The average length of the tunes on Ryan Davis’ first full-length album clocked in at about 7 minutes and 17 seconds.
On his second, he bumped it up almost an entire minute, with the median landing at just beyond 8 minutes per track.
But for anyone who’s heard even a snippet of his music, it’s immediately obvious that Davis and his band — Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band — are built differently.
Currently touring as a six-person crew, the gang rolled through Baltimore early last week for a stop at Ottobar, where a fantastic set showed exactly why the group is so swiftly on the rise.
Fans packed into Ottobar the night of March 30 to see Davis and his Roadhouse posse fill the stage and blast through a whole bunch of originals — epics, most of them.
And whether you want to call these songs Americana, a blend of various styles or some advanced form of folk or indie rock, one thing is clear: Davis is a remarkable and ambitious songwriter.
Listen to Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band’s sophomore release, New Threats From The Soul, below:
With the support of his current backing band, he showcased an uncommon sound and performed exceptional tunes that jammed on and on last Monday night. He and his crew surely captivated everyone who’d packed into the storied North Howard Street venue.
On stage with Davis was Christian “Smokey” DeRoeck on electric and acoustic guitar, Lou Turner on bass and flute, Trevor Nikrant on pedal steel and keys, Jim Marlowe on drums and Dan Davis (not related to the band leader) on synth and other electronics.
This crew has collaborated in different ways and become tight, and their comfort and familiarity — it looked a lot like genuine friendship last week — might be a defining feature of their sound and their live presentation.
Davis himself is a Kentucky native who co-founded the Cropped Out music festival back in 2010 and more recently launched a record label — Sophomore Lounge — that’s quickly expanding its band roster. Now living in Indiana on its southern border, Davis is or has been involved in several other projects, like Equipment Pointed Ankh and Tropical Trash.
He and the Roadhouse Band are unquestionably fast on the rise, evidenced by their billing at the 2026 Newport Folk Festival after releasing only two albums, the first in fall 2023.
And, having worked together in various outfits previously, they’ve become a polished and potent presence in the studio and on stage, too.
Watch the official music video for Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band’s “Better If You Make Me” via YouTube:
Baltimore was the third stop on the band’s spring tour, and at Ottobar, Davis and company were relaxed and most certainly in their element blasting tracks from the 2025 album, New Threats From The Soul, and their premier, Dancing on the Edge.
Those on hand heard emphatic takes on “The Simple Joy,” “Monte Carlo / No Limits” and the title track from the latest record and tunes like “Free From The Guillotine” from the first. Davis showed himself to be a steadfast but energetic leader — a powerful force behind his dark-tinted glasses — and he was all over the stage, seemingly bringing the best out of his mates and even using a melodica at some point.
While they looked and sounded like a band that’s been together for years, Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band are just getting started.
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band Setlist
The Simple Joy
Monte Carlo / No Limits
Mutilation Springs
Learn 2 Re-Luv
Flashes of Orange
New Threats from the Soul
Junk Drawer Heart
Free from the Guillotine
Encore
Crass Shadows (at Walden Pawn)
Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Bruce Cockburn cover)
Rosali Setlist
On Tonight
Hopeless
Heart Washed
Hills
Rewind
Bite
My Kind
Below are black-and-white 35mm film shots of Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band along with the night’s opening act, Rosali, performing at Ottobar in Baltimore on March 30. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
