It’s been a long time coming for Jonathan Davis. For just over 10 years, the Korn frontman has been writing and recording his solo debut, Black Labyrinth. The album will be out May 25, but until then, Davis is on the road. On April 13, he brought his show to the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. A native of Bakersfield, CA, the show was a homecoming of sorts.

“I can’t fucking believe that this is finally fucking happening,” he said with a grin and a hand strewn over half his face, eyes closed. Davis had just blasted through four songs, opening with Black Labyrinth’s first track, “Underneath My Skin.” Red lights illuminated the stage as Davis often jigged around or threw his head back, caught in a song’s intense moment. Later he mentioned, “I had such a good time writing this record.”

The set featured two songs from Davis’ work on the soundtrack for the movie Queen of the Damned: “Slept So Long” and “System.” The chorus for “System” inspired singing among the crowd. Even the cello player was headbanging at the end and the drummer stood as he finished out the song on the cymbals.

“Haha!,” Davis occasionally screeched into the microphone as an apparent attention-grabbing device. The set was winding down. “Y’all are beautiful,” he complimented the crowd. “Oh, this shit’s a beautiful thing. Davis slid into a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Love on the Rocks.” With his energy carried by a more blues energy than rock and roll, Davis exhibited soul in the light raspiness that coated his vocals. This vulnerability allowed for the audience to know Davis was being fully genuine when he said, “Los Angeles, thank you so much. I love each and every one of you.”

Davis came back to the stage after a momentary exit, for how could he end on a mellow note? He launched into the arena-sized, theatrical “What It Is,” Black Labyrinth’s first single. Clutching the microphone and the stand tilted forward, he sang: “This useless suffering/ Ugly part of me is screwing me.” Phones lit up the crowd. “It is what it is mother fuckers,” Davis shrugged with arms outstretched. The drums kicked right into the final song of the night: “Happiness,” also from Black Labyrinth. With a touch of heaviness, the song inspired quivers and headbanging in Davis. Any crudeness was all love: “Thank you guys so fucking much… That shit is coming May 20 mother fuckers!”

Setlist

“Underneath My Skin”
“Everyone”
“Forsaken”
“Final Days”
“What You Believe”
“Basic Needs”
“Slept So Long (from Queen of the Damned soundtrack)”
“Medicate”
“Walk On By”
“System (from Queen of the Damned soundtrack)”
“Please Tell Me”
“You God”
“Love on the Rocks”

Encore

“What It Is”
“Happiness”

All Photos: Boston Lynn Schulz