January 29-February 4, 2004

musicpicks

Rachael Davis

Rock/pop

A weird thing happened when I interviewed Mary Lou Lord last year. She suspiciously had no interest in plugging herself, and instead went on and on about her fellow opening act, Rachael Davis. "Watch this girl," Lord said. "She's got something." Lord's relentless plugging seemed peculiar until the 22-year-old Davis came onstage at Teddy Thompson's Tin Angel show and sang, a cappella, a self-penned, quasi-gospel number called "Grandma's Hands." The perky, gamine Davis -- a Michigan native who moved to Boston as a street busker two years ago and won a Boston Music Award for "Best New Singer-Songwriter" within months -- blew the lid off the place with her rafter-reaching pipes and engaging stage presence. With only one indie record out (2001's Minor League Deities) and a track on the Respond II compilation, she still hasn't broken through nationally, but she's in no rush. Compared to everyone from Shawn Colvin to Ella Fitzgerald, Davis likes to mix it up onstage, taking on everything from folk to pop to jazz. She plays a mean banjo, too.

Sat., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $10-$12, with Teitur, The Point, 880 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-527-0988.

—Nicole Pensiero

-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there