any great artist, Rashad writes in a fashion that is true to himself, yet has the ability for his rapidly expanding fan base to relate to. With Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, Rashad shows that he can’t stop and won’t stop channeling his creativity into funk-powered hits.