Dave Davies Revisits The Kinks, Wraps Up U.S. Tour Easter Sunday At Chicago's City Winery
Jim Ryan
Dave Davies dusted off a 70s holdover on stage Sunday in Chicago while promoting his latest album Decades, a collection of newly released tracks from the era. Davies told stories, cracked wise and hit upon classics from The Kinks canon Easter Sunday, wrapping up his U.S. tour at City Winery.
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Forbes
“How do you feel?” said Kinks guitarist Dave Davies as he took the stage Easter Sunday in Chicago. “I said, ‘Do you feel good?’” he asked again, rhetorically, before answering the question himself with the opening line of the 1965 Kinks single “Till the End of the Day.”

Backed by rhythm section Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) on drums and David Nolte on bass, Davies’ power trio set the stage for what was to come during a set populated almost entirely by Kinks classics.

Chicago marked the closing night of Davies’ U.S. tour in support of his latest album Decade, a collection of songs he actually wrote in the 1970s. Davies’ sons Simon and Martin helped find the lost tracks and Simon chipped in on production.

“I have a new album out…” said Davies, pausing for emphasis. “You could be more appreciative!” he chided the crowd playfully, noting the stereotypical response to new music at a rock show. “I’ve been thinking about these songs…” he mused. “But enough about that,” Davies continued, setting up “Cradle to the Grave.”

Earlier in the set, the crowd clapped along on the intro to the guitarist’s updated spin on “Creepin’ Jean” and sang along later during “Death of a Clown.”

“This is the time of the show I’d like you all to sing a song with me,” said Davies into the latter, for which he was joined by backing vocalist Rebecca Wilson. “You don’t have to be a great singer,” he clarified, teaching the crowd the lyrics to "Death of a Clown," before playing the bridge a second time on acoustic guitar so the crowd could jump in.

But it was classics from The Kinks pop/rock canon that most moved the City Winery crowd.

“You’re great! I’m falling in love again,” said the guitarist early in Sunday’s set. “We never fell out of love with you, Dave!” screamed a fan, to Davies’ apparent amusement, in reply. “I want to play an old Kinks song. Do you know of The Kinks?” joked the guitarist launching into the classic power chords that make up “Tired of Waiting For You.”

"This is one of my favorite Ray Davies songs," said Dave Sunday night in Chicago, obliquely addressing the most recent spate of Kinks reunion rumors. "Let's hear it for my brother... But let's not get carried away! It's Easter Sunday!" joked the guitarist as Nolte jumped in on keyboards on "Young and Innocent Days."

Dave Davies, who had a stroke in 2004, doesn't play as fast as he once did. But he plays with immense passion, and distortion drenched solos during some of the show's more introspective, deliberately paced moments were the night’s standouts.

"I'm going to do one of my favorite Kinks songs," said Davies of "See my Friends." Written by Ray about the death of their sister Rene, Dave opened the track with a beautifully meandering, feedback ensconced, psychedelic solo. "I feel that I'm amongst friends," said Dave of the audience response.

"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" was a highlight too as Diken and Nolte shouted along the backing vocals to the underrated Kinks track, closing the show, and the U.S. tour, with some of the biggest Kinks hits, bookending it with "All Day and All of the Night" and "You Really Got Me."

Chicago based, psychedelic garage rock duo White Mystery proved to be the perfect opener during a powerful half hour set clearly influenced by groups like The Kinks which opened with 2017 cut “Bad Neptune.”

“This song is about walking around Chicago,” said drummer Francis Scott Key White, introducing “Take a Walk.”

Since forming in 2008, the road tested brother/sister duo claims to have performed over 1,000 shows.

A distorted guitar solo from singer/guitarist Miss Alex White began “Birthday” while the juxtaposition of jangly guitar set against soaring/screeching vocals defined the beautiful blues-based “Get Back to Chicago.”

“Jesus has risen!” declared Miss Alex White, chuckling at the end of White Mystery’s triumphant opening set, building the bridge to Dave Davies on Easter Sunday in Chicago.