Ray Davies Having a Rave Up at The Birchmere

by Michael G. Stewart

Ray Davies at the Birchmere "rave up" - Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart

After one of the worst winters in metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s recorded history, the audience at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, was badly in need of a sunny afternoon – and that’s just what Ray Davies conjured up. From the opening note of “This is Where I Belong” the former Kink’s frontman and songwriter invited the crowd to join him for two hours of what became an evening of “Singalong with Ray”. Davies and his fellow guitarist, Bill Shanley, moved the crowd through spirited renditions of the Kinks’ legendary songbook.

From deeply personal tunes about family relationships like “Two Sisters” to the social commentary of “Victoria” and “ 20^th Century Man” to rollicking rockers like “You Really Got Me’ and “All Day and All of the Night”, Davies was relaxed and in control with a driving right hand that propelled the songs forward. Shanley rolled out tasteful fills alternating with some amazingly dirty lead licks that were the trademark of Ray’s brother and Kinks’ bandmate, Dave Davies.

Ray Davies leading the crowd in song - Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart

The legendary Ray Davies wit was evident throughout the evening as Ray wove a tapestry of stories of a life spent in the music business and of personal ups and downs. His lifelong fans held their own, singing along with the lyrics that go back to the mid-sixties and, at times, letting Davies lean back and enjoy the scope of his own career as the crowd’s voices wafted back at him in melodic unison.

Davies and Shanley were joined on stage by opening act, The 88, for a rave-up finale that brought the crowd to its feet with an encore of “Lola” and “Low Budget” that would have done The Kinks proud. As one of the original British Invasion’s elder statemen, Ray Davies proved that he is still a voice to be reckoned with, and his career has- indeed- “risen like a working class souffle.”

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