I have been a fan of Jonathan Davis and Korn for many years. Davis’s solo show in Oklahoma City brought a whole new appreciation of the man and his music. Davis hit the stage to rousing crys of “JD” from the crowd. He looked very casual and non-descript in his black jeans and black v-neck sweater – there was no kilt in sight. There was also no erotic mic stand – only a plain, simple black one. This would be quite different from a Korn show.
The Black Labyrinth tour had made it to Oklahoma. Davis’s voice was strong and distinctively his own as he opened the show with a track, Underneath My Skin, from his upcoming debut solo album due out the end of May. The crowd seemed to approve of Davis’s new material but really came to life when Forsaken, from the film Queen of the Damned, was third on the setlist.
Davis captivated the audience with his extremely strong vocals and onstage movements. You could tell that he really feels his music by the way he moves and dances throughout. The music transported the crowd as well as Davis moved through many tracks from the upcoming album. I had only found some snippets from the album as a preview of the material, so this was mostly new material the fans were treated to for the first time.
Davis didn’t say too much to the crowd until about halfway into the show. Then, he talked about how he wanted the audience to feel the emotion of the songs he had taken so long to put together and how he wanted everyone to enjoy the show. He appeared somewhat self-conscious as the crowd cheered and reacted to him telling them “I love you.” There was genuine gratitude across his face – this artist with an amazing voice and ability to write incredible music was rather embarrassed by the crowd’s love in return.
A new track, Please Tell Me, really got the crowd going with lyrics that were easily followed and repeated by the majority of the fans. During a short pause in the music, the crowd began chanting “JD” over and over. A shy-appearing Davis told the crowd they didn’t need to do that – showing a soft side of a man known for being an incredibly intense front man. Another new song, Your God, came next then Davis introduced the final song (before the encore) as a cover of a Neil Diamond track, Love on the Rocks, expressing his admiration for Diamond and for the crowd again.
After a short break, Davis appeared back on stage doing the first hit from the new album, What It Is. The crowd erupted with cheers and sang along before the final tune of the night, Happiness, closed the show. Near the end of Happiness, Davis asked the crowd to wait then noted “Here it comes” before belting out his signature growl the crowd had been waiting to hear. He closed the show on a very high note. Before departing the stage, Davis once again voiced his appreciation for the fans and reminded everyone to take out their phones and pre-order Black Labyrinth – remarking he remembered having to actually go to a record store to search for new music. The stage may have gone dark but the memories of a great show will remain for some time. Davis’s vocal range, incredible stage presence, and humble personality made it a real night to remember.
