The Barn Concert Series will host British singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls and blues musician Guy Davis in a co-headline performance Thursday, June 4.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at The Barn on Mac Davis Road, with parking and a free fish fry dinner beginning at 6 p.m. Rosey Baby Cajun Restaurant of Starkville will provide the meal for the third consecutive year.
Nicholls, who hails from Bedford, England, grew up listening to American roots music from her Anglo-Indian grandmother’s record collection. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, she has spent the last decade building a following on the Americana and roots music scene while touring internationally and recording original music.
Her upcoming fourth studio album, “Making Moves,” is scheduled for release later this month.
Nicholls’ earlier albums, including “A Little Redemption,” “Mockingbird Lane” and “The Melted Morning,” earned praise for their emotional songwriting and roots-inspired sound. Throughout her career, she has toured and shared bills with artists including Lucinda Williams, The Secret Sisters and Sturgill Simpson. Her music has also appeared on television shows including “Sons of Anarchy.”
A three-time Americana Music Association UK award nominee, Nicholls has performed at festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival in England, Denmark’s Tønder Festival, AMERICANAFEST, Mile of Music and 30A Songwriters Festival.
Nicholls will open the concert with a 50-minute set before Davis takes the stage following a short intermission.
Davis, a two-time Grammy Award nominee for best traditional blues album, is known for blending blues, folk, rock, rap, spoken word and world music in performances that often address social injustice, historical events and everyday struggles.
In addition to his music career, Davis has worked extensively in theater and film. The son of actors and activists Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, he has appeared in productions including “Mulebone” and “Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil,” the latter earning him a “Keeping the Blues Alive” award from The Blues Foundation.
Davis sings and plays six- and 12-string guitars, banjo, harmonica and didgeridoo. Over the years, he has performed alongside artists including Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Levon Helm, Taj Mahal, Kris Kristofferson and Keb’ Mo’.
“This concert should be outstanding,” said Steve Ellis, who owns The Barn with his wife, Kay. “We are thrilled to have Rosey Baby Cajun Restaurant in Starkville providing a fish fry for our audience. This is the third year in a row they have cooked for one of our concerts.”
Donations collected during the dinner will benefit St. Vincent de Paul, a local organization that assists people facing serious health and financial difficulties.
“This will be our last show until Sept. 17,” Kay Ellis said. “Way too hot in the Mississippi summer for an outdoor show. But we’ll be back with three more concerts in the fall.”
Tickets are $30 and available at barnconcertseries.com.
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