Kelsey Waldon, October 7

Friday, October 7, 8 p.m.

Raccoon Motel 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA

Praised by American Songwriter for her "superb talents and determined approach to her profession," acclaimed country singer/songwriter Kelsey Waldon headlines an October 7 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's August release No Regular Dog lauded for a creative force, according to Americana Highways, "whose skill and resolve make her an indispensable force in Americana."

Born in Ballard County, Kentucky, and raised in the rural Western Kentucky town of Monkey's Eyebrow, Waldon picked up the guitar at age 13 as a way to deal with her parents' divorce, and continued to use music as an outlet throughout her teenage years. After high school, she moved to Nashville to a period of two years before deciding to enroll in Belmont University, where she majored in songwriting and music business. Waldon self-released four EP's before releasing her debut LP The Goldmine, and in 2007, she released Dirty Feet, Dirty Hands, followed by Anchor in the Valley in 2010, Anybody's Darlin in 2011, and Fixin' It Up in 2012. Her following began to grow with the studio-album release of The Goldmine in 2014, which The Fader dubbed as “the brightest country debut of 2014”. The recording led Rolling Stone to name Waldon one of “10 New Artists You Need To Know: Summer 2014," with journalist Marissa Moss calling the singer/songwriter "Tammy Wynette on a trip to Whiskeytown, as unafraid of heavy twang and spitfire pedal steel as coffeehouse confessionals."

Waldon released another LP, I’ve Got a Way, in 2016, and the sophomore album ranked on Fresh Air host Ken Tucker's “Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2016." In May 2019, it was announced at the Grand Ole Opry that Waldon had signed to John Prine's label Oh Boy Records, making her the first artist signed in 15 years. Later that year, Waldon released White Noise/White Lines via Oh Boy Records, leading Nashville Lifestyles' music critic Luke Levenson to state, "The new LP pulls inspiration from both her Kentucky roots and the three intense years since her last release." Over the years between her debut and August's arrival of the critically lauded No Regular Dog, Waldon has performed with revered artists within the country and Americana genres, among them Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Jamey Johnson, and her label's John Prine. In 2019, the Oh Boy Records founder invited Waldon to join him on stage at the Bonnaroo Music Festival to sing Prine's duet "In Spite of Ourselves," and the festival also allowed Waldon to also join Johnson in performing Prine's "Paradise," Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light," and Don Williams' "Tulsa Time."

Kelsey Waldon plays her Davenport engagement on October 7, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $12, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.