The Palmer Squares at the Raccoon Motel -- July 25.
Friday, July 25, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by the Chicago Reader for their "wacky wordplay, tongue-twisting verses, and limber instrumentals," the Chicago-based hip-hop duo The Palmer Squares – composed of monikered musicians Acumental (Ac) and Term (Term K) – headline a July 25 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the touring artists also praised by RapReviews for their “talent for earworms and a willingness to let a song shine more than a verse."
The Palmer Squares were born Ronald Matt Brands and Seth Zamost, and both grew up in the Chicagol suburb of Wheeling, Illinois. Friends since childhood, they began writing music together in high school, calling themselves Ordinary Dogs, and later iLLiteracy. In 2010, they changed their name to The Palmer Squares, after the Chicago neighborhood they were living in at the time. They quickly gained early notoriety on YouTube, and in 2011, Brands and Zamost gained notoriety by uploading long-form one-take rap videos and participating in various cyphers with artists such as Wax and Dumbfoundead. To date, their videos have garnered more than 21 million views.
In 2012, The Palmer Squares recorded and released their first two EP's titled Spooky Language and Square Tactics. Spooky Language was produced by Nate Kiz and is heavily influenced by comedian George Carlin, containing numerous vocal samples and borrowing its name from one of his comedy routines. The following year, the duo made their official full-length album debut with Finna, a project released through the group's newly formed independent record label Stank Face Records, and one that features appearances from Saba, Kembe X, and ProbCause.
Since then, The Palmer Squares have delivered another pair of studio albums in 2016's Planet of The Shapes and 2020's With or Without It, a mixtape in 2015's In Context, the EP NaPalm, and, after dissolcing Stank Face Resords in 2019, such collaborative projects as Junkyard Samurai and REMARK with ProbCause. The duo continues to routinely tour North America, and produces the weekly TPS Reports Podcast.
The Palmer Squares headline their Davenport engagement on July 25 with an additional set by Tobyraps, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $19.84, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
