McKinley James at the Raccoon Motel -- July 26.
Saturday, July 26, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by Rock & Blues Muse for his "charming, effortless, and spontaneous style," and by the Rochester City Newspaper as a talent who “digs deep into rock 'n' roll's blackness and blueness” and “plays downright nasty and mean.” Nashville-based singer/songwriter McKinley James and his bandmates return to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 26, his latest album Working Class Blues hailed by NYS Music for the artist's "gritty tone, calming guitar grooves, and swing-style approach."
Born and raised in Webster, New York, James took a liking to the Hammond organ in his younger days (an instrument that is now manned by his trio's third member Austin John Doody), and the musician considers himself a living example of why every guitarist should start with keyboard. Because he learned so much about theory and craft, when he finally moved over, the foundation was laid for him to far surpass many established guitar talents. James got his feet wet in Nashville fairly quickly, playing the venues Family Wash and Basement regularly in his first few years, where he and his band grew a steady crowd before shutdown in 2020. Two years later, the artist's musical journey took him from the cover art of Eric Church’s critically acclaimed Mr. Misunderstood to stages across America and Europe – and also to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where he performed the album’s title track with Church for a sold-out hometown crowd.
As stated at McKinleyJames.com, "2021's critically-acclaimed Still Standing By found him working alongside producer Dan Auerbach of the Grammy-winning band The Black Keys, while 2022's LIVE! captured McKinley and company onstage, tearing their way through songs like 'Love Can Make a Fool' for a full house. When the band's B3 player left the lineup in November 2022, McKinley and Jason (Smay – McKinley's musician father) moved ahead as a duo, a move that highlights the family chemistry and charisma at the beating heart of Working Class Blues.
"This isn't a boxed-in version of the blues. It's an eclectic mix of American music, featuring songs co-written with Auerbach, Pat McLaughlin, and Dylan Altman. McKinley sings about universal struggles – heartbreak, frustration, love, infatuation – with the voice of a 20something adult who's been cutting his teeth onstage since childhood. Like its creator, Working Class Blues exists somewhere out of time, blending the contemporary with the classic, erasing the lines between genre and generation. It's something fresh, created out of something familiar. And for McKinley James, it's just the beginning."
McKinley James headlines his Davenport engagement on July 26 with an additional set by Nona Invie, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $13.22, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
