Carolina Liar at the Raccoon Motel -- July 2.
Thursday, July 2, 6 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With the band's album Coming to Terms hailed by Consequence of Sound as a recording that "screams like a banshee leaping out of it’s cage and tasting freedom for the first time," vocalist/guitarist Chad Wolf and drummer Brian Ulery bring their touring outfit Carolina Liar to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 2, Blender adding that the artists' debut LP was "a handful of skyscraping, modern-rock behemoths."
As stated in the band's official recent biography: "The story of Carolina Liar sounds like a Hollywood movie script about the music industry. At the center of the project is Charleston, SC native Chad Wolf. A singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Wolf fell under the spell of new wave through his older sister's record collection. He relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 22, earning a living doing whatever odd jobs he could – which included being an extra in a Celine Dion video – before landing a job working for legendary songwriter Diane Warren. The story might have ended there if Wolf hadn't agreed to housesit for a friend who just happened to know Max Martin, one of the biggest pop producers of all time. Martin heard one of Wolf's songs and asked to hear more, and soon Wolf found himself in Stockholm recording an album.
"Carolina Liar released their debut album Coming to Terms in 2008 on Atlantic Records, finding mainstream success with their double platinum-certified single "Show Me What I'm Looking For" and gold-certified single "I'm Not Over." The songs dominated radio, soundtracked MTV's The Hills, 90210, Gossip Girl, the MLB All-Star Game, and the film What Happens in Vegas, and launched nationwide tours alongside Rob Thomas, OneRepublic, Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw, and The Fray. Their sophomore album Wild Blessed Freedom followed in 2011, produced by Max Martin, Shellback, and Tobias Karlsson.
"Outside of Carolina Liar, Wolf formed the alternative rock duo The Federal Empire with Grammy-nominated songwriter McKay Stevens. The project built its own following and catalog, and Federal Empire songs remain a regular part of Carolina Liar's live sets today.
"The staying power of Carolina Liar's music became undeniable in 2021, when "Show Me What I'm Looking For" went viral on TikTok, generating over 70,000 creates on the platform and driving the song to millions of Spotify streams per day at its peak. Superstar YouTuber David Dobrik helped fuel the moment, featuring the track in a series of heartwarming and charitable videos. Wolf surprised Dobrik on his VIEWS podcast in early 2022 with an acoustic performance, which gave Dobrik the idea to surprise him with a classic Volkswagen bus. Nearly two decades after its release, the song still pulls over 144,000 Spotify streams per week with zero active promotion and has surpassed 169 million total streams across all platforms. Carolina Liar currently holds over 726,000 monthly Spotify listeners.
"In 2016, Wolf collaborated with Martin Garrix on "Hold On & Believe" featuring The Federal Empire. In 2024, Garrix tapped Wolf again for "Smile," an indie-meets-dance anthem that Garrix debuted during his sold-out run at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, where Wolf joined him onstage for two live performances.
"In recent years, Wolf has been releasing previously unreleased songs from his catalog – including "Thank You," "Slowly Breaking My Heart," "Tie Me Up," "What a Night," and "Photograph" – sharing music he'd been sitting on and felt it was time for people to hear. Now, with a stripped-down two-piece live setup alongside drummer Brian Ulery, Wolf has arrived at what he calls "Garage Gospel" – a raw, soul-baring reinvention of the Carolina Liar sound.
"Where the original project was built on studio polish and a full band, Garage Gospel is built around Wolf's voice, guitar, and the driving rhythms of a single drum kit. It's the sound of songs that people hold onto like hymns – music that gets you through something, delivered with the intensity of a sermon and the intimacy of a living room. The upcoming single "I Am King," out on June 26th, is the first true expression of that new direction.
"Carolina Liar's music is also heading to the big screen. In the upcoming comedy film Concert Heroes – starring Chris Kattan, Horatio Sanz, Robert Romanus (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), and E.G. Daily (Pee-wee's Big Adventure) – Carolina Liar's songs serve as the music of the fictional band at the center of the story, with Wolf himself making a cameo appearance. Written and produced by filmmaker Steven Mark and directed by Joe Nunez, the film was shot in San Diego in early 2026 and is expected later this year. A limited-edition vinyl re-release of Coming to Terms with exclusive tracks is also on the way.
"Following a six-date East Coast tour in April, Wolf takes Garage Gospel to the Midwest this summer with shows in Des Moines, Davenport, and Chicago, culminating in a performance at Summerfest in Milwaukee on July 4th – the world's largest music festival.
"After eighteen years, a double platinum certification, hundreds of millions of streams, and songs that continue to soundtrack people's most meaningful moments, Chad Wolf isn't looking back. He's doing what he's always done – writing the next song, telling the truth, and trusting that the right people will find it."
Carolina Liar plays their Davenport engagement on July 2, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $19.84, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
