Brian Davidson

Slugging it out in the trenches of Nashville's roadhouses and honky-tonks are some of the most talented musicians in the world, something evident to anyone who's ambled down Lower Broad or cruised the juke joints on the outskirts of town. One such unsung (but well-strung) hero is Brian Davidson, who can be found weaving his six-string spell with Dennis Gulley and the Nightshift Band every Friday and Saturday night at The Starlite Club on Dickerson Road. Davidson was one of 10 finalists (selected from hundreds of entrants) to perform at Guitar Player magazine's fifth annual Guitar Superstar competition last month in Livermore, Calif., where he wowed a panel of celebrity judges that included Steve Lukather (Toto), Elliot Easton (The Cars) and Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck). Davidson's Gatton-meets-Gibbons-meets-Holdsworth tour de force netted him third place, ahead of even Hercules Castro, a guy with a seemingly insurmountable stage-name advantage. 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays at The Starlite Club. Davidson also plays with Mike Martinez 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Mondays at Nashville Crossroads on Lower Broad.
Fridays, 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 p.m., 2009