Fall Leaves Crisp Air and LIve Music

Holy cow! It’s mid-October already. The leaves aren’t just turning.  Did you hear that sound? “whump!” That was one of my maple trees dumping half of its leaves at once.  With the cold weather, the live music scene is definitely moving indoors, and there aren’t as many opportunities for me to catch multiple live shows in a weekend. I’m still out there – but I suspect for at least the next few months, I won’t be scrunching as much music into the space of a weekly blog. That’s actually better for the musicians I write about, as they all get a little more space.

Danika Holmes (currently of Nashville – Nashville!) was in town last week and played a series of shows, including Tuesday the 2^nd at The Clubhouse. When I mentioned to friends that Danika was at the Clubhouse, there were a lot of blank looks and “they have music at the Clubhouse?”  Why yes, indeed they do - occasionally. And apparently not on any sort of a regular basis. I‘ve never been to the Clubhouse, so I stopped by to see Danika and Jeb.  They were set up on a small raised platform in a dark corner of the complex. The key words are “dark” and “corner”. Not only was it too dark for non-flash photos, but it was so dark I didn’t even see them at first when I walked in.  As is my usual luck, they took a break just after I arrived – so I had an opportunity to visit with Danika and Jeb. Danika says that when the whole band plays, they are usually set up on a stage in the center of the building, where there is more light, and more people can see them. Tuesday night people were playing ping-pong in that space. Danika had other shows last week, including DaVinci’s on Saturday night. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Jam Night at The Muddy Waters

Thursday night I was in my usual spot at The Muddy Waters for Jam night. I ran into a few folks I knew, including a rare visit by Matt Orwitz, and a return visit by harmonica player/singer Ric Burris. The crowd was a little thin – which is normal for the week after Muddy’s books a band on Thursday night. But it seems to me the locals are getting better about coming out for jams, even after a week off.  I know it seems redundant to be going to the same place nearly every Thursday night, but I enjoy the diversity in musicians at jam night. Yes, there are some regulars there every week, but almost every week I get to experience something new. And then there’s the way John O’Meara puts musicians together. Changing things up sometimes provides a sound that will never be heard again anywhere.

Friday night I joined Lee Blackmon at DaVinci’s in downtown Davenport. This was Lee’s first DaVinci’s gig, and I think it went really well. I enjoy singing with Lee (now that I’ve gotten used to his “sideways” style) and get a kick out of people who come up to sing along and say “can she sing too?” I know so well how it is to be shaking in your shoes at the microphone. It’s so much easier with someone who is there to encourage and help. And I’m glad to do it for others now that I’ve found my own confidence again. (although Friday night I was also glad for the occasional break… thanks to Roger Carlson for singing a few songs!)

The Giving Tree Band at the Redstone Room

During a break in the action at DaVinci’s, I ran over to the River Music Experience to catch a little bit of The Giving Tree Band’s show. Thank goodness it was only a block away! It looked like they had a good turnout for the show, but I was still able to get up close to the stage to take a few photos. I wish my camera were better in low-light situations, as the last few shows at the RME have been pretty dark. I would have loved to have had a few photos that showed all the instruments set up around the stage waiting to be played. The Giving Tree Band is not a small band by any means. At any one time they had 6 stringed instruments in use, with easily a dozen more waiting on stands or leaning in corners. These guys were lively too – they didn’t just stand still and play. This was another reason I wished for more light. As soon as I got up front with my camera, the fiddler and banjo player jumped up on the monitors on the very edge of the stage. It looked cool – but they were on the outside edge of the limited stage light, so there was no photo op there.

Terry Luttrell, Lead Vocalist with Tons O' Fun

Saturday night I took it really easy, and spent most of my night at Brady Street Pub listening to the Mississippi Misfits. But first, on my way downtown to see the Misfits show, I drove past the Hilltop area and saw that despite the frigid temperatures, they had gone ahead with the music festival. The Tons O’ Fun band  out of Champaign/Urbana was on the stage, many of them bundled in warm clothing. I parked my truck and hung out for two whole songs, before I craved the warmth of an indoor venue. The band sounded great – that full horn section is really awesome, and Terry Luttrell is still a great vocalist. It was just too cold for me – and apparently most of the QC. There were maybe a dozen people hanging out to listen to the band.

Let’s move on to the Mississippi Misfits.  I first saw the Misfits when they opened for Buffalo Clover at the RME a while back. Staying in one place most of the night allowed me to hear some of their original music. I particularly enjoyed a fun little number called “Weeble and Wobble”. As Ziggy says, “Everybody does this sometime.”  Some do it more than others…

A look through the window at Brady Street Pub
during the Mississippi Misfits show

During one of the Misfits’ breaks, I ran over to DaVinci’s with drummer Tom Zick to say hi to Danika and Jeb and catch a couple of songs. It was a short break, but I stayed a few minutes longer than Tom did. More than once Saturday night I considered driving over to the District to see the bands playing at RIBCO. The Krankdaddies were opening for Joe Buck Yourself.  I have mixed feelings about missing the RIBCO show. It looked like a really fun show, but there were 3 bands, and Joe Buck was the last one. I wouldn’t have lasted the whole night.

I’m going to end this week’s blog on Tuesday – last night I headed over to Rozz-Tox for a 3 band show. I like to catch new music once in a while, and these folks are still pretty unknown, but willing to tour and get their sound in front of as many folks as they can. Local act White Zephyr began the evening. Normally a band, tonight was an Aiden solo act. I’ve never seen the full band, though they’re on my radar now. Aiden started out with a sort of Pink Floydish sound, but soon shifted gears and began channeling Buddy Holly. I’m curious to hear what the full band sounds like. Next up was Blessed Feathers, out of Wisconsin. This duo is a contrast within itself.  Donovan Berube has a dominating raspy voice and attacks his music with a vengeance. Jacquelyn Beaupre has a light, clear voice and a gentle way. The contrasting styles and voices work really well together. I’ll be keeping an eye out for them as well.

Way Yes blew me away with their precision drums and full sound

The headlining act last night was a band out of Ohio called Way Yes.  I was not expecting the full, full sound of this band. With a combination of electronics and live instruments, they filled Rozz-Tox to overflowing. I knew we were in for something special when I saw the unusual collection of percussion instruments.  I was absolutely taken with the dual percussionists who worked in perfect synchronization without line of sight. The guitars and vocals meshed perfectly with the electronic samples and the powerful beat.  This band is seriously worth watching… and more than ready for prime time!

You can find more of my photos on my Flickr page.

This week:

Wednesday – welcome back the RME Open Mic/jam session with a new format. They’re going to start out with a standard Open Mic (2 songs per) and then finish off as a jam session.  And afterwards, head over to Boozies for another open mic night.

Thursday night is Jam Night at The Muddy Waters and Rascals. The Quad-cities boasts some great blues musicians, and you’ll see some of them at both locations. You’ll also find live music at The RME.

Friday – Nervous Rex is playing a 2 day run at Fargo. Remember Fargo? Remember 2 day band gigs? Two Peace can be found at the Mound Street Landing, North of 40 is playing Martinis on the Rock, and Jason Carl is opening for the Trippin’ Billies at RIBCO.  The 11^th Street Precinct has Caught in the Act, and Terry and the Loan Sharks are playing at Rascals.

Saturday – Ellis Kell and Tony Hoep will be playing at Creekside Vineyards for their afternoon Terrace Tasting. There are only 3 of these left this season. Chuck Murphy is at DaVinci’s, Bleyart’s has Stuart Matthews, and Nervous Rex is back at Fargo. Racer’s Edge has Crossroads, Keep Off The Grass is at the 11^th Street Precinct, and Third Rail is playing Rascals Live.