By Danny Coleman
originally published: 05/29/2014
Moot Davis is a Jersey boy through and through; just don't tell his music that however.
You see, this Jersey native from a suburban Trenton community pens some of the best honky tonk, old school style rock 'n' roll one will ever encounter outside of possibly Nashville or Memphis.
"Goin' In Hot" is the latest effort from this talented artist, who has literally travelled the globe in search of the right avenues for his music. "Right now I'm living in Hollywood," says Davis. "I'm doing some acting and hoping to place some songs in film and that industry is here."
"Goin' In Hot" is his fourth disc and perhaps his most interesting to date. The disc was completed only days before the studio in which the mixes were finalized, burned to the ground. Ironically the title had been decided prior to the incident in which, fortunately for Davis, the engineer was able to pull the finished product off of the partially melted and saturated computer in which they were stored.
There's no irony in this disc other than the title, as Davis has put together a great collection of material; which when compared to his other efforts, has a bit more of an edge. "Goin' In Hot," the title cut kicks off with a twangy, honky tonk guitar backed up by a nifty drum track that makes this a superb opening track.
"Food Stamps," the second offering, features lines like, "Livin' on food stamps and four bottles of two dollar wine," with a prototypical old school country rhythm and additional lyrics which evoke images of a rural farm town supermarket where two young coworkers are more worried about falling in love, than how they're going to pay for it.
"Just Left Home" seems to be a testament to the innocence of youth as it meets the real world in search of love and adventure. "Made For Blood" is next up and features a syncopated guitar that is guaranteed to get your head bobbing and have you playing air or dashboard drums to its catchy story line.
Davis pulls back a bit on the fifth of this thirteen track album; "Used to Call It Love." A neat ballad which features some very nice pedal steel guitar work by Gary Morse. Moot doesn't let one rest however, as he jumps right back into "Walk Alone," followed by the two steppin', upbeat "Midnight Train."
True to Davis form, Moot likes to throw a rumba type tune in here and there and "Hurtin' For Real," which features the additional vocals of songstress Nikki Lane; does not disappoint.
The ninth cut is entitled "The Reason" and pays homage to not only his mom but mothers the world over. "You're the reason, I am who I am, you're the reason that I say please, thank you ma'am. I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me, hey ma' I love you, you made a man outta me."
"Love Hangover" details the feelings of a broken heart as compared to that of the kind which comes from a night of overindulgence. Another up tempo tune that is guaranteed to get your toes tapping and your feet shuffling, this one also paints a nice mental picture as well.
Keeping with the rocking theme of this disc, "Rag Man's Roll" hits the ground running right from the chute with a prominent yet at times subtle piano part capable of making Jerry Lee Lewis smile. A smokin' slide guitar played by Bill Corvino adds to the total overall feel of this rollicking tune.
"I Wanna Go Back" speaks of the demise of a relationship and the desire to revisit the past and atone for mistakes. This one paints a picture with lyrics perhaps better than many an artist could do on canvas. "I want one more night where we didn't fight and I said things just right and we held each other oh so tight..." A powerful ballad from the man's point of view about divorce and his obvious mistakes.
"25 Lights," with its blatant references to UFO abduction and escaping from our earthly realm, is definitely the odd man out on the disc. Even with a driving beat and exemplary guitar work, it just seems a tad out of place in comparison to the rest of the songs which make up this very fine collection. Whether Davis intends for it to be an attention grabber or he placed it there for another reason; it does not detract from the product whatsoever.
"Goin' In Hot" is well worth its price and is a fantastic piece of work by this Jersey boy who can be found performing all across this great land of ours. Currently, Moot and the band are touring the east coast with stops scheduled in various bar rooms, gin joints and honky tonks near you.
To see the complete tour schedule and discover more about Moot Davis, please go to www.mootdavis.com.
This space welcomes any suggestions and/or comments. Please send them to: [email protected]
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
THIS WEEKS CALENDAR LISTINGS
Alchemist & Barrister
28 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-5555
Thurs. 10 p.m. John Morrison Jazz Trio
Sun. 9 p.m. Princeton Area Bluegrass Jam
Wed. 10 p.m. Open mic. night Hosted by Eric Puliti
All shows 21+
Amarones Windsor Inn
29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-714
Thurs. (6:30 p.m.)Pizza Night w/Scott Gager & Debbie (7:30 p.m.) Texas Hold'em
Sat. 8 p.m. Sounds of The Street
Tues. 7:30 p.m. Texas Hold'em
Big Shots Bar and Grill/Hebe Music Lounge
835 E Rte. 130 South, Burlington
(609) 267-1200
Fri. 8 p.m. Charles Laurita & The Mischief
Sat. 8 p.m. No Commitment
Wed. 8 p.m. Open Mic.
Blend
911 Rte. 33 Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia Jam
Chambers Walk Cafe
2667 Main St. Lawrenceville
(609) 896-5995
Fri./Sat. 6 p.m. Dick Gratton
The Backstage at Championship Bar
931 Chambers St. Trenton
(609) 394-7437
Fri. 6 p.m. Rhino Cerous, Paradigms, Codex, VIA, Regressor, Winchester. All ages, $8/$10.
Sat. 7 p.m. Navigating The Decline, Prospect, Ancora, Geniverse. All ages, $8/$10
Mon. 4 p.m. Dog Fashion Disco, Psychostick, The Bunny The Bear, Super Terrific Action Team, Making-Out With Medusa, Stiff Motion, Valacar, Marina, Graye. All ages, $12/$15
Dubh Linn Square
167 Rte. 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-7100
Sun. 4 p.m.Billy O'neal
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night hosted by Shaun Ruymen
Fran's Pub
116 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215)862-5539
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Night
Sat. 8 p.m. Blue Meanies
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Mic Blues Jam
All shows 21+
Havana New Hope
105 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. "Beat The Clock" College Night DJ Dance Party
Fri. 8:30 p.m. The Loop
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Fish Out of Water
Sun. 2 p.m. Midnight Sun Orchestra
Mon. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron Sherr and Bridge
Wed. 8 p.m. Heather Heather
All shows 21+
Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Fri. 10 p.m. Gunsmoke
Sat. 10 p.m. Papa Deluxe
All shows 21+
John & Peter's
96 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Na Bodach
Fri. 8 p.m. Ammunition
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Atomic Age
Sun. (3 p.m.) Fungible Amalgam (9:30 p.m.) The Silks w/ Satellite Hearts
Mon. Open Mic.
Tues. 9 p.m. The Hoochie Coochie Men
Wed. The Invitational (Featuring John & Peter's House Band)
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern
2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-2678
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
Palermo's Of Hamilton
310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 9 p.m. Meg Hanson and Billy Hill
All shows 21+
Patriot's Crossing
1339 River Rd. Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Fri. 7:30 p.m. McMillan & Co.
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Gary and Deana
Pete's Steak House
523 Whitehorse Ave. Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Blind Lemmon Pie
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Sonny Kenn
RHO Waterfront
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 9 p.m. College Night w/ DJ Jeff Scott Gould
Fri. (4:30 p.m.) P.K. Lavengoode (9 p.m.) Radio Fiction (10 p.m.) DJ Jimmie Palumbo
Sat. 9 p.m. DJs Steve Hype, Jack Muler, Fake Brit, Larry T
All Shows 21+
Sunsets at Cream Ridge
181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-2500
Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Billy Simmons
Fri. (6 p.m.) Rob Silvers Duo (9 p.m.) John & Carm
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Tangled
Mon. 7 p.m. Open Mic. and Karaoke w/ Rich Barry
Tavern On The Lake
101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Kickback
Sat. 9 p.m. El Ka Bong
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The Cool Cricket
216 4th St. Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 9 p.m. Crosswick / Gridlock
The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau St. Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Ron Sherr
Fri. 10 p.m. WPRB Spring Fundraiser Night
Sat. 10 p.m. River Dogs
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ Ron Sherr
The Record Collector
358 Farnsworth Ave. Bordentown
(609) 324-0880
Sat. 8 p.m. Professor Louie & The Crowmatix. All ages, doors at 7:30 p.m., $12 (advance).
The Sticky Wicket
2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 9 p.m. D*Luxe
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Out of The red
All shows 21+
The Sun National Bank Center
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Please check web site for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog
1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Seamus Kelleher
Sat. 9 p.m. Tommy Glover
Sun. 3 p.m. Irish Sessions w/ Gormley & DeAngelo
Tues. (7 p.m.) Rock On Radio Happy Hour w/ Danny Coleman feat. John Patrick Bastiani and Margaret Lewis (9 p.m.) Open Mic.
All shows 21+
Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 8 p.m. Cinema Thursdays Presents: The Hire
Fri. 10 p.m. Friday night w/ Jay Kountree & Jaxx
Mon. 10 p.m. Service Industry Night w/ DJ-Jay Kountree
Tues. 9 p.m. LiveMusic/Open Mic.
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 10 p.m. Ellis Ashbrook. $5 (coverage)
Sat. (1 p.m.) Hobnail (10 p.m.) The Happy Dog. $5 (cover charge)
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Jam Night
All shows 21+
Villa Romanza
429 Rte. 156 Hamilton
(609) 585-1717
Sat. 8 p.m. Comedy feat. Kevin Downey Jr.
Wildflowers Inn
2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington
Sat. 9 p.m. Live Acoustic Rock
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
About the author:
Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Telegraph Quartet to Perform on the Morris Museum's Back Deck to Kick Off Its Celebrated Summer Outdoor Concerts Series
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- On Thursday, June 11, 2026, the Telegraph Quartet will return to perform for the Morris Museum's seventh annual Back Deck season. This outdoor concert series began during the pandemic, and The New York Times describes it as "Live Music Splendor in a Parking Lot." Showtime is 7:30pm.
Carteret PAC presents Jo Dee Messina
(CARTERET, NJ) -- Chart-topping country music icon Jo Dee Messina will perform at The URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center on Friday, June 12, 2026. Messina is known for her powerful vocals and extensive catalog including nine number-one hits, 16 Top 40 songs, and awards and nominations from the ACM, CMA, AMA, Billboard, and the Grammys. Showtime is 8:000pm.
SOPAC to Celebrate 20th Anniversary with Gala 20: Featuring Max Weinberg's Jukebox
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Friday, June 12, 2026 with Gala 20: Featuring Max Weinberg's Jukebox — a venue-wide celebration from 5:00pm–11:00pm.
Trenton City Museum presents Art & Song: A Musical Gallery on June 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- Trenton City Museum presents the concert Art & Song: A Musical Gallery on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 6:30pm. Versatile vocalists Tom Chiola and Pam Jorgensen, accompanied by the George Sinkler Trio, will delight audience members with selections from Broadway, Blues, Jazz, and more. Transformed into a stylish jazz café, the museum will also provide delicious food and beverages amid the art of the just-opened Ellarslie Open 43 exhibition. Doors will open at 6:00pm.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Jason Ricci on Friday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Multiple award winning jazz, funk and blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter Jason Ricci comes to the Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday, June 12, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 7:30pm.
French Montana to Headline Grand Opening of Dream Live Performing Arts Center
(EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- American Dream will celebrate the region's opening World Cup match between Brazil and Morocco with the debut of its newest venue, the Dream Live Performing Arts Center, with a postgame concert by French Montana on June 13, 2026 at 9:00pm.
Outlaw Country Comes to the Jersey Pines at Albert Music Hall on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- The outlaw spirit of classic Country music will ride into Albert Music Hall on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as the historic Waretown venue presents a special evening dedicated to the songs, stories, and the independent spirit of Outlaw Country.
Sergio Mendes' Wife, Gracinha Leporace, Brings His 'Best Band Ever' to New Jersey
Sixty years ago, Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M Records) emerged as both a masterful artistic statement and a major commercial breakthrough album. The record helped introduce the sophisticated rhythms and cool elegance of Brazilian bossa nova and samba to a truly global audience, blending Brazilian musical traditions with American pop, jazz, and contemporary studio production and repertoire.
Marc Ribler & Friends to perform Paul McCartney birthday tribute "When I'm 84" at Axelrod PAC
(DEAL, NJ) -- As a tribute to Sir Paul McCartney's upcoming 84th birthday in June, Jersey Shore musician Marc Ribler has put together an all-star lineup to perform "When I'm 84" at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Levoy Theatre presents Paul Thorn on June 18th
(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents Paul Thorn on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 7:30pm. When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who’s spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop.
MORE EVENTS
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