Friday, January 17, 8 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Praised by Bandwagon magazine for their “brilliant” sound “that few other modern-day bands can offer,” the blues talents of the Kris Lager Band return to Davenport's Redstone Room on January 17, with Grateful Web telling prospective concert-goers: “Be prepared to dance, clap, and sing along with a fun and interactive show laced with load-tested songs and contagious grooves.”
For more than 15 consecutive years, the Kris Lager Band has been performing in the artists' native Omaha region and touring throughout the country, delivering what Paste magazine calls “the kind of toe-tapping rhythm that sometimes you just need to make it through a day,” To date, the ensemble has released seven albums with its most recent recording 2018's Love Songs & Life Lines, a work mixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Gaines and described by No Depression as “thoroughly engrossing and ultra-soulful.” As frontman Lager has stated, “When music is created from a place of love and delivered with good intentions, it is undeniably powerful. There's nothing better than making the people around you feel good. The ultimate compliment for me is when folks come up to me after a show and say, 'I was having a horrible day' or 'I was in a bad mood, and now I feel great.'
“A lot of the songs that I sing start as simple mantras,” Lager continued. “Mantras for me to keep in mind and remember in my daily life and struggles. The serve as reminders for myself to stay positive and keep shining light and speaking of hope. In the end, that's what I seek in my world, and honestly, I don't see enough of it out there in the world and on our screens. I choose to perform and share these songs and mantras with people because I believe they work. I believe songs make the hard times easier and the good times sweeter. I truly believe in the power of song, music, and creating art in general.” Lager's spirited ideas and attitudes are well on display in the Kris Lager Band's upbeat take on the blues crafted in such albums as 2007's Transient, 2009's The Mighty Quinn, and 2016's Rise & Shine, and underline why Blues Rock Review labeled the group's 2012 Swagadocious “an innovative form of blues rock” that “showcases the incredible musicianship camaraderie this band has together.”
The Kris Lager Band plays the Redstone Room on January 17 with an opening set by The Other Brothers, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $10, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
