Saturday, November 24, 7 p.m.
Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304 East Third Street, Davenport IA
Praised by PopMatters as musicians who “pull off the neat trick of straddling the line between small-scale touches and anthemic choruses,” and by Paste magazine as artists who “bring to mind the best of Tom Petty and the more fun aspects of Father John Misty and The War on Drugs,” the indie rockers of The Artisanals headline a Moeller Nights concert on November 24, performing in support of their self-titled debut album released a mere two months ago.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, The Artisanals are fronted by the Charleston City Paper’s 2015 Singer/Songwriter of the Year Johnny Delaware (formerly of SUSTO) and a quartet of gifted fellow musicians: guitarist Luke Mitchell (of The High Divers), guitarist Clay Houle, jazz drummer Josh Hoover, and bassist Eric Mixon. The five joined forces in 2016 and released their four-track EP Literally Anywhere that fall, promptly receiving critical acclaim from outlets including The Huffington Post and Paste, and receiving an invite to record from Daytrotter. The Artisanals consequently shared stages with global powerhouse Band of Horses on several U.S. Tour stops, and went on to perform with the likes of Nikki Lane, J. Roddy Walston, Daniel Romano, and Dylan LeBlanc.
Produced by the band members along with Wolfgang Zimmerman, the group's album debut The Artisanals was the first record to come out of The Magic Barn – a converted barn in Solon, Iowa, that features the Neve console and gear from New York City's now-defunct Magic Shop Studio. From 1988 through March of 2016, the Magic Shop was a studio sought-after and beloved by legends including Lou Reed and Blondie for its vintage gear, and in addition to Arcade Fire tracking The Suburbs at the venue, it was the site where David Bowie recorded his last two albums. Released this past September, The Artisanals has earned the band reviews to suggest a long and successful career ahead, with MusicTap.com calling it “sure to reach a slew of new fans simply by vistue of the quality in the songs and performances,” adding that “for a debut album, this is one of the best I've heard in quite a while.”
The Artisanals's November 24 concert at Davenport's Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel starts at 7 p.m., tickets are $12, and more information is available by visiting MoellerNights.com.
