Thankful For Music!

I have so many reasons to be thankful. I have my family, my friends, a new job, my health… and I have music.  This past weekend I mixed things up – and enjoyed some of my friends right along with their music.

Friday night sent me dashing around, but I managed to get my evening straightened out before the music began. My first stop was The Muddy Waters and The Mississippi Misfits. Let me begin with a disclaimer – the drummer in this band, Tom Zick, is a friend. And I guess I could call Ren Estrand a friend too – we seem to bump into each other everywhere. 

 

But… I really, really enjoy these guys and their music. I can honestly say I have never seen three musicians who became so entirely immersed in their music as these guys. When Ren finishes playing a song – he looks out at the audience, and blinks his eyes as if he just woke from a dream and thinks to himself “where did all these people come from?” The Misfits play blues – and some of the best blues I’ve heard in the Quad-Cities. Not only do they expertly cover blues standards, but their original work is really good too. I hope to see them entered in the Blues Challenge contests next year – they are definitely contender material.

The second half of my Friday was spent at Fargo with the Nervous Rex folks. I learned my lesson the last time they appeared there, and decided I was going to go on Friday so I didn’t have to wait until midnight for the band to start on Saturday night. It was good to be there for more than just 3 songs. But… they ended up seeing me again Saturday, as I showed up just as the fights ended.  I was test-driving a camera, and thought Fargo would provide just the challenge I needed for camera testing.  It did, and the camera passed with flying colors. So did the band – considering the late start, and Vid James’ obvious cold. I think he earned the nickname “gravel gertie” this weekend…

 

 

 

I didn’t just go to Fargo on Saturday night. I really wanted to put that camera through its paces, so started out at a fundraiser in Milan, with Keep Off the Grass. The Blackstones opened the show, but I arrived as they were loading out. I’m sorry I missed them. I stayed until almost the end, but made a quick run back to Davenport to help out some friends before my next stop.

 

 

 

Before I landed at Fargo, I made a stop at Rozz-Tox. They had the band Tires, from Ames. Tires has an edgy sound – and no vocals. Their light show was pretty amazing too. It became front and center and put the band in the background – challenging for a camera, but made for an impressive show.

This week’s shows:

Pre-Thanksgiving shows tonight – Rude Punch and Two Peace will be at RIBCO, The Karry Outz are playing the Dew Drop Inn in Durant, and The Muddy Waters has Superfly Samurai. Keep Off The Grass is playing Mulligans, while Rozz-tox has their Black-Out show, including LeRoy, American Dust, Tambourine and Comfort. There’s a three-for at Rascals Live with Eleven Fifty-Two, My Pal Trigger and Post Mortems. Jason Carl is at Brady Street Pub, while the J-Spot is at Creekside and Bierstube has Them Som’Bitches and Lion In Rome.

 

Friday – The Muddy Waters is hosting the Candymakers, Fire Sale is playing at Bleyarts, Justin Morrissey and the Drunken Angels are at Martinis. Greenbriar has Crossroads, the Harris Collection is at Brady Street Pub and you can find Smooth Groove at Fargo for the weekend. Curtis Hawkins is playing the Doc’s Inn, Purgatory’s has Buckshot, and Tronicity is at 11^th Street Precinct.

 

Saturday – 1^st Impression is playing at the Brew in Muscatine, the Karry Outz are also in Muscatine at Samz Sportz Bar. The Muddy Waters has the Kent Burnside Experience, No Excuse is at Purgs, and Sugar Nipples are playing the Rusty Nail. Danika Holmes is at the Grape Life, and the Hawkeye has Chasing Amy.