S.Lo on May 3rd, 2018

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On Tuesday night, Bart Davenport (as Bart & the Bedazzled) held an album-release show at Zebulon for “Blue Motel,” out now on Burger Records, Lovemonk and Légère, because three labels is better than one. Backed by talented folks like guitarist Nic Hessler, L.A. Takedown’s Aaron Olson on keys, drummer Andres Renteria and bassist Jessica Espeleta, the band ran through most of the album, with singer Nedelle Torrisi joining on vocals for “The Amateurs,” title track “Blue Motel” and “Jon Jon,” a song from 2008’s “Palaces.” With 18 years of solo material to choose from, Davenport could probably play for 24 hours straight, so he had to be selective for this 35-minute dose of vitamin BD. A soulful, earnest singer, Davenport charmed the audience with his views on love, prosperity and creativity in the modern world. Couched between opener Nedelle Torrisi’s smooth jams (with Davenport on guitar) and closing band L.A. Takedown’s dueling-solos magic, the audience gave Bart & the Bedazzled a lot of hometown love and particularly enjoyed comedian Brent Weinbach’s Michael Jackson impersonation.

Photos by Cassandra Lee Hamilton