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
The Newton Theatre presents Adrian Vandenberg "My Whitesnake Years Tour"
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Adrian Vandenberg "My Whitesnake Years Tour" with Marco Mendoza, and Vinnie Moore on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 8:00pm.
Cape May Convention Hall presents Croce Plays Croce on August 7th
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- A.J. Croce brings his Croce Plays Croce show to the Cape May Convention Hall on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 8:00pm. Son of the legendary singer songwriter, Jim Croce, A.J. purposefully waited thirty years to perform his father's music, only introducing his acclaimed Croce Plays Croce Tour when he felt there was a meaningful way to honor his musical legacy with depth, intention, and musical integrity.
Tropicana Showroom presents Gov't Mule on Friday
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Tropicana Showroom at Tropicana Atlantic City presents Gov't Mule on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 9:00pm. For three decades, Gov't Mule has galvanized a global fan base with their honest, organic and daring music and improvisational virtuosity, leading them to be recognized as one of the most timeless, revered and active bands in the world whose spot amongst rock titans remains unshakable.
bergenPAC presents UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell on Friday
(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) presents UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 8:00pm. UB40's unmistakable blend of reggae rhythms and pop sensibility made them one of the most successful British bands of all time.
Scottish Rite Auditorium presents Hot Tuna on Friday
(COLLINGSWOOD, NJ) -- The Scottish Rite Auditorium presents Hot Tuna on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 8:00pm. Hot Tuna, an iconic American blues rock band, has been delivering a profound musical experience to audiences pushing six decades.
State Theatre New Jersey presents Buddy Guy
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Buddy Guy on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 8:00pm. At nearly 90 years old, Buddy Guy remains a singular force in American music. Fresh off earning his ninth Grammy® Award in 2026 for Best Traditional Blues Album (Ain't Done with the Blues), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and one of the last living architects of electric blues will celebrate a historic milestone with the Buddy Guy 90 Tour, featuring select headline performances across North America in 2026.
TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL 80s New Wave Tour Comes to Atlantic City on August 8th
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Tour organizers for the acclaimed 80's New Wave tour TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL have announced a line-up change due to the unfortunate cancellation of The Motels. Bow Wow Wow will replace The Motels for some shows and Men Without Hats will replace The Motels for others. The tour comes to the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena on Saturday, August 8, 2026. The tour's colorful lineup also features Thomas Dolby & The Lost Toy People, A Flock Of Seagulls, The Producers, Animotion, The Escape Club, and Tommy Tutone.
State Theatre New Jersey presents Buddy Guy on August 8th
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents the legendary Buddy Guy on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 8:00pm. Guy won his 9th career Grammy Award for 2025's Ain't Done With The Blues. Limited tickets remain.
The Vogel presents Early Elton Trio on Saturday
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents Early Elton Trio on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is a Tribute to the Elton John, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson Trio Tours of 1970 – 1972 featuring Jeff Kazee (Southside Johnny + The Asbury Jukes), Rich Pagano (The Fab Faux) and John Conte (Southside Johnny + The Asbury Jukes).
Todd Rundgren to perform shows in Englewood, Ocean City, and Red Bank in August
(ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Legendary producer/songwriter/guitarist Todd Rundgren is bringing his 2026 Damned If I Do Tour to the Garden Sate in August. He's got shows at bergenPAC in Englewood on August 8th; Ocean City Music Pier on August 11th; and Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on August 12th.
FEATURED EVENTS
