THE VOICE's Joshua Davis and Amanda Ayala to Play Ridgefield Playhouse

Fans of NBC's The Voice get a rare double bill with past contestants Joshua Davis and Amanda Ayala at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, September 11 at 8 pm as part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer Songwriter Series and Northeast Builders of Ridgefield, LLC Emerging Artist Series.

Joshua Davis writes songs that blend the roots of American music with gritty rock n' roll and vintage soul. Performing Songwriter Magazine called the result, "Some of the liveliest and most rocking roots music around." He was a fan favorite when he appeared on The Voice in 2015 and his rootsy, sincere approach to his music propelled him all the way to the finals! Over the past fifteen years, Davis has honed an impressive range of skills - songwriter, bandleader, guitarist, and vocalist among them - in the most honest possible fashion: night after night, song after song, show after show Davis simply delivered every performance as though his life depended on it.

As a Season 9 Contestant on The Voice, Amanda Ayala's powerhouse vocals shined. She wowed the audience with her rendition of "Mississippi Queen" before becoming part of Team Adam. Growing up listening to Pat Benatar and Joan Jett with her mom, Amanda started performing at age three and started her own rock band at age 12. They played at restaurants and school talent shows and even booked a huge gig in New York City. Although that band broke up, Amanda quickly put together a new band, and they've been together ever since. Amanda Ayala is currently a student at Mercy College. Come early, meet new people, and have a beer on us! Hang out with friends and be one of the first to hear this talented musician in an intimate venue!

Davis's sensibility shines brightest on his trio of solo albums, each a thoughtful dispatch on life, love, change, and growth, culminating with 2013's A Miracle of Birds - which was inspired by a life-changing voyage to Middle East in the Palestinian West Bank to raise money and awareness for fair-trade olive farming communities in Palestine's West Bank. Contrasting his identity as an American Jew with the struggles he observed in the Middle East, Davis crafted a suite of songs that works not only as a traditional album, but as a provocative and dynamic concert program that he presented in schools, clubs, and theaters. Following the release of A Miracle of Birds, Davis could well have continued his journeyman existence, gradually growing his audience one show at a time as he and his talented bandmates tirelessly careen up and down the highways between home and the next gig. Instead, what happened next was an unlikely convergence of a contemporary pop phenomenon and his decidedly old-school methodology, while handily proving the old adage that there is no such thing as a genuine overnight sensation.

Davis almost didn't audition when the popular NBC musical showcase The Voice called. "I'd never even seen the show. Looking at music in a competitive way is totally against the way I was raised," he says. "Collaboration is what it's about. Music brings people together. So the competitive aspect of it was really foreign - to be judged like that." From his first performance, Davis triumphed, and over the course of the season, his rootsy, sincere approach emerged as a refreshing alternative and propelled him all the way to finals.

For tickets ($25), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.

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