Josh Spinner at the Raccoon Motel -- May 22.
Friday, May 22, 6 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by The Beverly Review as "a multi-talented musician from the northern suburbs of Chicago" who "brings a unique sound blending elements of funk, jazz, indie, and country," singer/songwriter Josh Spinner returns to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 22, the artist also hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "the epitome of a hardworking musician."
As stated at JoshSpinner.com: "Some artists take years to find their voice. Josh Spinner has already found his. At 22, the Chicago-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist is doing something genuinely rare – writing songs that feel lived-in and emotionally true, performing them with a natural stage presence that makes a room of strangers feel like old friends, and playing the guitar with a sophistication that stops people mid-conversation. His influences – The Eagles, Jackson Browne, John Mayer – are not just names he drops. They are woven into the fabric of how he thinks about melody, narrative, and the space between notes.
"The guitar comparison to Mayer is one that comes up organically, and not without reason. Like Mayer at the beginning of his ascent, Spinner possesses that uncommon ability to serve the song – deploying jazz voicings, unhurried leads, and instinctive harmonic choices that elevate the material without ever overpowering it. His playing has taste, which at 22 is frankly startling – a quality sharpened through formal guitar studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, where he transferred specifically to deepen his craft and plant himself at the center of one of the country’s most vibrant live music scenes.
"His songwriting carries the same quality as his playing: melodically immediate, lyrically honest, and intriguing. He built his early momentum at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, graduating from house shows to becoming a fixture at the Canopy Club. The transfer to Chicago was a deliberate next step – and it paid off quickly.
"Much of that creative output has been developed in close collaboration with Alejandro Quiles – drummer, engineer, and producer – who has become Spinner’s most trusted musical compatriot. The two are consistently writing and recording together, building a body of work with the kind of focused creative consistency that defines artists who are in it for the long run, not the moment.
"Today, Josh Spinner is performing at Lincoln Hall, Schubas Tavern, and Subterranean – Chicago venues that don’t suffer unready artists. He has also performed at the Winnetka Music Festival and taken his live show to Los Angeles, including the Whisky A Go Go. These are not vanity bookings. They are proof of a real, growing audience that returns, brings friends, and stays connected."
Josh Spinner performs his headlining engagement in Davenport on May 22 with an additional set by Lainey Jean, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $26.45, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
