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.
The River Music Experience is hosting a band contest titled
Rock Wars. Eight bands are competing for the area title and a chance to compete
in Dubuque in September. I popped in to the Redstone Room Friday night just to
check things out. The Atlantis Dialogue was playing. This is a fairly new band
on the scene, but they have already gathered quite the following. Atlantis
Dialogue’s original music is a heavily orchestrated instrumental rock. It is pretty clear they have put a lot of
time and effort into creating complex pieces that are intended to enthrall
listeners. And apparently the audience was indeed enthralled,
as I’ve heard they won their round.
As is pretty much customary for me during the summer, I
stopped by the RME courtyard on my way home from work for Friday Live @ 5. This
week, Jason Carl and the Whole Damn Band entertained a very large crowd in the
courtyard. Their original music is a healthy mix of roots, rock and blues.
The River Music Experience is hosting a band contest titled
Rock Wars. Eight bands are competing for the area title and a chance to compete
in Dubuque in September. I popped in to the Redstone Room Friday night just to
check things out. The Atlantis Dialogue was playing. This is a fairly new band
on the scene, but they have already gathered quite the following. Atlantis
Dialogue’s original music is a heavily orchestrated instrumental rock. It is pretty clear they have put a lot of
time and effort into creating complex pieces that are intended to enthrall
listeners. And apparently the audience was indeed enthralled,
as I’ve heard they won their round.
The next (and final) stop of the night was The Muddy Waters, where Kent
Burnside and the New Generation were laying down some serious blues. Kent is
the grandson of bluesman R.L. Burnside. Backed by local musicians Tom Zick, Ren
Edstrand and Ziggie McQuay, Burnside entertained a receptive audience with
blues standards.
I bounced around for a little while Saturday night, trying
to decide where I wanted to go, and I ended up back at The Muddy Waters. At first
glance, I thought “oh, no, another seated act”. But happily, Tony Brown and the
Earth Riddim Band turned out to be a reggae/funk band with a cool beat. A
conversation during the break explained the stool – Brown is waiting on surgery
for an old football injury that has come back to haunt him. The music was so full of energy, I didn't often notice the stool.
For more photos, please check out my Flickr page.
This Week:
There is live music all over the QC this week, with July 4th
celebrations and the annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. So we’ll start
the calendar list with Wednesday this week…
Wednesday – The Dirt Road Rockers are at The
Greenbriar, The Rusty Nail has the Old
57s, and The Franti Project is at Brady Street Pub. There’s a Blues Fest Kickoff
party with Howard and the White Boys at The Muddy Waters. Smooth Groove will be
at Schwiebert Park for the Rock Island side of Red White and Boom.
Thursday – The Bettendorf 4th
of July celebration includes: Nervous Rex, Smooth Groove, Spike, Hap Hazard,
Corporate Rock, Dirt Road Rockers, Tangent. The Dani Lynn Howe Band is
celebrating with Clinton this year. And a quick list of Thursday’s Blues Fest
bands – Selwyn Birchwood Band, Howard & the White boys, Eddie “Devil boy”
Turner & the Trouble Twins, Chris O’Leary Band, Walter Trout, Kevin “B.F.”
Burt, Westbrook Singers, Davina & the Vagabonds, Souther Hospitality
w/Victor Wainwright, J.P. Soars, & Damon Fowler.
Friday – Danika Holmes is at the
Wide River Winery, Funktastic 5 is at the River House, and Bier Stube has Them
Som’Bitches, Seth Knappen and Nick Mielke. There’s a 5-band lineup at Rozz-Tox beginning
at 6 PM with Pet Symmetry, Sundials, Comfort, Straight Up!, and Ice Hockey.
Just Chords is at Kilkenny’s, Martini’s on the Rock has Justin Morrissey and
the Drunken Angels, and North of 40 is playing at Purgatorys. RIBCO has the
Krank Daddies, The Afterdarks and 3 on the Tree. The Karry Outz are at the 11th
St. Precinct. The Blues Fest list goes like this – Blues Challenge Finals,
Jimmy Nick & Don’t tell Mama, Samantha Fish, Anthony Gomes, Might Sam
McClain, Winter Blues AllStars, Scottie Miller, John Primer.
Saturday – The Night People are at
Ducky’s Saloon, Cosmic is playing the 11th St. Precinct, and Cheese
Pizza and the Broke Ass Sellouts are playing RIBCO. The Rusty Nail has
Vigil-Annie and High Voltage, Premium Sellouts are at the River house, and Rude
Punch is playing Martini’s on the Rock. Check out these acts at Blues Fest:
Chris Avey & Detroit Larry Davison, Toby Walker, Ironing Board Same &
Ardie Dean, C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana band, Reverend Raven and
the Chain Smokin Altar Boys, Blues Challenge winners, The 44s, W. C. Clark, and
Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
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