Dec 8

Dec 8 Review: Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band at AyurPrana Listening Room

Just a few hours after landing at No. 5 on Pitchfork’s “100 Best Songs of 2025,” Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band kicked off its tour at AyurPrana Listening Room on Dec. 1. Not a bad way to start a run of shows.

Across New Threats for the Soul and the band’s 2023 debut, Davis leans into the role of the down-on-his-luck drifter, wrestling with the dreams he didn’t quite catch. He has a real knack for turning everyday disappointments into something funny, sad, and strangely profound. After years fronting the cult indie band State Champion — a group that deserved far more attention than it got — Davis suddenly being a press darling has to feel pretty surreal.

Instead of making the crowd wait, the headliners opened with “New Threats for the Soul,” their closest thing to a hit. It didn’t feel like they were trying to get it out of the way so much as instantly pulling everyone into the weird, winding world of Davis’s writing. The song landed even harder live, the crowd attentive for every bizarre turn of phrase that the singer delivered.

From there, the band slid into “Monte Carlo / No Limits” and “The Simple Joy.” A couple of early tech issues with Davis’ guitar didn’t throw them off, and honestly, the set couldn’t have sounded better. Davis might get most of the attention for his lyrics, but the Roadhouse Band’s arrangements — especially those unusual synth touches — play a huge role in why this project stands out from the endless stream of Americana acts passing through town.

With a few of the newer tunes already in the rear view, the band dipped into Dancing on the Edge for “Learn 2 Re-Luv,” “Junk Drawer Heart,” and “Flashes of Orange.” Those songs predate the recent surge in popularity, but considering the crowd’s response, the local fans were plenty familiar with the material. And even if someone didn’t know the older tracks, Dan Davis’ [no relation] energetic auxiliary percussion was enough to hold anyone’s attention.

The main set concluded with a beautiful atmospheric rendition of “Crass Shadows (at Walden Pawn),” but the room definitely wasn’t ready to let that be the end. When Davis asked if there was time for one more, people joked about how early it still was. [Side note: isn’t it wonderful when weeknight concerts wrap early enough to return home to get a full night’s sleep?] Honestly, the crowd probably would’ve stayed all night, but the encore — “Free From the Guillotine” — was a strong way to close it out.

Every year, music writers latch onto a new “next Dylan” or “next Joni” or “next Daniel Johnston.” Most of those predictions never pan out. But Ryan Davis — who was getting praise from folks like David Berman and Will Oldham long before Pitchfork came calling — is the real deal. He might be the most exciting of the strange, sharp lyricists giving alt-country some much-needed weirdness right now.

And for anyone who showed up on time, the night started strong thanks to Arbor Labor Union. It took them a few songs to fully lock in, but once they hit that shit-kicking cowpunk stride, the crowd was fully onboard. At their most energetic, they even channeled a bit of the Meat Puppets’ wild psych-country fusion from the ’80s.

The alt-country revival is very much happening — and the stranger it gets, the more I’m into it.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)