It’s no secret that concerts have grown from displays of art to displays of grandeur. As prices have skyrocketed, concerts are treated as experiences rather than a simple night out. Tickets must be purchased by the group’s strongest soldier (or at least the one with the best credit card perks), outfits must be coordinated and bedazzled. Venues full of smoke machines and strobe lights vie for your attention with the goal of making you have so much fun you can’t remember a moment of the night. It’s a high-energy, high-stress affair. But Exit/In is different. It’s a tiny venue with a capacity of only 500 people. It’s relaxed and casual. You’re here for the music, not the party. And on March 28, we were there for Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band.
But first, the opener: the Styrofoam Winos, a Nashville-based indie rock trio originating from Belmont University in 2011. The group is a close collaborator of Ryan Davis; Winos members Trevor Nikrant and Lou Turner both returned to the stage as members of the Roadhouse Band. The trio rotated folk-rock instruments and vocals throughout the night. You could tell they’ve been playing together for more than a decade from their rare ease and comfort onstage.
Ryan Davis took a more experimental turn than the Styrofoam Winos, performing alternative Americana tunes like “Monte Carlo / No Limits,” “Mutilation Springs” and “New Threats From The Soul” on the first stop of their Spring 2026 tour. Davis sported a baseball cap and button–down that grew progressively sweatier under the spotlights. He wasn’t there to impress; he was there to entertain. Their short set rarely veered from their well-established Kentuckiana roots, but the subdued crowd didn’t seem to mind, rocking back and forth or bobbing their heads along with the music for most of the night.
This was not a concert for those with a short attention span, nor was it a concert from a band reaching for stardom. It was about music, community and a separation from the world outside the doors of such a historic venue.
