One day and less than 60 miles separate local performances by three stellar musical acts - two of them at the pinnacles of their respective genres, and one a genre all to himself. Alt-country royalty Wilco will perform at the Adler Theatre in Davenport on Wednesday, June 13, with minimalist-rock pioneers Low opening, while Richard Thompson will play Iowa City's Englert Theatre the night before.
All three have new albums out, with Low's Drums & Guns released in March and Wilco's Sky Blue Sky and Thompson's Sweet Warrior out last month.
Less arbitrarily, all three groups have defied trends - and their own reputations - to produce intensely idiosyncratic, instantly identifiable music.
The River Cities' Reader interviewed Wilco bassist John Stirratt and Low guitarist Alan Sparhawk on Monday, both a day removed from trans-Atlantic flights following European tours. Richard Thompson wasn't available for an interview, but in his absence we'll discuss what makes him such a singular talent.
