Rocky Athas at the Gypsy Highway Bar & Grill -- October 18.
Sunday, October 18, 3:30 p.m.
Gypsy Highway Bar & Grill, 2606 West Locust Street, Davenport IA
With his 2024 album Livin' My Best Life hailed by Blues Rock Review as a "testament to his enduring talent and versatility in the blues rock genre," the gifted singer/songwriter and guitarist Rocky Athas headlines an October 18 concert at Davenport's Gypsy Highway Bar & Grill, his exhilarating local performance co-presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.
The 71-year-old, the Texas-based blues-rock guitarist Athas has built a decades-long career around fiery guitar work, powerful songwriting, and a sound rooted firmly in the Texas blues tradition. Athas earned recognition as a top guitarist while still in his early 20s, joining a celebrated Dallas guitar lineage that includes Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Billy Gibbons, and Johnny Winter. Over the years, he has performed and recorded alongside an impressive roster of artists, including Buddy Miles, Double Trouble, Glenn Hughes, Joe Walsh, and Black Oak Arkansas. His music combines muscular Texas blues, rock, and melodic guitar work, carrying forward the tradition that has made him a respected figure among blues-rock guitarists for decades.
As stated at RockyAthas.com, the artist known by critics and fans as The Texas Tornado, The Malice from Dallas, The Young Eric Clapton, and The Last Great Bluesbreaker Guitarist "possesses an arsenal of punishing guitar riffs and catchy hooks that have opened every door. From his first solo album at Willie Nelson's studio with multi-Grammy winning producer, Jim Gaines, to recording with Buddy Miles and SRV's Double Trouble to Glenn Hughes, Joe Walsh and John Mayall, Rocky has a blues rock pedigree that reads like a Who's Who of musicians. You might not remember how to pronounce his name correctly, but you will most certainly remember his playing! With his wonderfully crafted new album Livin' My Best Life, Rocky gives his fans 'ten bodacious tracks of high octane music' to encourage everyone to live their best lives. The album includes smokin' hot tributes to Jeff Beck and Peter Green and an instant classic performance by John Mayall on harmonica. Rocky delivers this musical message with his trademark soaring guitar pyro-technics, monstrous tone, and iconic Texas style."
Rocky Athas plays his headlining engagement at Davenport's Gypsy Highway Bar & Grill on October 18, admission to the 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. concert is $15 for Mississippi Valley Blues Society members and $20 for non-members, and the afternoon performance will begin with a 50/50 raffle. For more information, contact the Blues Society at (563)322-5837 and MVBS.org.
