John Moreland at the Raccoon Motel -- October 16.
Sunday, October 16, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Boasting what Americana Highways calls "maybe the most ruggedly pretty voice in Americana," singer/songwriter and acoustic guitarist John Moreland headlines an October 16 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's July rerelease Birds in the Ceiling inspiring Folk Alley to rave, "The beauty is that, listening to it, we feel as if we’re sitting in a room with him and he’s singing each song to us alone."
Born in Longview, Texas, in 1985, Moreland was first introduced to music by listening to his father play Neil Young and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs at home on the guitar. At around age 10, Moreland began playing guitar himself, and by his teens was playing in various local punk and metalcore bands including Tulsa, Oklahoma's Thirty Called Arson. He rediscovered country and roots rock in his 20s and formed the ensemble John Moreland & the Black Gold Band, and in 2008, the group released its earthy, electric guitar-steeped debut Endless Oklahoma Sky. Three years later, Moreland returned with his outfit's second effort Things I Can't Control, as well as two albums recorded as John Moreland & the Dust Bowl Souls: Everything the Hard Way and Earthbound Blues.
Deciding to move in a self-produced direction, Moreland recorded his 2013 album In the Throes largely on his own, and the recording, which showcased his transition to an even more intimate acoustic sound, developed a grassroots following. He garnered even further attention after several songs from that album, among them “Spells” and “Heaven,” were used in the acclaimed FX television biker drama Sons of Anarchy. In 2015, Moreland released his sixth full-length album High on Tulsa Heat, recorded at his parents' home in Bixby, Oklahoma, and in 2017 the artist signed with the esteemed U.K. label 4AD and released Big Bad Luv. Writing about the album in The New Yorker, Amanda Petrusich stated that Moreland “reminds me of Bruce Springsteen – they share the same gruffness of tone, warmth, and knack for making a straightforward song into something revelatory.” Released in 2020, the artist's LP5, meanwhile, earned Moreland some of his strongest reviews to date, with the U.K.'s Folk Radio deeming the work, "A terrific piece of work that is his most musically complex and lyrically personal album to date"
John Moreland plays his Davenport engagement on October 16 with a set by Caroline Spence, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $25, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
