This Is Not Good-Bye

Sorry folks  - there are no new photos this week. Instead, I have a bit of an announcement to make. But when you get to the bottom of the page, you will find the live music listings for this week, as always.

I began writing a blog in 2011 as a way to stretch my mind. I wanted to start writing just for the fun of writing, like I did so many years ago. I had read that writing a blog was a great way to exercise that part of the mind. If you go back to the early posts, you can see that I wrote about things other than music quite frequently. I was singing with Skynny Skynyrd back then – and would find myself going out to see other bands on our off weeks so I could get used to the late night weekend schedule. So I started writing about the bands I saw.

So Much Live Music So Little Time

It was another whirlwind weekend in the Quad Cities live music scene. From a CD release party at a popular local venue to a benefit jam, from rock, to blues to country, the QC area has so much music to offer! Check it out...

One Night of Music in the Quad Cities

Four bands, three shows, two venues in one night. (And a partridge in a pear tree…). Friday was a full night, representative of the diversity in musical tastes in the Quad-Cities.

Redstone Rock and Codfish Hollow

This week saw local bands opening for visiting bands, and a former QC artist opening Codfish Hollow.

Wednesday night’s RME opener was a local band, Comfort. Singer/guitarist … was obviously excited to be on the stage – he not only was opening the Redstone Room on his birthday, but he was opening for someone he liked! Comfort’s alt-rock originals were a good match for the night’s other acts.



 

Based out of Austin, Texas, duo Jamestown Revival brought their alt-rock with a southern twist to the Redstone. Their tight vocal harmonies are proof they have been working together for better than ten years. In band years, that is pretty much forever. Their current CD is a compilation of songs they wrote during a recent trip, including one called "California". They say that as they were leaving Texas to start their journey, a Texas trooper pulled them over and told them they were going the wrong way...












What happens when a post-punk musician switches genres? Well, Wednesday’s audience in the Redstone Room experienced it first-hand with Chuck Ragan. His vocal rasp and harmonica gave his music a Springsteen-esque tone.















 

Friday night, Jim the Mule started the weekend with an alt-country party on the RME Courtyard with Friday Live @ Five. The music kept folks dancing, which in turn kept them warm in the chilly fall breeze that blew through downtown Davenport.

The early fall chill (on the last night of summer) didn’t scare off the Codfish Hollow faithful Saturday night. Former QC musician Chris Coleslaw began the evening with his acoustic country and rock musings.












 

Indie rockers The Rushmores were up next. This Michigan-based group is known for their musical diversity, and they exhibited their chops for the Codfish crowd. 








 

Jonny Fritz seems to be the sort of guy who bursts into song at the suggestion of a word or phrase. His hilarious lyrics are framed inside of music that feels like running downhill.
















 

It appeared that Frontier Ruckus had a built-in following at Codfish, as several people in the front row sang along with every song they played. They seemed to enjoy the intimate setting at the barn, even coming down off the stage to play an unannounced unplugged set.





 

If you’ve never seen Ghost Wolves before, don’t be fooled by the trappings. This is not traditional Native American music or folk music. Instead, welcome to hard-edged, high-energy, howling punk. While Carly Wolf danced and jumped around on stage, audience members howled their approval. 



 

The weekend also brought out acoustic musicians in Lindsay Park as artists and crafters displayed their wares at the Riverssance art fair. Over the noon hour, Maureen Carter (sans her Busted Chandeliers partners in crime) performed her original work and a handful of cover tunes on the stage. At least one of her originals was premiered on that stage – so new it had yet to be named.

This week:

Tonight- The Matchsellers are playing on the Community Stage at the RME Café, 2Peace has reggae night at Rookies, and the Harris Collection is playing at Blackhawk Bowl. RozzTox has a three-fer with RVIVR, Lipstick Homicide and ieatmyfriends.

Friday – The Final Friday Live @ 5 happens this week – in the courtyard at the RME, enjoy the Busted Chandeliers. Wide River Winery has Pieces of Candy, North of 40 is playing the Milan Community Center, and Powells are at Purgatory’s. The Muddy Waters has The Mercury Brothers, Nikki Hill with the Cod Ellis Band are playing RIBCO, and Wild Oatz are at 1 Hundred West. Night Light is at Bleyarts, Buddy Olson is at Rustic Ridge, and Hi-Fi can be found at Headquarters. The Redstone Room is hosting Buckwheat Zydeco, and Rascals has Flash Point. Rob Dahms and Detroit Larry Davison are at PepperJacks, 11^th Street Precinct has Jason Carl and the Whole Damn Band, and Nuclear Plowboys are playing at The Rusty Nail. The Franti Project is at Brady Street Pub, and RozzTox has Truth & Salvage. Barrelhouse 211 has Acoustiphonic, while Barrelhouse Moline hosts Doug Brundies.

Saturday – Keep Off the Grass is playing at Go Fish, Purgatory’s has Simon Says Uncle, and The Muddy Waters is hosting Modern Mythology. The Tailfins are playing at the Col Ballroom, Rascals has Funktastic Five and Hardball is at The Rusty Nail. Caravan of Thieves is playing on the Community Stage at the RME and RozzTox has Tim Stopulos. Them Som’Bitches are playing at the Bier Stube, Rustic Ridge has Sunflower Slim and Ghost in the Garden, and Mommy’s Little Monster is playing at Martinis on the Rock. Caught in the Act is at the Torchlight, Chuck Murphy is playing The Docs Inn and Corporate Rock is at The Mound Street Landing.

There's something for everyone out there - so get out and support live music!

Summer is Fading Fast - Live Music is Not

Fall really is just around the corner – the first day of fall is Sunday, believe it or not. But the summer festival season is holding on with everything it has. Check out the schedule at the end of this week’s blog to see what a busy weekend it will be.

So Much Live Music in the QC

Hold on to your hats – this week’s blog is a whirlwind. Four days and ELEVEN bands sounds like a festival, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t. It was just another Quad-Cities live music weekend. And there was so much more…

A Little Shameless Self Promotion

I’ve been into cameras since I was a little girl. I received my first point-and-shoot camera as a Christmas gift when I was 10. All of my allowance money went into film and developing. Looking back at those early years, most of my photos were pretty crappy. But there were a lot of them. And I shot all sorts of odd things. My mother would say “now why would you want a picture of that?”

Something New in Local Live Music

In the process of moving this blog from a log of personal activities to a full-on music blog, a promise was made to support the local live music scene. Not just one genre of music, but all of it. This week that promise was kept, and a genre of music not usually seen here was covered. Of course, some of the usual music still made the page too…

So Much Variety in the QC Music Scene

There are seven performances in this week's post. Friday's shows were all in one location, and Saturday's travels produced three undiscovered bands -r at least undiscovered on this blog. Summer is nearing an end, but outdoor music is still happening, as was evidenced by Friday's Live at 5 series and Paddle Fest Saturday evening in Bettendorf.

Blues and a little Steinway Jazz

Last weekend was River Roots Live – and I’ll have an extensive post about that tremendous event soon. But there were other happenings in the QC last week – so here are a few tidbits.

Unlikely Low-key

I fully expected to have a very low-key weekend last week. Somehow, that didn’t happen. When it was all over and I looked back at the photos, I realized that though I barely touched the immense amount of live music that was available, I had covered a lot more ground than I thought. Here’s how it went down…

A Whole Lot of Live Music

It was another busy week in the Quad-Cities music scene. So busy, in fact, that I’m once again publishing twice in one week. There’s just too much to write about to squeeze it into one blog post. You’ve probably already seen my post about Codfish Hollow on Sunday. But let’s back track to earlier in the week. It all began when I received a special message from Kate Benson at the River Music Experience, suggesting I check out a show on Tuesday night…

Music and Magic in a Fairytale Land

Can you imagine having breakfast in your own kitchen with the likes of Corey Chisel, Adriel Denae and Norah Jones? Well, Tiffany Biehl feels pretty blessed these days. She seemed very much in awe of the talent surrounding her when I caught up with her Sunday evening at Codfish Hollow, in the barn her grandfather built. Yes, this is another special edition dedicated to the Codfish Hollow experience. This week I had the opportunity to go into the barn a little ahead of the general public.

A Soiree, a Battle and a Concert - Live Music in the QC

Usually I give a rundown of the shows I attended over the weekend, but this week I’m going to start with a Tuesday evening soiree at the RME Café. I promise there is weekend action involved here too, but not the action you might expect… I completely skipped Street Fest this year. So what did I do instead? Read on…

A Festival of Their Own

 

There's another music festival happening in the Quad Cities this weekend, and it has little to do with Bix Biederbecke or Jazz.

Variety is the Spice of Life

I looked at the schedule last week and realized someone could easily spend an entire evening without ever leaving downtown Davenport. There was so much going on without even considering the country music festival just a few blocks away. And this year, I chose to spend my weekend in the local scene instead of hitting the festival. So I began with Friday Live @ 5 at the RME and went from there…

Slip N Slide Music Festival - Special Edition

A week ago I embarked upon a new experience and had the time of my life. It MUST have been the time of my life, because it took me 3 days to recover! In reality, this one experience created more than one checkmark in the “done” column of my life. And I might just have to do it again!

That’s right… I attended my first Slip N Slide Festival. Some of you reading this were there, and I would imagine have been there before. Others have been to festivals elsewhere… and you’re all thinking, “So what?” The fact is, this was more than one first for me. It was my first experience camping at a festival. Yes, I stayed the night. In a tent. Without an air mattress. (I have since bought an air mattress). I did NOT go down the slide. I was just really too busy working. You see, another first, this festival provided my first All-Access Media pass. I was, in a sense, the official festival photographer.

Funk - Festivals and Fun - Live Music in the Quad Cities

What does a live music blogger do the week after a three-day blues festival? Go check out more live music, naturally! Those Blues Fest photos were barely out of my camera when I once again headed out in search and support of live music.

Mississippi Valley Blues Festival

I took a different approach to the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival this year.  In the past, I selected one or two bands that I wanted to see, and just attended those days. This year, I attended every day, including the pre-fest party at The Muddy Waters and two nights of post-fest jam sessions. I didn’t get to see every act, and only attended two of the workshops, but I definitely had a healthy dose of blues. By the end of Saturday night, I was exhausted but elated. It was absolutely the best Blues Fest I’ve attended.

So Many Choices Only One Me - Live Music in the QC

Another 4^th of July and another Blues Fest –done and done. This is the first year that I made it to three days of Blues Fest (and one night of pre-fest party), but that was at the cost of missing some of the 4^th of July festivities. I tried to get away from the fest on Friday to check out a show at Rozz-tox as well, but a delay forced me to abandon that plan. I know I can't be everywhere at once - and this week's schedule will definitely prove that. So many choices!

Rock, Blues and Reggae - QC Live Music

It’s Blues Fest week in the Quad Cities! Blues Fest acts are listed in this week’s calendar, plus you can find a lot more information on the River Cities Reader site. Meanwhile, here’s a run-down on some bands I saw on the weekend.

Oh the Places We Have Been - Live Music QC and Beyond

I spent my weekend in some very diverse worlds. I enjoyed folk music in a barn on Friday night, and punk and hardcore in a warehouse on Saturday. But I stopped by an air-conditioned bar and checked in with a local tribute band as well. Let me tell you about it...

Barnstorming at Codfish Hollow - a Special Edition

I’ve never been to the barn at Codfish Hollow. I’ve heard about it often – I’ve been a Daytrotter follower for a couple of years – I have just never been available whenever there was a concert. Barnstormer events are a bit random. Friday I found myself driving in the direction of Maquoketa for my first Barnstormer. John C. Reilly and Friends were expected to be gracing the Codfish Hollow Barn stage.

Summer Means Outdoor Concerts in the QC

The summer outdoor music season is in full swing. There are festivals and outdoor concerts every weekend, and even Thursday evenings are full of options. This week I took a swing by a couple of summer venues to see what they held, and discovered that a whole lot of people were enjoying the sunny afternoon and warm evening… and the live music!

Gumbo and Gems - Live Music in the QC

This week I stepped out on Thursday night and discovered a musical gem – or 5 of them. I also stopped by one of our traditional summer music festivals, and spent some time with friends. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom to get the low-down on where to be for live music this weekend!

A Birthday Bash of Blues and BBQ

Musically, there is just so much going on in the Quad Cities, I can’t possibly be everywhere at once. And this weekend was no exception. However, I had planned to spend my entire day Saturday at The Muddy Waters 3^rd Anniversary Blues and BBQ bash, so that’s what I did. Because I was expecting a long day, I didn’t hit any venues Friday night either.

Rainy Days and Quad City Music Venues

For a lot of years I spent my Memorial Day Weekend camping on the shores of the Cedar River.  Last year I gave up my trailer and sold all my camping equipment. My kids have grown, my friends all moved on to other activities, and I’ve been so wrapped up in the music scene that my summer weekends have been too full. I felt like I was wasting my money on the rented space that I hardly saw. The rainstorms this past weekend reminded me of that first Memorial Day on the Cedar, when we found ourselves floating out of our tent on Saturday morning. We spent the rest of the weekend camped out on the floor of my parents’ trailer – 4 adults and 4 kids in a 1977 Holiday Rambler. Rain on Memorial Day just seems like a tradition.

Rock in the District and a Story

Remember that break I’ve been talking about taking… for the last 2 months? Well, I set out this weekend to take it. You may have guessed already – that didn’t happen.

I did dial back a little though, so my blog today, though lengthy, is much more focused.  I think I like this. A slower pace allowed me to enjoy more music and visit with folks a little bit. That makes it easier to write the blog and still have time for other things.

Groovin in the Quad Cities

This week I heard covers of some great classics as well as some brand-new music and an evening of blues. The music scene in the Quad-cities is brimming with variety. There truly is something for everyone here.

Mississippi Valley Blues Challenge - 7 featured bands

On occasion, I have reported on band “battles”, such as RIBCO’s battle a few weeks back. This week, I’m writing about seven bands, all with one goal: to represent the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and the state of Iowa in the International Blues Challenge. This post isn’t so much about the Mississippi Valley Blues Challenge as it is about the bands that hope to make it to Memphis.

Neverending Music in the QC

Busy seems to be about normal for me anymore. This week, I saw bands on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Thursday I photographed a style show and on Sunday, a softball game. However, as a whole I didn’t see nearly as much action as I saw last week – and I AM dialing back.

Live Music on the Run

I want to apologize in advance to the bands I saw last weekend. There was so much more I could say - but I ran out of room (and time). Last weekend was a whirlwind. Really it was. With a benefit, some great visiting artists, Record Store Day and more, I found myself totally exhausted - but happy. Kind of reminds me of that old saying about not wanting to go out of this life perfectly preserved, but sliding in sideways, disheveled, out of breath, margarita in hand... and shouting "what a ride!" ...yeah, that kind of exhausted. Don't believe me? Take a look at my weekend.

Benefits and Blues in the QC

I attend the occasional benefit – music for a good cause is always worth my money. This week, I attended two. One was a memorial, the other for one of my favorite causes. I also caught one of my favorite KC bands, and an Iowa City funk band for a whole lot of fun.

Live Music Happenings in the QC

After last week’s novel, I’m taking it easy this week. Not only did it take me all week to write that beast – but the amount of live music I saw in order to compile that much information was staggering. I also put some serious miles on the convertible.

So... this was a slow week for me, but not for the local music scene!

Live Music - Local and Otherwise

I had an extremely busy week – which now is leading to a very LONG blog post. Please stick with me to the end though, as there were a lot of good things going on in the QC last week – and more good things going on this week that you should know about!

A Mixed Bag of QC Live Music

A mid-week show with a new face, an opportunity to exercise my voice, musicians playing for tips in the cold, grunge rock and a rockin’ blues show. It was quite a week!

Blarney in the QC and 2 Busy Nights for Rascals

I guess the title gives it away, but I spent more time at Rascals Live this weekend than I spent there in the last month. But in between my visits to Rascals, I managed to catch a parade and one St. Pat’s party. But first there was Thursday night. And that means there’s a jam or two in the mix.

Good Intentions and Pleasant Surprises

Sometimes even the best intentions get put aside – and everything works out just fine. This week was one such time. I fully intended to limit my activities this week, but a turn of events found me out very late Thursday.  Friday morning I thought maybe I should take it easy Friday night because of my late night Thursday and my planned very late night Saturday. Friday night turned out to be an even later night. Sunday was definitely a day of rest! The good news from the weekend is that I have plenty of live music to talk about.

No Reason for Cabin Fever - Live Music Every Day

It was a musical week in my world. Usually, I’m out on the weekend, with the occasional Thursday evening. However, good music doesn’t just happen on the weekend in the Quad-cities. Often it happens in the middle of the week too. In fact, you can pretty much find music happening somewhere every night of the week.  One thing led to another this week, and I found myself short on sleep but deep in music…

A Battle and a Farewell

I took a little unexpected break Saturday night, but did manage to get photos Friday night of a band that’s been on my list… and said goodbye Sunday to a local favorite moving on to new adventures.

A Little Blues Here a Little Blues There

When Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday, the weekend sometimes begins early. Such was the case this week, as I headed down to the Redstone Room for a special V-Day concert with The Candymakers and Joe Robinson. This was a seated show, and I arrived early enough to secure a seat in the front row, although I didn’t stay seated for long.  The Candymakers began the evening with an acoustic set, adjusting their blues and funk sound to a mellow, yet soulful show. Their vocals were especially smooth with the acoustic sound.

The Candymakers mellowed nicely for Valentine's Day

Church Rock?

In case it hasn’t been noticeable, I’ve been trying to dial back a bit on my weekend activities. There are a few projects to work on, and the new job has taken a bit more of my time.  I have also come to realize that although there are so many bands in the area and so many shows every weekend, it is impossible to cover them all.  When I see three or four bands in a night, I don’t get to spend as much time getting to know them as I would like. My last blog post is an example of what happens when I spend an entire evening at one show. Even if I don’t do an entire article on one band, at least I can feel like I know a bit more of what a band can do by sticking around for more than just a few songs.

Blues Misfit Style - a Special Edition

I’m bringing you something different today. I don’t expect to do this often – this is a special edition of the Tech and Music blog (which has really become more of a music blog).  Occasionally, something catches my eye (or ear) and deserves a little more than the usual blurb. This weekend I experienced one of those “somethings” and I decided this deserved a little more in-depth view.

Original Music Quad City Style

I’ve been trying to highlight some local original music bands lately, as well as visiting bands and, of course, our fine crop of cover/tribute bands. This week RIBCO began their February Battle of the Bands. Each Friday there is a battle round, with three bands battling each of the first 3 weeks, and the winners of those rounds duking it out the final weekend. I won’t be attending all four weeks, but I was there on Friday for the first round.

 

Do You Have Those Mid-winter Blues?

Back in October I started a new day job. My day begins much earlier than it used to, so I knew Thursday night jam nights would become limited. Here we are in the end of January, and I realized that I had not been to one jam session since the end of October. I really miss those Thursday nights of music.

Venue Hopping in the QC

It was a weekend of venue-hopping and unusual combinations.  Friday saw events at the RME Redstone Room and RIBCO, while Saturday had us hopping between RIBCO and Rozz-tox.

New Music And A Benefit

I spent the better part of my weekend at the Redstone Room. When we think of Redstone Room shows, we often thing of visiting artists. But local musicians often perform on the Redstone stage. This weekend the RME gave us some local options. I also caught the tail end of a benefit show that drew a huge crowd.

A Little Of This And A Whole Lot Of That

I'm mixing things up these days - Local and regional acts, cover bands and bands with original music... and all sorts of genres.

Three Bands and Three Bass Fiddles

Friday night I saw 3 bands I haven’t seen before. I knew what to expect out of two of them, but one caught me by surprise – and it was all good.