The Hackensaw Boys at the Raccoon Motel -- July 14.
Tuesday, July 14, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
A celebrated Virginia string outfit currently enjoying its 23rd year of professional performance, the country, folk, and Americana musicians of the Hackensaw Boys play Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 14, the group's talents having inspired Pitchfork to rave, "The band infuses their grassy tornado with brazen punk attitude and catchy pop structure, while simultaneously remaining vehemently sincere."
The Hackensaw Boys were founded in the fall of 1999 by Rob Bullington, Tom Peloso, David Sickmen, and Robert "Bobby" St. Ours, who were all living in Charlottesville, Virginia at the time, and over the nearly two dozen years since, the band has toured continuously and claims 20 or more current and former members. During their first two years, the musicians took part in the Unlimited Sunshine Tour that, in 2002, included headliner Cake, De La Soul, The Flaming Lips, and Modest Mouse. In 2003, the Hackensaw Boys served as Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Louvin's backing band on one of his last nationwide tours, and have subsequently performed alongside such major acts as Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven, and Railroad Earth, with their European tour boasting featured events in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Beginning with their album debut Get Some in 2000, the Hackensaw Boys have released eight LPs, most recently 2016's Charismo, as well as a quartet of EPs, and in 2012, they were nominated for the Independent Country Music Award for best Bluegrass Band, Duo, or Group. Meanwhile, their acclaim and cultural significance have continued to amass, with Saving Country Music writing of the group: “Before string bands were a 'thing' in popular culture, there was the Hackensaw Boys. Before the Avett Brothers were selling out arenas, before Mumford & Sons were becoming the biggest band in music in a given year, before everybody and their brother was growing a beard and wearing suspenders and playing in jug bands, the Hackensaw Boys were mixing bluegrass and old-time music with a punk attitude, and reshaping what a modern old school string band could sound like."
The Hackensaw Boys play their Davenport engagement on July 14 with an opening set by Forrest McCurren, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $16, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
