Grammy winner Linda Davis brings Nashville stories and songs to Concord's Davis Theatre
Vocalist Linda Davis, country musician and songwriter Lang Scott, and hit songwriter and radio personality Bill Whyte will bring their blend of acoustic music, behind-the-scenes stories and good-natured humor to the Davis Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Davis
Linda Davis, Lang Scott and Bill Whyte bring Nashville stories, songs and humor to Concord for an Evening in the Round.
CONCORD — Somewhere between a hit country song, a story from the road and a joke that takes an unexpected turn, you start to feel less like you're at a concert and more like you've been invited into a living room in Nashville.
That’s the idea behind Evening in the Round, an intimate musical experience featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Linda Davis, country musician and songwriter Lang Scott, and hit songwriter and radio personality Bill Whyte. The trio brings their blend of acoustic music, behind-the-scenes stories and good-natured humor to the Davis Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 15.
“We want to make the audience feel like we're sitting in their living room,” Scott says. “We've come over and we're going to share some stories from decades of experience in the country music industry.”
For these three, those stories come from careers that have taken them across the country music world, from recording studios and radio stations to the Grand Ole Opry and stages alongside some of the genre’s biggest names. But what makes Evening in the Round distinctive isn't simply the experience they bring to the stage. It's the chemistry they share when they're together.
Davis grew up in East Texas knowing exactly what she wanted to do: sing country music and perform at the Grand Ole Opry. She sang wherever she could find a stage, eventually making her way to the Louisiana Hayride, a legendary radio show that helped launch the careers of artists including Elvis Presley and Hank Williams.
At 19, she moved to Nashville to pursue her dream.
It was there that her career began to take shape, eventually leading to a record deal and a friendship with fellow country star Reba McEntire. The two recorded “Does He Love You,” a duet that became a No. 1 hit and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration, along with other major industry honors.
Davis has since performed with some of country music’s biggest names, including Garth Brooks, George Strait and Kenny Rogers. She is a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and continues to perform regularly at the Grand Ole Opry.
Scott, meanwhile, arrived in Nashville from South Carolina in 1982 after winning the first national You Can Be a Star contest on The Nashville Network. He earned a recording contract with MCA Records before spending time working in television production and eventually returning to the road as a musician. He later played guitar and sang background vocals for McEntire, touring with her for seven years.
Linda and Lang met early in their Nashville journeys and have now been married for more than four decades. Their personal and professional lives have grown alongside one another, through recording deals, touring, raising a family and celebrating the musical accomplishments of their daughter, Hillary Scott, lead singer of Lady A.
“We've enjoyed most of this stuff together,” Davis says of their life in music. “And it's been fun, and it's still fun.”
That shared history gives Evening in the Round a perspective that can’t be manufactured. Davis and Scott can look back on decades in the business together, with stories that stretch from their early days in Nashville to the songs and artists that have shaped their lives.
Whyte brings a different kind of experience to the circle, along with a knack for keeping things lively.
Originally from Missouri, Whyte has built a career that spans songwriting, performing, stand-up comedy and morning radio. He spent years hosting award-winning radio shows in markets across the country and was inducted into the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by a range of artists, including Davis and Ray Stevens, and he co-wrote “Safe Haven,” which appeared on the Grammy-winning album Love Remains by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. Though Whyte writes plenty of serious songs, humor is one of his particular gifts onstage.
The friendship between the three began with music. Davis first met Whyte while promoting a record on a Milwaukee radio tour. She spotted a guitar in the studio and asked whose it was. Whyte told her he sang, played and wrote songs, and the two struck up a conversation that grew into a long-standing friendship.
Years later, when Whyte and his wife moved to Nashville, he and Davis discovered they lived less than two miles apart. They began writing songs together, and Scott eventually joined them. When the three performed together, the natural chemistry was clear.
It wasn't long before they decided to take that fun on the road.
The result is Evening in the Round, a show that blends acoustic performances with the stories behind the music. Audiences might hear how a song came to be, learn why it holds a particular meaning for one of the performers, or discover a little more about the people and experiences that shaped it. Songs and conversation move together, with room for the occasional detour.
“Unpredictable,” Scott says when asked to describe the show.
Although the performance has a general structure, the trio says no two evenings are quite alike. They leave room to follow a story, respond to one another and let the conversation unfold naturally. Every so often, a joke or an offhand comment becomes part of the show in a way no one could have planned.
“We just have so much fun,” Davis says. “If you could just be in the truck with us on our way there, it's a comedy show.”
That sense of connection is what brings Evening in the Round back to its central idea. These are accomplished musicians with remarkable careers, but the show isn't designed to feel distant or formal. It's an invitation to spend an evening with three people who have spent decades making music, telling stories and finding humor along the way.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, Davis, Scott and Whyte will bring that experience to Concord for an afternoon of acoustic music, country hits, humor and down-home charm.
Evening in the Round featuring Linda Davis, Lang Scott and Bill Whyte takes place Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m. at the Davis Theatre in Concord.
Get your tickets today: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/37309762/evening-in-the-round-with-linda-davis-concord-davis-theatre
