It was a little after Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band finished their sound check for the night when I arrived at the Whirling Tiger. I caught the last moments of the affair in the dimly lit performance hall, sitting on a stool at the bar near the entrance to the venue. Davis laughed lightly at an unheard remark as he unwound a cord. Dressed in a comfortably fitting plaid shirt and jeans, he appeared relaxed as he interacted with his bandmates.
Davis eventually made his way over to me and sat briefly at the bar, short on time. He said he was excited to play that night, adding he had performed at the Whirling Tiger several times before. The band only plays in Louisville a few times a year because its members live in different states between gigs.
“It’s the calm before the storm,” he said, describing the anticipation before a show. The group would soon launch a Midwest and European tour. Davis then got up, laid out band shirts at the merch table and left with his crew for dinner.
The opening act, Phantom Family Halo—old acquaintances of Davis—began their sound check. Their auditory landscape was an eclectic kaleidoscope, from the electronic whirl of the keyboard to the strumming of electric guitars to the shake of maracas. I caught stray high-pitched lyrics from keyboardist and vocalist Dane Waters, who, with long brunette hair and a black shawl, seemed to blend into the darkness. My ears perked up at phrases such as “atomic bomb,” punctuated by the drummer’s cues to launch into another brief rendition. The music struck me as heavy, leaning toward stoner rock.
Lead singer and guitarist Dahm Majuri Cipolla wore a bucket hat that shadowed his eyes as he harmonized with Waters. His lyrics carried a sense of weight and dread: “I used to think I was an unlucky man … lost in the dust,” followed by the repeated refrain “fly” in harmony. As their rehearsal wrapped, a long-haired, bearded figure carried tables out of the hall to clear space for the incoming audience.
The band dispersed, leaving Cipolla alone on stage to sing “Wand’rin’ Star,” with the chorus carried by a prerecorded Lee Marvin track. That closed the sound check.
Cipolla later told me it was the first time Phantom Family Halo had played a show in seven years. Best known as the drummer for the Japanese band Mono, Cipolla had spent 14 years in New York City before returning to Kentuckiana. He recently bought a home in New Albany with his wife and daughter, happy to leave behind the bustle of New York. Touring half the year, he admitted it felt strange playing guitar after so much time behind a drum kit. Their set list, he said, was all new material for a forthcoming project about halfway finished.
When the doors opened, the crowd began trickling in. From my spot on the elevated landing to the right of the stage, I watched as Phantom Family Halo opened the show with “Wand’rin’ Star.” The exotic keyboard tones stood out, blending with Waters’ high-pitched vocals into a dissonant mix. Their final number swelled into a crescendo, each instrument roaring at full volume for a climactic finish.
After intermission, Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band took the stage, delivering a vigorous, enthusiastic performance. Davis’ vocals were joined by Catherine Irwin on “New Threats from the Soul” and “Learn 2 Re-Luv,” and by Jenny Rose on “Monte Carlo/No Limits,” “Simple Joy,” and “Freedom from the Guillotine.” Local musician Grace Rogers, whose recent album Mad Dogs was released under Davis’ Sophomore Lounge label, sang “Better If You Make Me.”
That track in particular sounded heavier and faster than the album version. While I struggled at times to catch the lyrics—perhaps due to my positioning or a recently discovered auditory processing issue—the band’s tight, symphonic sound was undeniable. Their hard-driving set resonated with the audience, who ended the night chanting, “One more song!” Davis and the band obliged, closing the evening on a literal upbeat note.
