Rhett Miller at the Raccoon Motel -- December 5.
Friday, December 5, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With his band The Old 97's, earlier this year, the recipients of a Lifetime Achievement award from the Americana Music Association, the group's lead vocalist and primary songwriter Rhett Miller headlines a December 5 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel in support of his October recording A Lifetime of Riding by Night, a work in which, according to The Fire Note, "its steady acoustic warmth lingers long after the last note."
Miller, as stated at AllMusic.com, "recorded his first solo album, a series of acoustic folk songs entitled Mythologies, in 1989. Future Old 97's bassist (and a solid songwriter in his own right) Murry Hammond produced the album, and their partnership later blossomed into a full-fledged band. While releasing a string of well-received albums with the Old 97's, Miller and Hammond also performed together as the Ranchero Brothers, a two-man acoustic duo that was originally launched as a means of testing new music for the Old 97's in front of a live audience. The Ranchero Brothers developed their own distinct following, although no albums resulted from the project.
"Taking time off from the Old 97's, Miller began recording his first major-label solo effort in February 2002, this time with the help of producer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion. The Instigator appeared nearly seven months later, followed by a tour with ex-Crowded House frontman Neil Finn in early 2003. Miller then returned to the studio with the Old 97's, squashing worried rumors that he planned to halt the band's career and focus on his solo efforts. He did, however, find time to balance the two projects, and his second solo release, The Believer, was issued by Verve in February 2006.
"After returning to the studio with the Old 97's for 2007's Blame It on Gravity, Miller continued his juggling act by recording another solo album. The self-titled record appeared in 2009 courtesy of his new label, Shout! Factory. His next two solo albums, 2010's The Interpreter: Live at Largo and 2012's The Dreamer, were both released by Miller's own Maximum Sunshine label. After releasing one of the Old 97's' strongest albums in years with 2014's Most Messed Up, Miller took a new turn in his solo career with 2015's The Traveler, which featured backing from the band Black Prairie (which includes several members of the Decemberists) and a guest appearance from Peter Buck of R.E.M. Following more recording and touring with the Old 97's, Miller repaired to Brooklyn, New York, where he cut the 2018 album The Messenger with producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen, who previously worked with Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds. The album was released by ATO Records.
"Miller added podcasting to his résumé in 2019 with the debut of Wheels Off, described in its subtitle as 'A Show About the Messy Reality Behind the Creative Life' which featured interviews with musicians, authors, visual artists, comedians, and others who make their living from their art. Miller co-wrote the songs 'Fallen Again' and 'Cigarettes in the Rain' with Joshua Fleming of the Vandoliers for the group's 2019 album Forever, while he penned 'Misanthrope' with Salim Nourallah for the latter's 2020 EP Jesus of Sad. 2020 also saw the release of another Old 97's album, Twelfth, fittingly the group's 12th full-length effort. Miller reunited with producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen for Miller's next solo effort, 2022's The Misfit. Miller and Cohen co-wrote all 11 tracks, while Cohen played all the instruments and Miller provided the lead vocals; Annie Nero and Cassandra Jenkins pitched in with backing vocals.
"In 2024, it was discovered that Miller had developed a large cyst on one of his vocal chords and a polyp on the other, which severely impacted his vocal range. Surgery was needed to treat Miller's condition, but doctors were unsure how well he would be able to sing after treatment. A week before he was scheduled to go into the hospital, Miller went into the studio with Murry Hammond as producer, recording a batch of emotionally unguarded songs informed by his life and possible future. After recording was completed, Hammond completed the tracks as Miller recovered, and the finished product, A Lifetime of Riding by Night, was released by ATO in October 2025."
Rhett Miller headlines his Davenport engagement on December 5 , admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $33.06, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
