Cory Branan at the Raccoon Motel -- November 16.
Saturday, November 16, 6 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Described by No Depression as a talent who “will charm the pants off you, even when he's bummed,” the alt-country rocker Cary Branan performs a November 16 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's most recent recording When I Go I Ghost inspiring New Noise Magazine to call it "a fantastic album from start to finish."
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in the Memphis suburb of Southaven, Branan was surrounded by music from an early age, with his father Dallas playing drums in local bands, his grandfather a skilled guitarist, and his great-grandfather a violinist. By his teens, Branan was playing death metal and fronting a Black Sabbath cover band. But after earning a degree from the University of Memphis, he began to explore the music of John Prine, a move that led him to return to his guitar and start writing songs. In 2000, the Memphis chapter of NARAS awarded Branan the Phillips Award for Newcomer of the Year before he had even cut his debut album The Hell You Say, released in 2001.
After striking a deal with Madjack Records, the label reissued Branan's debut the following year, with the singer/songwriter's sophomore release 12 Songs landing in 2006. Years of touring performances led to 2012's Mutt – the title referring to the many styles and influences that inform Branan's songs – and his fourth album The No Hit Wonder included guest appearances from Jason Isbell and Craig Finn and Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady, the work cited by Rolling Stone as one of the best country albums of the year.
With the 2017 album described by its creator as a “loser's survival kit,” Adios found Branan dealing with loss and disappointment in witty but incisive fashion. Paste magazine praised the “sound that is cohesive in approach and unpredictable in expectation, as heartland rock mingles with New Wave agitations and swampy blues brushes shoulders with swinging waltzes.” Pitchfork raved, “Branan's latest set of countrified rock tunes may be his best to date,” finding “the right balance between audacity and subtlety, between humor and heartbreak.” And the musician's plaudits continued for 2022's When I Go I Ghost, The Alternate Root calling Branan "an articulate songwriter, prone to sharing lyrics that are richly emphatic, both credible and compelling."
Cory Branan headlines his Davenport engagement on November 16 with an additional set by Chris Crofton, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $26.45, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
