Daniel Rodriguez at the Raccoon Motel -- May 9.
Tuesday, May 9, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With his 2020 recording Sojourn of a Burning Sun lauded by Glide magazine as "beautiful from start to finish," folk singer/songwriter and Elephant Revival co-founder headlines a concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 9, the artist's solo debut also praised by Folk Alley as a work in which its creator "illustrates his artful ability to plumb the depths of our hearts and souls and to offer us a healing balm."
A folk outfit from Nederland, Colorado, formed in 2006, Elephant Revival was designed as an ensemble whose band members would be multi-instrumentalists who also performed vocals and contributed to songwriting. Following the group's self-titled 2008 album debut, additional recordings included 2010's Break in the Clouds, 2013's These Changing Skies, and 2018's Petals, and individually and collectively, Elephant Revival's musicians have performed with or opened for act including Little Feat, Yonder Mountain String Band, Nickel Creek, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, String Cheese Incident, and Trampled by Turtles. After the band went on hiatus in 2018, Rodriguez announced, two years later, that he would be releasing an album titled Sojourn of a Burning Sun, produced by bandmate Darren Garvey.
The album was an immediate critical hit. Westword magazine wrote, “Rodriguez offers an arresting new batch of songs that meld his well-appreciated voice and lyrical prowess with his skilled musicianship. This comes as no surprise, following his more than a decade-long run as one of the founding members and lead songwriters of Elephant." Meanwhile, raving about the album's song "Brother John," Rolling Stone stated that Rodriguez "sings of someone who has 'the armor of a warrior, a soldier wounded long ago,' and finds music to be the ultimate balm. It’s fittingly set to a sunny, spacious groove and rounded out with banjo and melodic splashes of clean electric guitar leads."
Following that album's release, the Lumineers recorded and released Rodriguez's song "This Is Life" after adding the words “Merry Christmas” to the chorus, turning "This is Life (Merry Christmas) feat. Daniel Rodriguez" into an instant dark-humored holiday classic in December of 2021. Rodriguez and his band went on to open for the Lumineers on their Brightside World Tour last summer, playing to sold-out arenas and stadiums across North America, with a special homecoming show in front of 40,000 fans in Denver, Colorado. Currently touring in support of the recent release of his second full-length album Vast Nothing, Rodriguez has also performed with some of his talented friends and heroes, among them Gregory Alan Isakov, John Craigie, Fruition, and Todd Snider.
Daniel Rodriguez plays his Davenport engagement on May 9 with an additional set by Trapper Schoepp, admission to the 7 p.m. Concert is $12, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
