Chained Up Alice: Alice in Chains Tribute at the Raccoon Motel -- March 14.
Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Composed of vocalist/acoustic guitarist Emily Cooper, vocalist/guitarist Dan Spannraft, bass player Natalee Algozino, and drummer Jason DesBiens, the rockers of Chained Up Alice: Alice in Chains Tribute headline a March 14 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the Chicago musicians dedicated to performing songs from both eras of Alice in Chains' career, delivering hits, classic fan favorites, and deep cuts in a high-energy, unforgettable live performance.
Vocalist Cooper brings the raw, emotive, and unmistakable power, often harmonizing the Spannraft in the eerie, minor-key patterns that became Alice in Chain's trademark signature sound. The Rhythm section of Algozino lays the foundation with thick, gritty bass lines that mesh perfectly with DesBien's tight and expressive drumming, adding in the swing and depth to the band's slow grooves and rhythms.
As stated at AllMusic.com, "Alice in Chains epitomizes the solemn, heavy Seattle sound of the 1990s. What separated the band from their alt-rock brethren was how their roots lay in heavy metal, not punk. Despite their metal connections, they thrived in the glory days of grunge, and it wasn't merely a question of timing, either. Their sensibility fit the early '90s alternative rock zeitgeist. Jerry Cantrell's gloomy, minor-key riffs were an ideal match for Layne Staley's tortured lyrics, creating a sound that felt as heavy as their Seattle cohorts but also was slightly slicker and ready for radio. It was versatile, too. After the group scored rock radio and MTV hits with 'Man in the Box' and 'Would?, Alice in Chains became one of the first alt-rock bands of the '90s to delve into acoustic-based music, scoring hits with the comparatively softer 'No Excuses' and 'I Stay Away.'
"Despite its success, the band was plagued with internal tensions during its commercial peak, much of it stemming from Staley's drug addictions. His abuse slowed the band's upward trajectory in the back half of the '90s, a descent culminating in the singer's accidental death in 2002. Four years later, Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Inez revived Alice in Chains with singer William DuVall, sparking an extended second life of recording – Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018) and tours that has lasted longer than their original incarnation."
Chained Up Alice: Alice in Chains Tribute headlines their Davenport engagement on March 14, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $15.88, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
