More Quad Cities Live Music Notes

Last Friday, I finally went out to see a band that’s been on my wish list for a while, the Dirt Road Rockers. These guys have good energy and a great sound, and I really enjoyed the set. I got a few decent photos and shot some video (though I haven’t had the opportunity to review the video yet). Martini’s on the Rock (in Rock Island) is a cool place, but seems so small for a hard-rocking band. Maybe I’ll get lucky enough this summer to catch an outdoor show there on a nice night. And I’ll be looking for another opportunity to catch DRR as well.

I started out my night Friday at Refresh lounge in Moline – it was a nice change of pace, and I wanted to see a bit more of Danika Holmes’ set. It was another acoustic set, and she sounded fabulous.  One of these days, I’m going to try to catch Danika on a night when she is playing with her full band. Check her out when you can folks. The lounge at Refresh seems to be a great venue for acoustic acts.

After I visited with the Dirt Road Rockers, I came back to the Iowa side of the river and dropped into my regular stop, The Muddy Waters. Friday night’s act was Cobalt Blue, a band that is celebrating their 25 year anniversary this year. What a cool blues sound! These guys just start jamming and you never want it to end. If you want to catch Cobalt Blue, they’re always playing around. And come June, they’ll be celebrating that anniversary right there at The Muddy Waters.  

This is going to be a busy St. Patrick’s Day weekend for live music in the QC. Friday night, I’ll be checking in with Lee Blackmon at Cool Beanz in Rock Island. This is an early gig – and Cool Beanz serves food, beer and wine along with their coffees and teas. What a great way to start out an evening! (And you might even hear me sing!) The Harris Collection is opening at The Muddy Waters for The Candymakers. Expect a large crowd, as there is no cover for this show with Alan Sweet’s popular blues band. If you’re looking for rock, check out screaming rockers House Arrest at ThePub. Local Bluegrass band Squid’s Beard is opening for Whitewater Ramble at the River Music Experience. I’ve seen a little of what the Squid’s Beard guys can do, and they’re very talented. Oh, and the Nail is hosting Lynn Allen.

Saturday is party day! Kelly’s is hosting a whole slew of bands… Cosmic, Wicked Liz and plenty more. I don’t have a roster, but have heard maybe 5 or 6 other names bandied about. Downtown during and after the parade, you can find Keep Off the Grass playing at Kilkenny’s. Saturday night Chuck Murphy will have an acoustic show at Applebees in West Davenport, the Dirt Road Rockers will be celebrating St. Pat’s at Rascals, and Simon Says Uncle will be packing them in at the Hawkeye. It’s going to be a hot weekend for the sizzling Quad-city live music scene. Get out and celebrate St. Patrick’s day with live music!