Pony Bradshaw at the Raccoon Motel -- March 10.
Friday, March 10, 8 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
A pair of disparate musical artists celebrating the releases of 2023 recordings will take the stage at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on March 10, the night bringing with it a set by Georgia-based folk-rock, country, and blues vocalist Pony Bradshaw, celebrating the release of his new album North Georgia Rounder, and the Canadian singer/songwriter poolblood, delivering impassioned indie rock and lush baroque flourishes in their LP mole.
Lauded by Rolling Stone as a singer/songwriter who "gives a lyrical description of life in the rural south," Bradshaw took up music in his early 30s, initially made a name for himself in open mics and clubs, and by 2018, had secured a deal with Rounder Records. His album debut Sudden Opera landed later that year, and was soon followed in 2021 by Calico Jim, a collection of loosely related tracks that played almost like a concept album. The new North Georgia Rounder continues his personal explorations, with AllMusic.com stating that Bradshaw is "documenting touring life and themes of home, displacement, and history with an evocative literary bent." The River Cities' Reader's Max Allison, meanwhile, said of the artist, "Bradshaw holds our attention at the center as an acolyte of Townes Van Zandt, set adrift in the waters of poetry and melancholy, making music to remember things that may or may not have happened to him somewhere down the line, but never making music to forget."
The musical nom de plume of Toronto-based artist Maryam Said. poolblood was raised in a religious household at arm’s length from popular music, yet nonetheless found themselves drawn in by the work of Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), who left an indelible imprint on Said’s relationship to music and songwriting. The results of their upbringing—time spent practicing chords in guitar class, learning about hardcore from friends after school and honing their songwriting as an early teen—is a winding path of melody, making stops along the way to dabble in everything from noise rock to lush pop hooks. They released their full-length debut, mole, in January of 2023, and its reviews to date have been laudatory. NPR, whuch called the release "a long beautiful exhalation," extolled that poolblood's debut is "a very subtle record, but it has real power to it." And according to Bandcamp Daily, "poolblood has created an intimate, solid debut where connectivity, introspection, and change challenges us to be more open to our own solitude."
Pony Bradshaw and poolblood play their Davenport engagement on March 10, admission to the 8p.m. concert is $12, and reservations are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
