MUSIC

Keller Williams is one of the best-known names in bluegrass music. In his latest project, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, he offers loose interpretations of Grateful Dead songs done in a bluegrass style. Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass shows Keller’s love of psychedelic improvisational bluegrass music with Grateful Dead classics.If you like singing along to Dead songs in that song’s normal tempo but dancing double time to the music, this is definitely your jam.   A lot of people seem to dig it and I dig them for that.”

​“Different collaborations of Grateful Grass will pop up from time to time as playing this music this way is such a blast that it probably should be illegal.” — Kw

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Garrett "G.Love" Dutton, Jeffrey "The Houseman" Clemens and Jimmy "Jazz" Prescott are celebrating their 25th year as touring and recording artists. With over 15 records released, this pioneering band has been an influence to artists such as Jack White, Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, Slightly Stoopid and many more. With their signature blend of Delta Blues, Hip Hop, Funk, Rock and Roll and Jazz, The Special Sauce have literally created their own funky stew of American music. Expect a high energy mashup of funky beats and songs written from the front porch to get the world smiling and dancing to the positive message of Love and the Blues.

Come celebrate the Birthday and life of Ellis Kell with a two-day vinyl record sale and musical swap meet!  Multiple vendors will be selling vinyl albums, amps, instruments, and other musical wares, all while being serenaded by sets from local musicians and guest DJ’s that knew and loved Ellis.  A portion of all proceeds will benefit The Karli Rose Kell Music Scholarship Fund, River Music Experience, and the Davenport Noon Optimists Club.

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Friday, August 23

4-8pm

4:00 – 5:30pm // $20 or $10 with weekend AC Pass

5:30 – 8:00pm // $10 or $5 with weekend AC Pass

Gate proceeds to River Center to help cover expenses

Guest DJs Spinning Vinyl: 4:00 – 5:30pm

Mo Carter: 5:30 – 6:30pm

Guest DJ: 6:30-7:00pm

Tony Hoeppner & Friends:  7:00 – 8:00pm

Saturday, August 24

10am – 4pm

Free Admission

Guest DJs Spinning Vinyl: 10-11am

Vinyl the Band: 11am – 12pm

Guest DJs: 12-12:30pm

Andy Landers: 12:30-2:00 pm

Guest DJs: 2:00 – 2:30pm

Hal Reed & Mississippi Journey: 2:30 – 4:00pm

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Living on four continents in five years, Brett Newski has existed on the fringe of society and avoided the “American Dream” at all costs. His story is no fairy tale. He didn’t get signed to a big label early in his career. He was not endorsed by cool guitar companies or big-time management. At age 25, he took matters into his own hands by quitting all of his part-time jobs and becoming a full-time nomad, posting up in the nooks and crannies of earth and sub-letting rooms in Vietnam, South Africa, Germany and the USA to write songs and recharge between tours. His music has been featured in Rolling Stone, Paste, The Boston Globe, and the AV club. Brett Newski has certainly kicked his own ass over the past 6 years, touring infinitely (mostly alone) and wandering down the rabbit hole of anxiety that comes with wanderlust. Yet, the shaky times have blossomed into positive creative energy on his third LP, LIFE UPSIDE DOWN.

The Avey Grouws Band is Chris Avey, Jeni Grouws, Bryan West and Randy Leasman. The Avey/Grouws Band hits hard with a soul for Blues, Rock and Roots/Americana. Winners of the 2019 and 2017 Iowa Blues Challenge and Semi Finalists at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Winners of the 2019 and 2017 Iowa Blues Challenge! Jeni Grouws met Chris Avey and Bryan West at a blues jam in the Quad Cities in 2015, and later that year The Avey Grouws Duo was formed. After throwing in a handful of well-received full band gigs in 2016, in 2017 the duo finally called up Bryan West to officially form the Avey/Grouws Band. Chris Avey, formerly of The Avey Brothers and former lead guitarist for blues icon Big Pete Pearson, has been called a "younger, more fiery Coco Montoya mixed with a dash of Tab Benoit". Avey and drummer Bryan West came in 3rd in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2009 as The Avey Brothers. The strength and grit of Avey's guitar and vocals are beautifully matched by the sheer power and nuance of Grouws' unmistakable voice

nashville-based indie rock band the pressure kids have been together long enough to see some shit. since forming as college freshmen in the fall of 2013, they’ve survived lineup changes, deceptive ex-managers, sexist industry advisors. seen each other through breakups, makeups, promotions, graduation dinners. through every up & down, every moment of triumph & turmoil that inevitably comes with the coming of age, nick, allan, katy, justin & zach have always connected over their love of songs that make you feel something. melodies that score the moment you fall apart at the party, then piece yourself together on the drive home.
The pressure kids showcases a young band at the height of creativity and determination, pairing evocative melodies with rich instrumental textures, altogether handcrafted and highlighted by the kind of wise-beyond-your-years youthfulness that only strikes when you really are twenty-three or twenty-four years old.

The new Madison, Wisconsin based horn band, RARE ELEMENT performs high-energy instrumental funk music in a truly unique manner. The band’s highly talented roster coupled with its creative and intricate arrangements make Rare Element a must-see act. Chad Whittinghill (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Bryan Husk (tenor, baritone sax) first met in 2003 as members of the urban neo-soul band, VIBE SYNDICATE. Unbeknownst to them, they would spend the next 16 years playing side by side at hundreds of shows with some of Wisconsin’s finest funk and blues bands.  Over the years, they shared a common goal to create a band where this horn section could be pushed to its limit. Finally, in 2018, a roster of highly skilled musicians was assembled to make this goal a reality. They named that band...RARE ELEMENT.

Wisconsin native Jacob Miller left his hometown for Portland, OR the summer of 2009 via Amtrak, bringing with him only a suitcase and an electric guitar. After one year in the city he left to travel North America, both to study and perform music while working on various farms and ranches between travels. Time spent as a farm hand in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina shaped his devotion to the finger-picking style of the region. Spending countless hours playing alongside vintage recordings and with local old-timers in the surrounding areas of Appalachia, Miller delved into the inner workings of the music’s style and history.

As The War and Treaty, Michael and Tanya serve up healing and pain robbing with freewheeling joy on a monumental new full-length album, Healing Tide. An original tour-de-force produced by Buddy Miller, the collection swaggers with a confidence only gained by artists who are wholly, proudly, themselves. Funky bass lines, keys, lap steel, acoustic strings, and stripped-down percussion create a swampy Southern soul bed for the couple’s transcendent vocals. “I hope people see our hearts on this record,” Michael says. “I want them to experience freedom. To feel again.”

​The War and Treaty deliver live shows and records that make the hairs on the back of necks stand up. Their music and stories bring tears and goosebumps, but ultimately, more is at work. In the midst of Michael and Tanya’s open, beaming faces and united voices, facades met away. Walls are torn down. “I want people to feel like we care,” Michael says. “When you think about artists, you don’t think about that.” He pauses and grins broadly. “But that’s the way I want the world to feel about The War and Treaty.”

SEAFARER got its start in late 2012 after Patrick moved to the Twin Cities from Chicago. Upon arriving he met Rob Haack (2012-2016) while performing together in a band they both joined after responding to a Craigslist ad. In the spring of 2012 the decided they would try to form something of their own, and put their fate in Craigslist once again, which resulted in the original lineup of Patrick, Rob, Brian (Bass & Vocals) and Bill (Guitar & Synth).
SEAFARER’s debut ep was recorded in the summer of 2016 at Blue Bell Knoll and released in May of 2017. After the recording Rob relocated to Costa Rica and the band was back to Craigslist. We added Jesse on drums in early 2017 and Calvin on synths and vocals later in the year. We are currently writing a follow up to the debut, playing local shows, and scheming up a small Mid West Tour in 2018. The band has come a long way and couldn’t be happier with the current lineup.

Growing up in rural curlew, washington, ben miller began playing guitar at 16, turning his back on a promising career as a visual artist to focus on music. He gained experience busking and performing in open-mike nights while road-tripping around america, and during an extended stint in eastern europe. He eventually found kindred spirits in scott leeper and original bmb drummer doug dicharry. The three like-minded players joined forces, and before long their diligent touring regimen allowed them to conquer an ever-widening fan base.

In 2012, the ben miller band took its first tentative steps in the recording studio, resulting in the self-released cd heavy load, which attracted a good deal of fan praise and critical acclaim. Since its formation in 2004, the ben miller band has staked out an iconoclastic niche that's established them as both a one-of-a-kind creative unit and a grass-roots fan favorite. 

Some good ol' fashioned dixieland on the river, right in Bix's hometown. 

Doug Brundies always comes in with a bang with him and his acoustic show!! Make sure to stop in an watch him in multiple venues during the Alternating Currents weekend!!

Pollinators is an indie rock band from Moline IL comprised of songwriter Tom Teslik, Ian Lambach, Kevin Paller and Trevor Bresin.

Stay tuned for their debut full length album Return Home coming out Oct 4th.​

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Max Weinberg, the 45-year drummer for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, who also spent 17 years with the Conan O’Brien television show, will perform with his Jukebox band. They play everything from The Beatles to Bruce to Steppenwolf and the Stones. The audience picks the songs in real time, calls them out, and Max plays them.

A truly interactive experience, Weinberg invites the audience to create the set list, in real time, that he and his crack four piece group will play that night. Performing songs from the glory days of rock and roll your guests get to choose from a video menu of over 200 songs — everything from the Beatles to the Stones to Bruce and The E Street Band’s biggest hits — and hear the group play ‘em the way they want to hear them played!

These Americana sirens hail from the banks of the Mississippi River and pair supremely-sonic harmonies with crafting songs about the human condition. The budding band formed in 2017 when friends Bethann Heidgerken, Erin Moore, and Esme Haferbier, having found their way into each other's lives through inroads in the vibrant Quad Cities music community, serendipitously discovered that their individual voices were remarkably beautiful when combined.

As pre-teens growing up in small-town Saint Joseph, Mo., brothers Darrion “Dee”, Isaiah and Solomon Radke enrolled in rock‘n’roll high school as their ticket out of Nowheresville. The brothers played their first show opening for Fishbone in 2011 and haven't looked back since. In 2013, the Cat & Mouse and Devil Fruit EPs took Radkey from sweaty backroom punk gigs to storming the UK's Download Festival and Riot Fest in the U.S. In 2015, Radkey enlisted Arctic Monkey's producer/mixer Ross Orton to produce their debut record, Delicious Rock Noise. The result was an across-the-board detonation of several shades of rock, punk and wild abandon –and riffs, riffs, riffs. Having kicked off 2018 with new music, Radkey’s sound has continued to expand and mature, reflected in the sleek guitar and growing bass on their new tracks "P.A.W." and “Spiders” It's a testament to the future of music, and the band is primed for rock and roll glory.

“By playing a retro style of hard rock/punk (while adding newer layers like sludge), the band is able to tune into an overall feel that hasn’t really existed since the dawn of Nirvana: seriously good rock that doesn’t take itself so seriously.” (New Noise) 

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Sponsored by: Lopiez

Like a freight train of energy, Mo Carter is known for her bold, soulful voice and charismatic live stage presence. This St. Louis native turned Quad Cities’ staple has a dynamic stable of unique originals. Mo is also a member of Mo & Co., The Velies, and previous member of Busted Chandeliers. She has shared the stage with national acts from Jay Leno to Julia Nunes and Caroline Rose.

We are three likeminded individuals with very different musical upbringings. It's safe to say we like a lot of bands all over the musical spectrum. Blue Trash:an eclectic combination of bluegrass, old timey country-punk, southern rock(abilly) with some sweet little additions of funk, and beats that are so, so fresh. Like clean laundry. This is whisky drinkin', butt shakin' music.

Dan Hubbard knows his way around a captivating story and a catchy melody, and for the past 15 years he’s been recording albums and putting on at least 125 shows a year, sharing the stage with artists like Martin Sexton, Andrew Combs, and Nikka Costa. From 2008-14, he played with his band the Humadors, and their 2011 release, "The Love Show," hit the Roots Rock chart’s Top 50.

In 2016 Hubbard collaborated with Nashville producer and 3-time Grammy Nominee Ken Coomer to release the self-titled solo album "Dan Hubbard." “I was truly happy with it,” Hubbard says. “I felt like I finally made the record I had always wanted to, and I wasn’t in any hurry to do another one.” But he had a lot more to say, and the songs on his 2019 release, "Attention," cover everything from lost love and suicide, to brokenness, anger, hatred, and—a running theme in all Hubbard’s work—the redeeming power of love.

Al and Bret of the Candymakers have a blast playing acoustic original and cover music usually ending each song with a cheers. They’ve been playing music together since they were 17 and they base their set lists off of having fun!

Known for their catchy, free-associating, indie pop-rock melodies, Mike Mains & The Branches invites diverse comparisons to acts such as Foster The People, Young the Giant, The Killers, and Arcade Fire—each comparison act a genuine facet of the band’s energetic and often soul-searching music. 

Mike Mains & The Branches first entered the national music scene with the release of their debut album Home, released in 2012. While touring Home and growing a loyal following opening shows for Relient K and Hellogoodbye, founding members Mike and Shannon fell in love, married, and in doing so, minted the focal experience of the band’s subsequent music and lyrics; not just love but the swirling highs and bruising challenges of life together. 

Calliope’s antic live shows are a blast of secondhand glam fueled by an inclusive yet otherwordly sound. Lush keys and guitars provide propulsion for lift-off, or lube for a love-in, as Fussell’s lyrics slip in her resilient confessions.

On Calliope Musicals’ forthcoming LP with Rhyme & Reason Records, Color/Sweat, lead singer Carrie Fussell lets out lyrics like she just licked the apple of Eden and likes it. Calliope’s antic live shows are a blast of secondhand glam fueled by an inclusive yet otherworldly sound.

Land of Blood and Sunshine is a six-piece rock band from Marshalltown Iowa. They started in 2008 and have self-recorded four full length LPs and one 7". Their sounds range from Roy Orbison to Black Sabbath. They have played shows all over the midwest including having a Daytrotter recording in 2011. They played several shows on the east coast last summer and plan on releasing their fifth LP later on this year. Land of Blood and Sunshine is Bo Becker, Garrett Goodman, Bryan Leger, Danielle Downs, Joel Downs, and Nicholas Beard.

The Other Brothers are a rock & blues trio born and bred out of the midwest. Frontman Eli Clark smokes on the harmonica and guitar while the red hot rhythm is provided by Jason Kadiwhompus on drums and Lorenz Inez on bass. Together, their sound is driving and classic, yet undeniably fresh. A typical Other Brothers show sounds like a combination of ZZ Top, CCR, and Link Wray, to name a few. However, no two gigs are exactly the same.

​The enchanting psych-pop songs of Condor & Jaybird are what you would expect to hear pumping through the walls of an enigmatic, underground temple while on a trying journey to gift your soul to the lord of dance. Upon arriving in the throne room, you’ll stumble upon a wholesome ritual involving endless dancing powered by scorching riffs and infectious hooks. Their hypnotic and lush vocal harmonies will make you sway and their growls will ignite a fire in your soul. The lyrical content taking you to a new level of mindfulness on the road to self-realization. The surrounding strangers will become your friends and your friends become your family.

The Josh Duffee Jazz Quartet is your classical treat at any venue that he attends. Join him at the Bix Bistro Brunch on Sunday!! The Quaret consist of Josh Duffee, bassist Danny Oline, saxophonist Neal Smith, and pianist Dick Watson.

The Mand, half man half band, uses loops to compose wildly different music. Funk, b-grass, heavy metal, country, rockrap, folk, rock, ads, movies, TV shows

Kat Wright, whose voice is both sultry and dynamic, delicate yet powerful; gritty but highly emotive and nuanced, has been described as “a young Bonnie Raitt meets Amy Winehouse”. Add to that voice enough stage presence to tame lions, and the combination of feline femininity proves immediately enchanting. There’s soul flowing in and out of her rock ‘n’ roll with a serpentine seduction. Some of soul music’s sweet, grand dames belt, shout, seethe, and succumb, while Wright sings gently like a heartache’s apology. It’s funky in spots and beautiful all over. And it hurts a little … like it should.

Rebecca is a singer and songwriter in the Quad City area who is passionate about creating honest moments with her music and performances.

​Born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, Rebecca Casad was driven by a passion for performing from a young age. With already more that 13 stage performances, countless improv and emcee performances, and over 75 vocal and instrumental performances at only 18 years old, she has moved to original works.

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In July 2016, Alex Toth was recovering from a broken foot and a broken heart, stuck in his fourth-floor apartment in Brooklyn with cast and crutches. This is where Tōth’s “achingly beautiful” debut album, Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary, was born.

A few months earlier, Alex and his Rubblebucket cofounder and love of more than eleven years had “consciously uncoupled,” after a period of helping each other through devastating challenges. Alex was lightning-struck by sadness. “Almost convalescent” at times, in his words, though rarely still. A jazz trumpeter by training, Alex is always, always writing. And that spring, a new kind of music started to come—raw, stripped-down songs unfurling without agenda, bent over an acoustic guitar. It never occurred to Alex that he was making an album. 

King Of The Tramps are musical travelers spreading their Whiskey Gospel across venues in the Midwestern U.S. and to fans in Europe. Their songs preach celebration, forgiveness, and a love for the world and it's wonders. They have performed over 350 times at festivals, clubs, bars, boxcars and anywhere they can make a fan or a friend. The band has released four albums of original music, "Good People" in 2011, "Wicked Mountain" in 2013, "Joyful Noise" in 2014 and Cumplir con el Diablo in 2016. A new release is in production with an expected release in Spring 2018. The King Of The Tramps live show is a foot stompin', hand clappin' rock and roll gospel party, with plenty of crowd participation. According to "City View" show reviewer Chad Taylor, Partridge is "art troubadour, part tent revival preacher, Partridge holds court over his audience, welcoming all to the Tramps roots rock/jam band sound with the charisma of a faith healer."

In early 2017 a few long time musical collaborators decided to throw former opera singer Claire Feeney into the front seat of a rock band. Her versatility along with lead guitarist John Szymanski's technical mastery allows the band to defy genre. Their live shows weave vocals and guitars through influences that include 70s arena rock, pop punk, Stax soul, feminist folk, and southern gothic country. Claire and The Bears are: Jonathan Bastian – Bass, Claire Feeney – Vocals, Roy Freeman – Keyboard, Sean McGill – Drums, Austin D Oie - Guitar/vocals, John Szymanski - Lead guitar/vocals

After officially completing her masters in 2012, Lauren began performing solo gigs around the greater Kansas City area at venues such as Bar Louie, Jerry's Bait Shop and Main Street Cafe. She quickly realized that she could only go so far in the business while playing solo gigs, so she began attending jam sessions at venues such as Freddy T's, Llewelyn's Pub and Westport Saloon. It was at such jams that she met Kristopher Schnebelen (previously from Trampled Under Foot), Dylan Reiter (from Brandon Miller Band) and Adam Stuber, who now make up her band, The Lauren Anderson Project.

By the time he was 27, Philippe Bronchtein had logged several hundred thousand miles in on the road, crossing and recrossing the US and the Atlantic. In a few short years, he had quickly become one of Portland's most well-loved, consommate road-warriors, cherished by fans of songcraft, other songwriters, and the bandleaders who, over and over, invited him to join them on tour. Still a young man, he'd released three LPs, numerous splits, 7"s EPs, and singles under the moniker Hip Hatchet and toured as a multi-instrumentalist for the likes of Esme Patterson, The War & Treaty, Quiet Life, and others. He relocated to Nashville in 2017 to continue working as a touring musician. But the endless cycle of barely-occupied sublet apartments, ephemeral friendships, and might-have-beens left him drained, burnt out, longing for some semblance of stability or a connection that remained always tantalizingly out of reach.

Indiana’s Stay Outside make explosive, driving indie rock. Formed in 2016, childhood friends Aaron Becker (Guitar/Vocals) and Garrett Johnston (Guitar) forged an upbeat and hopeful indie rock sound influenced by alt-rock greats such as The Killers, Manchester Orchestra, or Kings of Leon.

 In 2016 Stay Outside released their debut album, Okay For Now. With the addition of Sean West (Bass) and Noah Mitchener (Drums), Stay Outside has been making waves throughout the heartland captivating audiences with compelling live performances and thoroughly honest songwriting.

Mother Nature is the powerful and undeniable energy of emcees Klevah and T.R.U.T.H.  Never afraid to speak on societal ills, these creatives masterfully weave political rhetoric into music that you can party to. The Chicago-based emcees fuse hard-hitting HipHop, melodic rhythms and boundless lyricism to raise the frequency of our collective conscience. Well on their way, Mother Nature is a dynamic force of Black womanhood. Their mission is to be a fearless force in HipHop through peace and love. 

Rude Punch is an Alternative/Reggae band from Davenport,IA. Combining Reggae,Rock,Punk and Pop to create original, positive, high energy music. The band is made up of members Brady Jager (Lead Vocals,Guitar), Adam Tucker (Drums), Jack Hill (Bass), and Murray Lee Rice(Keyboards) 

Formed in 2007 by Brady Jager, Adam Tucker, and Robb Laake, the trio formed their own sound based in the reggae/rock genre. Heavily influenced by bands such as Sublime and 311, early pioneers of mixing reggae with punk,hip-hop,funk and rock. 

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Lewis Knudsen is a mixed-genre, multi-instrumentalist songwriter based in Rock Island, IL (Quad Cities). In the past few years Lewis has toured coast to coast in the US, as well as South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and the U.K.  Lewis has opened for bands such as Amy Helm, Jesicca Hernandez, Nicholas David, and Davina and the Vagabonds, and recently played a show for SoFar Chicago.

Influences include James Taylor, Randy Newman, Ben Folds, Hozier, Rufus Wainwright, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Jack White.

Pollinators is an indie rock band from Moline IL comprised of songwriter Tom Teslik, Ian Lambach, Kevin Paller and Trevor Bresin.

Stay tuned for their debut full length album Return Home coming out Oct 4th.​

A Dubuque native and a member of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Sam Day is a classically trained cellist with a modern twist. Having played the cello for 11+ years, he has played numerous venues and competitions such as playing in the Iowa All State Orchestra and winning 1st place in the Dubuque Symphony Concerto Competition. Aside from classical training and performances, Sam's band, "Sam &the others" has also played numerous venues for 6+ years. This is what initiated Sam to start using an electric cello and a looping pedal to travel to various locations throughout the tri-state area. He currently studies cello performance at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with Dr. Philip Borter.