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…

Friday night, a visit to BluePort Junction in West Davenport revealed the Phat Cats (and friends) playing some laid-back blues. Jamming with the trio were Leland Chesey on bass, Perry Hultgren on keyboards and Don Stewart on harmonica.

 

 

 

 

William Elliot Whitmore was the headline act at RIBCO Friday night. This solitary performer entertained a roaring crowd on the District Plaza with his Americana-style guitar and banjo playing. He kept a steady beat with a single kick-drum, giving his one-man act a very full sound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday night introduces a new genre to the Tech and Music blog. It was brought on by an invitation to attend the Festival of Praise on the Davenport Riverfront.  Dave Meumann and the High Praise Band is a group of musicians gathered together from multiple churches specifically for this concert. They performed praise band standards, while banners waved and twirled in the audience.

 

 

The Christian music festival goer is very much like the average music festival goer. While the local band played, they sat in their chairs or on their blankets and listened, or grabbed a quick bite from the food vendors, applauded at the end of songs, but left the area in front of the stage pretty much empty. When headliner Lincoln Brewster took the stage, there was a rush of activity, and the area in front of the stage became so crowded it was difficult to move around.

Brewster played original music interspersed with songs the church-going crowd might hear on Sunday mornings from their local praise band. In between he talked about his path to becoming a Christian musician and other things you might hear from a worship leader. His music has classic rock flavor, and he and his band were definitely showmen.

This week:

Tonight – The Candymakers have an outdoor concert at Schwiebert Park, RIBCO has Johnny Don’t, and Danika Holmes is at Barrelhouse 211. Moline Barrelhouse has Painkiller Hotel.

Friday – The Curtis Hawkins band kicks off the weekend at Friday Live at 5 in the RME Courtyard, North of 40 is playing 100 West, and Night Light is at Rustic Ridge. The Last Glimpse has their video release party at RIBCO, with the Effie Afton and Jaiguru. The Wild Oatz are playing at Jake O’s, Machine Gun Willie is at the Rusty Nail, and Pepperjacks has Detroit Larry Davison and Rob Dahms. Fry Daddies are at the Bierstube, The Funnies are playing Martinis on the Rock and 11^th St Precinct has Caught in the Act. Doug Brundies is at BarrelHouse 211, and The Muddy Waters has Andrew Junior Boy Jones.

Saturday – Crossroads is playing at Andalusia Lions Park, Bleyarts has Paul Willaert, and Nitrix is playing Bobbie’s Diner. The Karry Outz are at Purgatory’s, The Muddy Waters has The Blackstones, and Vodkaseven is at Go Fish. The Dirt Road Rockers are playing Mulligans, the Night People are at Ducky’s Lagoon, and RIBCO has 10 of Soul. Wild Oatz are at Bad Boyz, Gray Wolf is playing the River House, and Dani Lynn Howe Band is at Hollars. Fairhaven has a CD Release party at the RME Performance Hall, with High Fives and Handshakes, Straight Up and Statistix, while North of 40 is playing the Country Jam in the Redstone Room. You’ll find Cosmic at the 11^th St. Precinct and Caught in the Act at Augustana.