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+
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
Avenel Performing Arts Center presents Richard Barone & Glenn Mercer: Hazy Cosmic Jive on Wednesday
(AVENEL, NJ) -- Avenel Performing Arts Center presents Richard Barone & Glenn Mercer: Hazy Cosmic Jive on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 7:30pm.
White Eagle Hall presents The Feelies 50th Anniversary Shows
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- White Eagle Hall presents The Feelies 50th Anniversary shows on May 22-23, 2026. The band will be performing The Good Earth and Crazy Rhythms albums.
Centenary Stage Company presents Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience on May 23rd
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company in partnership with the Hackettstown Rotary Club presents Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 8:00pm. The performance will take place in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center with proceeds in part to benefit the many initiatives of the Hackettstown Rotary Club.
The Barrymore Film Center presents "A Heavenly Evening" featuring Gary Lucas and Feifei Yang
(FORT LEE, NJ) -- The Barrymore Film Center presents "A Heavenly Evening" featuring Gary Lucas and Feifei Yang in a double bill of Chinese music culture on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Centenary Stage presents Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience on May 23rd
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company in partnership with the Hackettstown Rotary Club presents Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 8:00pm. The performance will take place in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center with proceeds in part to benefit the many initiatives of the Hackettstown Rotary Club.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alexis P Suter on Saturday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alexis P Suter on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:30pm. Three-time Blues Music Award (BMA) nominee including the 'Koko Taylor' and Best Soul Blues Female Artist award categories, Alexis is an American blues, and soul blues singer-songwriter.
Starland Ballroom presents Sevendust on Saturday
(SAYREVILLE, NJ) -- The Starland Ballroom presents Sevendust on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:00pm. The night also features performances by Snot and American Adrenalin.
United Children's Music Project presents World-Class Venezuelan Artists María Brea and Kristhyan Benítez on May 28th
(WEEHAWKEN, NJ) -- United Children's Music Project (UCMP) presents Venezuelan soprano María Brea and Latin Grammy–winning pianist Kristhyan Benítez in an unforgettable evening of Latin American artistry as part of its acclaimed Latin Night Thursdays concert series on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at UCMP (4710 Park Avenue) in Weehawken, NJ. Showtime is 7:30pm.
The Vogel presents BobFest on May 28th
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents BobFest on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is the music of Bob Dylan presented in the round Nashville style by John Cruz, Steve Delopoulos, Pat Guadagno, Renee Maskin, Rob Paparozzi, and Anne Hills.
Outpost in the Burbs presents Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan on Friday, May 29, 2026 at the First Congregational Church of Montclair. Showtime is 8:00pm.
