David Mayfield, The David Mayfield Parade

The realization that “The David Mayfield Parade” band was just David Mayfield hit me harder than when I found out that Soylent Green was people.

I first saw David when he was playing bass for his amazing little sister Jessica Lea Mayfield at Walter’s on Washington a few years ago. Jessica was this shy, unassuming young girl with a multi-colored pixie cut and her septum pierced, singing the most heartfelt singer-songwriter alt-folk I’d ever heard. Her brother David was this burly hillbilly of a man with a grizzly bear beard and soaked overalls, thumping that bass like it was a belligerent three-year-old. When I bought Jessica’s album, I had her sign my CD “Dre has a great ass” — it turned out to be a great keepsake, because Houston wouldn’t see them for a few years to come.

Now fast-forward to three years later, and Jessica would finally come back to Houston to play Fitz, but not before picking up a record deal, playing Letterman, and garnering a dozen other accolades that I’m just too lazy to look up, and this time, her brother David Mayfield would open for her. It seemed, as well, that within that stretch of time David had formed a band of his own called The David Mayfield Parade and released a self-titled album, but as I mentioned before, it’s just him.

That more or less captures the essence of David’s humor. On stage between songs he unleashed joke after joke of gentle self-deprecating humor that left the crowd in stiches, then he played these raw, personal alt-folk ballads that are so open you can almost touch the emotion.

With a guitar, David Mayfield is a musical savant. He broke into these incredible solos on his acoustic that would have put a country Kirk Hammett to shame. I’ve never seen anyone do the things he did on an six-string that night, but I have had people tell me that if you really dig into the tradition of folk and country, it’s not all spoons, washboards and strumming chords; you’ll find some true, gritty guitar-playing virtuosos.

He’s joined on the album by his sister Jessica and The Avett Brothers, who sing and play on a good part of the disc. The album is just a collection of good songwriting, a great voice, and solid musicianship. I bought David’s album that night, which is why I’m reviewing it now. The cover features a picture of David giving a stern, forlorn sidewards glance. Right by his nose, I had his sister once again sign, “Dre has a great ass.”

Thanks for being such a great sport.