B. Barr and Percy Boyd do Brooklyn

If there ever was a band that puts the intimacy of the venue they play over the flashyness of a big room with lights, it is Surprise Me Mr. Davis. I have seen them everywhere between historic folk venues (Mill Valley’s “The Sweetwater”) to small pup tents in camp sites (High Sierra’s “Camp Harry”). Last week after they played Brooklyn’s tiny Union Hall (which they sold out in 2 seconds) bandleaders Nathan Moore and Brad Barr booked an even more intimate, free gig the following Monday at Brooklyn’s Pete’s Candy Store.


I was unable to attend the Union Hall show (Congrats again Pete and La ) but I was able to motivate some friends to check out one of the best folk singers in the business on a cool Monday night in Williamsburg. Honestly, for me I could compare this night to Eric Clapton opening for Neil Young. Brad and Nathan are by far the biggest musical infuences I have ever had. Nathan has literally hundreds of songs about every subject mostly in a tradition folk vein, musically and poetically speaking. Brad (guitarist for the SLIP as well) is a genre defying guitar virtuoso whose intricate melodies and open tuning masterpieces out weigh his strained, delicate voice.


Pete’s Candy Store is a venue literally the size of a railway train car. It’s long and narrow and and only holds around 30 people, even with a majority sitting on the floor. Brad and Nathan seem to like it this way, the “living room” atmosphere as I call it. Brad started the show with a 45 min set mostly littered with slower Slip songs like “Ooh Belle” and the Grey’s Anatomy star “Life in Disguise” before turning the stage over to Nathan. Mr. Moore showcased mostly new songs (for Nathan that means songs he’s written that week) before inviting Brad to finish the set with him on slide guitar and backing vocals. As the two blasted through the closer (which I requested) “You Don’t Have to Say Your Sorry (Til You Go)” (an videotaped, below) I sat there as happy as a kid in a candy store, oh wait, I was.

Brad's set: intro* > Predicting the Rain, Instrumental Rag^, Beggar in the Morning^, Before You Were Born, Ooh Belle, Fools Gold**, Life in Disguise, Let There Be Horses

* w/ lyrics like "If I was Lost" which i think was just improv over the arabic-sounding PTR riff. ** w/ Brad's friend Lasa (sp?) on lead vocals. ^ not sure of title so I guessed

Nathan's Set: Don't Go*, Wasted as Ted, Good Time Gambler^, Gotta Make It, Sometimes There's Wine, Sissy Fuss, Hollow, Nowehere From Here to Go, Rules, Richest Man Alive, Lost Man in a Foreign Country, Don't Have to Say You're Sorry (Til You Go)

* w/ drum beat and loops. ^ not sure of title, so I guessed. Brad sat in with Nathan from "Gotta Make It" on.