Tanner Usrey at the Raccoon Motel -- August 29.
Tuesday, August 29, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With the rising country star's song “The Light” featured in the season-finale of the popular Western series Yellowstone, singer/songwriter and new Atlantic Records artist Tanner Usrey headlines an August 29 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the Texas-based talent lauded by Bringin' It Backwards for "blending straight-shooting storytelling with country grit, rock ‘n’ roll energy, and Americana eloquence."
As stated in Usrey's Web-site biography, "Growing up in the small town of Prosper, Texas, he gravitated towards music as a little kid. By five-years-old, he constantly belted out Alan Jackson songs around the house much to his family’s chagrin. 'Everyone used to tell me to shut up,' he laughs. 'I was the kid who sang all the time.' After catching Wade Bowen and Brandon Rhyder in concert, his destiny crystallized in high school. I remember saying to myself, That’s what I want to do,' he recalls. 'That’s what led me to picking up a guitar.”
"Inspired by everyone from George Strait, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rolling Stones to his favorite band Whiskey Myers, he wrote countless songs and cut his teeth at gigs anywhere with a stage. In between holding down a job as a skip tracer, he carefully honed his signature style. Quitting his job in 2019, he unveiled the Medicine Man EP. [Its single] 'Come Back Down' generated 19.1 million Spotify streams followed by 'Beautiful Lies' with 18 million Spotify streams. During 2021, he tirelessly gigged in between releasing the SÕL Sessions EP. 'The Light' also notably soundtracked the finale of Yellowstone Season four. Along the way, he cemented himself as an electrifying and energetic live presence with over 180 shows in 2022.
"'When we’re on stage, our goal is to have the audience clinging to the edge of their seats,' he shares. 'I get to play with a bunch of badasses, and I don’t take it for granted. We pounded the pavement and put at least 100K miles on the van in a year-and-a-half.' Signing to Atlantic Records, he kickstarted 2023 with 'Take Me Home,' cracking 10 million streams and counting. On its heels, the single 'Give It Some Time' threads together dusty acoustic guitar and unfiltered lyrics as he pleads, 'Give me something to believe in, baby, because I’ve been losing my mind.' Against an organ-laden beat, it builds towards an emotionally charged guitar solo that’s as scorching as his delivery is.
"Ultimately, Tanner’s music might just say everything you need. 'I hope you hear what you want to hear, enjoy it, resonate with it, and know it’s real,' he leaves off. 'It’s been a wild ride. I’ve busted my ass. I started off doing all of this on my own, so it’s crazy to see how this and the team around me have grown. People are going after real music right now, and that’s great. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.'"
Tanner Usrey plays his Davenport engagement on August 29, admission to the 7 p.m. show is $20, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
