Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats at the Vibrant Arena at the MARK -- September 19.
Friday, September 19, 7 p.m.
Vibrant Arena at the MARK, 1201 River Drive, Moline IL
Lauded by the Los Angeles Times for his “commanding presence” and “a voice that can yearn with crystalline purity or howl with guttural anguish,” Nathaniel Rateliff and his band the Night Sweats bring their national "South of Here Tour" to Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on September 19, this 2024 album of the tour's title leading AllMusic to rave that "Rateliff leads his crew through a panoply of '70s-touched roots rock, delivered with warmth, sincerity, and occasional bursts of grit."
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, now based in Denver, Rateliff formed his first band Born in the Flood in 2002, quickly garnering a large following in his adoptive city and headlining local festivals such as the Westword Music Showcase. In February of 2007, Born in the Flood released its first full-length album If This Thing Should Spill, yet despite the band's increasing success, Rateliff turned down an offer from Roadrunner Records and shifted his focus to a more stripped-down, solo effort, playing more somber, singer/songwriter content as part of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel. Rateliff albums including In Memory of Loss and Falling Faster Than You Can Run followed, and beginning in 2013, while still performing and recording with earlier solo and group projects, the artist embarked on a more upbeat, soulful sound with longtime collaborator Joseph Pope III and other collaborators in shows around Denver and Boulder.
In 2015, the self-titled release Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats arrived, with its frontman performing with Joseph Pope III (bass), Mark Shusterman (keyboards), Patrick Meese (drums), Luke Mossman (guitar), Wesley Watkins (trumpet), and Andy Wild (saxophone). According to the Los Angeles Times, this was “an album Rateliff made as a last-ditch effort before throwing in the towel on his music career, only to see it go viral and turn into a runaway hit.” With Spin praising its founder's “massive, alluring” voice and Billboard calling the singer/songwriter “a must-hear,” Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' debut scored a chart-topping single with the platinum-selling “S.O.B.,” and the musicians landed two additional number-one hits – “You Worry Me” and “Hey Mama” – in their 2018 follow-up album Tearing at the Seams. The sophomore recording also debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, as well as number five on Billboard's Alternative Albums chart.
Since then, Rateliff and his ensemble have released the 2021 album The Future, its hit singles including "Survivor" and "I'm on Your Side" (both top-three smashes on Billboard Canada), as well as last year's South of Here, which produced "Get Used to the Night," "Call Me (Whatever Your Like," and the album's title track, which led AllMusic to state that "even amid its themes of anxiety and overcoming trauma, South of Here manages to stay buoyant, and at times playful."
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats bring their "South of Here Tour" to the Moline amphitheater on September 19 alongside special guests Trampled by Turtles and Hannah Cohen, admission to the 7 p.m. concert event is $39.50-99.50, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting VibrantArena.com.
