After less than a quarter with all of its four members, Davenport Landing hit the ground running this year, booking and performing at five gigs with more down the line. The group — lead guitarist Brandon Warren ‘18, drummer Adam Ellner ‘18, bassist Roger Romani ‘18 and rhythm guitarist James Ordner ‘18 — came together piece by piece via informal jam sessions, helped in part by each member’s desire to continue music in college. Both Ordner and Warren joined bands in high school (Warren’s band opened for Maroon 5) and came to Stanford looking for a new band experience, while Romani wanted to continue with guitar after building one in high school. Each of them adds diversity to the band with his music background, be it Ordner’s interest in metal or Ellner’s jazz band and orchestra experience, but a love of classic rock brings the members together.
The group has an impressive repertoire of covers but explores different boundaries with its ever-increasing number of originals. So far, Davenport has already produced four originals, each a collaborative effort. While one member will often come up with an idea on his own, they all come together to figure what does and doesn’t work, each shaping the song a little more. At the rate that the band is turning out originals, it’ll have an album ready for recording by spring, after only a year together.
While it has recorded some demos, Davenport doesn’t see itself becoming a studio band. “We really get a kick out of playing shows,” Romani noted, with nods of agreement from the other members — and it’s easy to see why, after seeing the band live a couple weeks ago. Warren’s eyes lit up as he explained that the band emphasizes putting on a good show, rather than simply giving a musical performance. The members dedicate as much as 14 hours a week together to make these shows, dividing time between playing, tweaking originals and dealing with the pain of lugging equipment around. The hours have certainly paid off, in both the band’s ability and the casual camaraderie between members that is so important to a cohesive group.
Davenport’s favorite gig so far has to have been Haus Mitt’s annual Oktoberfest, during which the drunken crowd sang and danced alongside the band. The event catered perfectly to Davenport’s high-energy performances and desire to put on a good show. It wasn’t just the joys of performing that made Oktoberfest notable, but also the audience’s participation in creating memories, as Ellner explained. “We had a good time, and they did too,” he said — an important goal for the group at each gig. From its first performance at Stern Dining for 10 people to rocking out at Oktoberfest with a crowd, Davenport Landing is only headed up. Keep an eye out for them during winter quarter at Haus Mitt’s Weihnachtsmarkt, and check them out on SoundCloud here.
You can find more from Davenport Landing at soundcloud.com/davenport-landing.
Contact Serena Wong at serenaw ‘at’ stanford.edu.