The Orwells at the Raccoon Motel -- September 20.
Wednesday, September 20, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Touring together again for the first time since their initial 2018 disbandment, the punk-rock talents of Elmhurst, Illinois' The Orwells headline a September 20 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the group's 2017 album Terrible Human Beings lauded by New Noise Magazine as a work in which the musicians "maintain the same high caliber of energetic indie rock, and churn out a host of catchy anthems."
With its members including Mario Cuomo (vocals), Dominic Corso (guitar), Grant Brinner (bass), and Henry Brinner (drums), the Orwells' debut album Remember When was released in August of 2012, and the group became well-known for their song "Who Needs You", which was performed on The Late Show with David Letterman and was featured in an Apple commercial for the iPad Air 2. The Orwells formed when all the members attended York High School in Elmhurst,and the band was discovered in late 2011 by Aquarium Drunkard blogger Justin Gage, who signed them to his Autumn Tone label imprint. After the band was named one of the overlooked artists of 2012 in MTV's annual list, the musicians graduated high school early in 2013 to pursue their musical career, and they performed at Lollapalooza that August. Three months later, the Orwells appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, and later that November, Arctic Monkeys announced the rockers would be their support at nine American concerts in January and February of 2014.
In January of 2014, the Orwells performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, and their performance was so enthusiastically received that the host and numerous others called for an encore. The band did not respond, however, partly because guitarist Matt O'Keefe had broken all of his strings and physically could not play. After waiting for the Orwells, Letterman's house band reprised the Orwells' song and Paul Shaffer parodied the way that Mario Cuomo had lain on his back, thrashing. Released in June of 2014, the Orwells' second studio album Disgraceland included such hit singles as "Who Needs You" and "Dirty Sheets," and that September, the band was featured on an episode of Adam Devine's House Party, performing their single "Who Needs You." In December of the same year, "Who Needs You" was found in an Apple Inc. commercial for the iPad Air 2, also later appearing in the video game, Grand Theft Auto V. The Orwells' third album Terrible Human Beings was consequently released in February of 2017, contained the singles "Buddy" and "They Put a Body in the Bayou," and led to Tenement TV calling the musicians "aband doused in youthful spirit, and buoyed by energy and fun."
The Orwells perform their Davenport engagement on September 22, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $17, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
