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!

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

A Recipe For Live Music

Friday – Lee Blackmon With a Dash of Harris Collection

 

Roger Carlson sings along with Lee Blackmon

If you were looking for me Friday night, you would have found me at Bleyart’s entertaining a rowdy crowd with Lee Blackmon. During a break, I made a mad dash down to the Mound Street Landing to catch a bit of the Harris Collection’s Toys for Tots Benefit. The band sounded great, and there were Marines in dress uniforms everywhere. Tom Zick was running sound, and during a Harris break he stopped by Bleyarts. Also in attendance at Bleyarts were Roger Carlson and Bill Spain who joined Lee for a few songs.

Live Music and Another Release Party

This week I attended yet another local band’s release party. This time it was an EP, and the band was one I had not yet seen. In fact, I was thrilled to see 3 great bands that night that were new to me.

The venue was RIBCO. The bands: Satellite Heart, The Lion In Rome, and The Last Glimpse. This was a big night for The Last Glimpse, as they were releasing a new EP. 

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.

Sometimes My Plans Change

The ladies of Paper Bird on the Community Stage

Though I didn’t get my weekly dose of jam night, I did manage to find plenty to keep me busy.  Thursday night I headed down to the River Music Experience and checked out a visiting band, Paper Bird. With 3 female vocalists, this band has harmony written all over it. Add to that some male voices in backing vocals as well and the sound becomes well-rounded and very rich.  Paper Bird is a large band – there are 7 members total. Unfortunately, they were booked for the (tiny) Community Stage instead of the Redstone Room. Apparently there just isn’t enough interest in certain performances to warrant opening the Redstone Room. It’s a shame – because their sound would have been even more amazing there, although they ended their set with an unplugged number that brought total silence to the room as the audience hung on every single note.

The Local Music Scene Does It Again!

Here we are, another week gone. And coming off one of the busiest weekends the Quad-Cities has seen in a long time – not just musically, but events of all kinds. I tried to hit a few events. Many of them produced some great live music. One band in particular caught my ear… and provided music that stirred my soul. Read on…

So Much Live Music!

There was no jam last Thursday at The Muddy Waters, so I decided to change-up my schedule a bit.  I hit a couple of jam/open mic nights to see what goes on at other locations. And I checked out some live music venues during the week instead of on the weekend.

Quad City Roots

There were some new faces at the Thursday night jam session at The Muddy Waters – a funk trio with a cool sound and long-time local drummer Don O’Dette.  Powerful artist Joshua “Slim” Kane dropped by to play and sing a few songs. And Randall Ketelson rocked the stage with his own style. This Thursday, The Muddy Waters has a special feature show, so there will be no Jam. But be sure to jam with us again next week.

 

 

 

Cool Blues on a Warm Night – live music in the QC

Hot is a relative term. I love warm summer nights – and I love cool blues. That is a good part of why I really enjoyed Blues Fest a couple of weeks ago.  But in the Quad-Cities, it isn’t necessary to limit your blues listening to one weekend a year.  Every Thursday night there’s a blues jam at The Muddy Waters.  Yes, sometimes musicians who don’t play blues get up and play too, but the majority of the Thursday night Johnny O. Jam is blues.  And the Muddy Waters provides us with blues entertainers on other nights too.  This week I checked out the Friday night show… more on that later.

An Abundance of Live Music!

July 4^th Festivities

This week’s blog is going to start with July 3^rd. Tuesday!  This is what happens when Independence Day falls on Wednesday. There were fireworks in nearly every community over the 3^rd and 4^th. And nearly every celebration had some sort of music as part of the festivities. I limited my wanderings those two days – as much as I would have liked, I just couldn’t be everywhere at once. And fireworks mean crowds. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to sing with Lee Blackmon at Camden Park in Milan. Sadly, I don’t have photographs, as I was too busy singing. But I can tell you there was a huge turnout – getting out of there even before the fireworks started was no easy task.  And I was parked outside the park for what I thought would be an easy getaway.

Danika Holmes and Jeb Hart

Jake Seales with the Knock-Offs

Wednesday was the day of Bettendorf’s community celebration. Along with all sorts of activities and vendors, there were stages with continuous music. I was only there part of the day – once in the early afternoon to catch The Knock-Offs and Danika Holmes (opposite each other) and then again in the evening for the Dirt Road Rockers show before the fireworks. I love hot weather, but I know my limitations – and standing on hot pavement in the full sun all afternoon was not entirely appealing.  The Knock Offs had a great set, and were joined on stage by at least one former Knock-Offs member, Butch Ranew. There may have been others up too, as I heard there were several in attendance.  I went to check out Danika’s set after Butch’s first song. Danika and Jeb were joined by Al Fear on drums, and all were sporting sunglasses as their stage was facing the afternoon sun. The heat didn’t seem to slow them down much though, and all were in great form. The Dirt Road Rockers played the last set on the East stage, up until the fireworks started. Their show is quite the family affair when they’re in a place where the kids can join in.

Dirt Road Rockers

All of the musicians who played outdoor sets over the Fourth should be commended. It was hot and humid – and being on a stage with all that heat-producing equipment, and all that moving around can really be a sweat inducer. I dubbed the two hours I was on with Lee “Sweatin’ to the Oldies”, and we had an evening gig – not those mid-afternoon burners on the Fourth.

Slow Weekend (for me anyway)

Don Stewart, Vid James and John O'Meara

Thursday night I popped in to Muddy’s for the Johnny O. Jam Sessions. There was a fair turnout – including Retro Ron, Vid James, Rob Dahms and Don Stewart. I hope to see more musicians this week! Don Stewart gave us a sampling off his new CD. Great stuff Don!

Mike Walker with the Funky Monks

Phil Bonilla - 1st Impression

Previous family obligations kept me busy this weekend, but I managed to swing by the Racer’s Edge Party in the Street for the 1^st Impression set and a bit of the Funky Monks Red Hot Chili Peppers Experience. With the outdoor gigs and a little luck I was able to catch a couple of cool drummer shots. It’s not often that I have access to drummers as they are usually pretty well hidden behind equipment and (in some cases) massive drum kits. To see more photos from this week, check out my Flickr page.

John Biondo - 1st Impression

Roger Carlson sent me a message this week to swing by a rummage sale in Rock Island to check out some cool tunes. Yes! A rummage sale. A gentleman there by the name of Jimmy was playing the blues on a portable keyboard while he sold some of his belongings in preparation for a move to New Orleans. He’ll be playing there again Friday afternoon, so stop by and see what trinket you might be able to buy to help him on his way. (and enjoy some music while you’re at it!) Rumor has it this fella has played with Ellis Kell on occasion. The sale is at 1034 20^th Street in Rock Island.

This week in live music

Tonight is Jam Sessions night at The Muddy Waters. Come check it out – and musicians come join in the fun! Before that, catch Tangent at the Bass Street Landing.

Friday: The Friday Live at 5 concert at the RME is The Sin City Orchestra. On the Community Stage at the RME, catch a four band show: You Knew Me When, Emjay, Fast as a Cat and Friend & Foe. House Arrest will be at the Port Byron Pub, The River House is hosting Caught in the Act, The Hooks are playing Rascals Live, the Mercury Brothers are at Martinis on the Rock, and The Muddy Waters has Kent Burnside.

Saturday: Lee Blackmon is at The Grape Life in Davenport, Smooth Grove is at the River House, Cosmic is at the Precinct, Justin Morrissey and the Drunken Angels are playing Bent River, and Machine Gun Willie is at Ducky’s.

Music and More: It’s Summer and That Means…

I wonder if anyone thought I might be skipping the live music blog this week. Absolutely NOT! On top of all my other activities, I hit a few live music shows too, and I absolutely have to remind everyone to attend a certain motorcycle rally…

Nervous Rex returns!

Let’s start with Thursday. I always seem to start with Thursday. But I’m going to do it again this week. Only, my week didn’t start out at a Jam session, it started at Bass Street Landing with the return of a local favorite band, “Nervous Rex”. I would like to state for the record that I never saw Nervous Rex before Thursday. I’m sorry about that – because I really got into their tunes Thursday evening. Rex definitely has a blues-influenced sound.  There is no doubt in my mind I’ll be seeing more of this band!

Jam sessions bring together musicians from all walks

On my way home from the Bass Street Landing show in Moline, I stopped by The Muddy Waters to check out Johnny O’s Jam. As usual, the crowd was good and the music better. I am absolutely a blues fan, and most of the folks who show up at Muddy’s have that blues feel. One of these weeks, I’m taking Friday off work so I can stay late at the jam. I suspect I’m missing out on some great musicians as the evening always runs later than I can stay.

Lee's Go-go dancers

Due to Saturday’s Race for the Cure, I decided not to stay out late Friday night – I had an early morning. And I’m no morning person! I did spend a little time at Cool Beanz with Lee Blackmon. I’m beginning to see Lee’s shows as an opportunity to keep my voice oiled up and my ear tuned. Friday night was no exception, though Cool Beanz is one of the locations where Lee gets plenty of takers for the sing-along. He had a couple of cute go-go dancers this week as well. 

More District Theatre here

Saturday night I attended the District Theatre’s show “We Are Young”. I had so much to write about the show that I gave it a separate blog post, which you can see here. Vid James, drummer and vocalist for Nervous Rex was involved with this show and sent me the invite. 

Sundays are usually reserved for family gatherings, church-type stuff and preparing myself for the upcoming workweek (which often includes recovering from a busy weekend!) However, I had scheduled my first portrait session for Sunday evening along Ben Butterworth Parkway, which yielded an opportunity for dinner and live music at The Captain’s Table. 

It turns out that the Dirt Road Rockers were playing Sunday evening on the outdoor stage. I’ve seen this bunch before, but they’ve had a personnel change since the last time I saw them. The band is sporting a new bass player. This was a good opportunity to hear them. The last time I saw the band they were inside at Martini’s, which is a very small venue. They’re well-suited to an outdoor venue.

What’s up for the weekend?

In case you haven’t heard the rumbling, there’s a motorcycle rally going on…

Just a quick rundown of the bands scheduled at the Mississippi River Motorcycle Rally:

Thursday – In the Scooters tent: Vigil Annie, High Drama, Dirt Road Rockers.

In the Choppers tent: Crossroads

On the Corona stage: Stuart Mathews, Keep Off The Grass

Friday – In the Scooters tent: Corporate Rock, Natty Scratch, Geneva

In the Choppers tent:  Modern Mythology, Bottoms Up Burlesque, Tronicity, Tailfins, Sugar Nipples

On the Corona Stage: Wes Weeber, BMT, House Arrest

Saturday – In the Scooters tent: Nervous Rex, Pash-n-brew, Hap Hazard, The Recliners, and Kings Kiss

In the Choppers tent: The Funnies, Spike, Night People, 1st Impression, Mercury Brothers, the Old 57s

On the Corona Stage: Wes Weeber, Johnny Outlaw, 2^nd Wind, BMT.

Thanks to MRMRally for the updated list.

I’ll be there for some of the bands – and most of Saturday. However I’ll be leaving after 1^st Impression is finished so I can sing with Lee Blackmon. Which means I’ll be missing out on the final Kings Kiss show…

There are other things going on besides the rally this weekend:

The Hillcrest Event center in Orion has a bit of a weekend music festival-

Friday’s lineup includes: Wild Oatz, Dirt Road Rockers, Slough Boys and Dani Lynn Howe

Saturday’s bands are: Sinners and Saints, Wicked Liz and the Bellyswirls, Meet the Press, Dani Lynn Howe (and headliner – Jimmie Van Zant)

Thursday the Karry Outz are playing on the Bass Street Landing Stage

Friday- Night People and Grazin District are at the New Rusty Nail, Justin Morrissey and Drunken Angels are playing the 11^th St. Precinct, and The Muddy Waters has The Mercury Brothers

Saturday – Dirt Road Rockers and Grazin District are playing the Daiquiri Factory, Blues Hounds are at The Muddy Waters, Jim the Mule is playing Bent River Brewery, 11^th Street Precinct has Cosmic, and I’ll be joining Lee Blackmon at Bleyarts in the Village.

An Anniversary Celebration and New Orleans

I feel so blessed to know so many great, gracious local musicians. And it seems like I’m meeting new people every week. Most are really receptive to having an amateur photographer/blogger hanging around. I get to see a lot of positive in the music community in this area. I’m especially happy to see musicians with a night off popping in to support other musicians. That’s sort of how I got started doing my blog… I don’t have a regular gig anymore. When people ask me what I’m doing musically these days, I tell them I’m singing with whoever will have me. Such is the life of a backing vocalist.