GREENSBORO — With only a passing sense of Karla Johnson’s music background, a few impressive Instagram clips and the fact that our daughters play on the same soccer team, I went to her performance at the Flat Iron squarely in the “sounds cool, we know her, let’s check it out” category.
Much to my surprise and delight, I quickly learned what the nearly packed audience must have already known: this wasn’t just Karla Johnson — this was Karla Davis, the accomplished singer-songwriter who has graced the stages of NBC’s The Voice, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman.
Taylor Johnson, my new pal and fellow assistant coach for our daughters’ team, the Carnations (go Carnations!), happens to be her husband. Karla, whose music I’d only recently discovered, turned out to be one of the most engaging performers I’ve taken a chance on in Greensboro in quite some time.
The Flat Iron, a small but intimate venue tucked just off downtown, proved to be the perfect setting for a show like this — close enough for the crowd to catch every smile and every note. Davis filled the 90-capacity space with a genuine, effortless warmth.
Her self-deprecating humor threaded through the set, giving the night a relaxed rhythm. From the opening number, it was clear Davis hadn’t been on stage in a while — a fact she admitted with a laugh — but her voice was steady and soulful, her phrasing sharp, her storytelling confident.
Her roots draw from the titans of Americana, a touch of real country and plenty of soul — the kind that sounds lived-in rather than polished. She talked briefly about her influences, singling out Bonnie Raitt as her biggest. That connection came through clearly in her set, most notably when she launched into a rousing cover of Raitt’s version of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.”
She was joined by cellist and friend Daniel Davidson, whose playing added a subtle, haunting layer that hung in the air and elevated every song. Their rapport was easy and often funny — the kind of playful banter that keeps a room relaxed — but when they played, the ethereal sound was overwhelming.
In recent months, Davis has been performing more traditional gospel music to her fans online, a move her followers have embraced. She proved she has the chops to do it well and right, combining that spiritual depth with her soulful delivery. Midway through the night, she shifted effortlessly into a few gospel numbers, each one resonating with conviction and grace.
Her musicianship matched her voice. Switching between what appeared to be an old white Fender Stratocaster and a Takamine acoustic, Davis showed an easy mastery of both electric and acoustic guitar — never flashy, always in service of the song.
Davis’s own material stood easily beside the classics. Her voice — warm, textured and unforced — carried a kind of honesty that’s increasingly rare. Between songs, she spoke casually with the audience, joking about parenthood, her time away from performing and what it feels like to return to the stage after a long break.
For her sake — and for those of us in Greensboro — here’s hoping this isn’t the last time we see her perform.
