Nicholas David, an alum of NBC's "The Voice," will showcase that musical sweet spot between Mumford & Sons and Maxwell at Sunday's Smile Network International gala at the Fine Line in Minneapolis.
"Folksy soul, how music used to be. The music that I make is from the heart for the heart," David told me Wednesday at Forepaugh's restaurant in St. Paul, ahead of dinner with "my gal" and their three young sons. He calls himself "a family man'' who believes strongly in "hope and healing" and "music as medicine."
He was able to give salve to some souls on his recent trip to Puebla, Mexico, with Smile Network, an organization that improves the lives and faces of poor children.
David returned from that trip with "perspective — a huge dose of perspective."
"You hear about things and you read things and see things on TV," he said. "But when you experience them yourself … it really blew my heart and mind wide open."
David's performance will probably do the same during his Smile Network appearance, for which there are still tickets available at www.FineLineMusic.com. He's sure to be attired in his signature haberdashery, which we discussed here and in my startribune.com/video.
Q: Are the days of "American Idol" numbered?
A: I honestly couldn't tell you.