Culture
Casa Welcomes “Voice” Contestant Nicholas David Oct. 23
By: Kelly Fisher
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When Nicholas David climbed his way to third place on the hit NBC show The Voice in 2012, he became popular for soulful renditions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Lean on Me” and “Play that Funky Music.”
When his time on Team CeeLo (Green) ended, he continued his music career, touring the country and recording seven EPs.
The next spot on David’s tour is at Casa Nueva & Cantina. Although he has never visited Athens before, he states on his website that he has “always loved keeping things local” in terms of charities, ideas, resources and a sense of community — relatable to a large part of the Athens population.
“You can’t change people, but you can try to change your life,” he said of his local values. “If I clean my street, (it could) inspire people to clean their street.”
He is “excited to hit a new spot in Ohio,” and hopes to make a strong connection with the audience.
His newest EP, Make Hope, features six tracks that were inspired by the Saint Paul, Minnesota native’s connection to the Midwest. He said it represents the “whole idea of family values.”
For example, David wrote the last song, “Something Big,” when his grandfather, a significant musical inspiration, was dying.
“I share his gift of music, and my hands are his hands,” said David in a release.
Coming from a very large family, David recalled learning music — such as how to play the piano — from various relatives starting at a young age. He referred to them as a backbone, supporting him through his career, and serving as an inspiration to pursue music.
“Following your dreams is one thing to say,” he said. “It’s another thing to do it.”
He hopes that the family values he learned from the Midwest will carry over into his music-making in Hollywood and in performances in other parts of the country.
David spent the year traveling from coast to coast performing his music and finishing a new album, due to be released in 2016. His tour wraps up Sunday, Dec. 6 in his hometown, where he will perform during a holiday show and toy drive benefiting the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.
“(I’m) blessed to take music across the country,” David said. “There’s something about folks that come to our show… They have hearts wide open.”
Tickets for the Casa Nueva performance are $8. The show kicks off at 10 p.m. Friday evening.