David Ricketts - keyboards, guitar, vocals; David Baerwald - guitar, vocals; Paulinho Da Costa - percussion; Rick Stekol - guitar; Jeff Martin - keyboards; Greg Ellis - drums; Stu Hamm - bass; Toni Childs - backing vocals; Amy Knowell - backing vocals
David & David (a.k.a. David Baerwald and David Ricketts) only recorded and released one album, 1986's Boomtown, which got critical raves and went gold. It was as close to a masterful work of adult-oriented pop as anyone has ever created, including Steely Dan, the Band or Todd Rundgren. With a stellar backing band, they did this one album, propelled by two hit singles ("Welcome To The Boomtown" and "Swallowed By The Cracks"), one U.S. tour (captured here in this only known professional live recording of the band), and then promptly disbanded, never to work together again.
This live show, taped for the King Biscuit Flower Hour at L.A.'s legendary Roxy nightclub is a perfect example of why David & David were so astonishing. For this show, they recreated the entire Boomtown album with absolute studio precision, yet they address the songs with enough energy and passion to make it a totally different experience than listening to the record. They end the show with the non-LP original "Ah, Baby" and a blistering cover of Steppenwolf's anti-drug anthem, "The Pusher."
Blending elements of rock, jazz, blues, soul, and a dash of country, David & David were able to create nine brilliant pop story-songs that somehow have a complete musical consistency. Baerwald's Southern-blues flavored vocals are the perfect vehicle for these songs, especially, "Welcome To The Boomtown," which remains one of the best FM radio hits ever.
Upon its release, Rolling Stone magazine gave it a four star review and summed it up pretty succinctly: "…a spare, painful chronicle of how ugly disappointment can be when it's California's golden promise that fails…" For reasons unknown, David & David abruptly fell apart after completing this tour. Baerwald would go on to have a critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful solo career, before resurfacing again as a contributor to Sheryl Crow's debut, Tuesday Night Music Club. He has done several film soundtracks and recently released another solo album, Here Comes the New Folk Underground on Lost Highway Records. Ricketts, The Other Half of the duo, continued to co-write with Baerwald for his solo albums, but otherwise faded into obscurity.