Vincent Neil Emerson at the Raccoon Motel -- July 2.
Sunday, July 2, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Described by Saving Country Music as “easy to warm to, but lasting in effect,” and with his most recent, self-titled album lauded as “a favorable experience you're likely to return to frequently,” country/Western singer/songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson headlines a July 2 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist inspiring Texas Monthly to rave, “His clear, resonant voice, lined with the weight of his experience, is as likely to break your heart as bring a smile to your lips.”
Originally from Texas' Van Zandt county, Emerson was raised by his single mother, and began his music career in north Texas playing at house parties and open-mic nights. His playing style heavily influenced by singer/songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Joe Pug, and John Prine, the musician, in 2013, recorded his first independent release Flyin' High, a collection of nine originals that led radio's LAST FM to declare, "To the enthusiast of well-crafted, honest songs, it would be wise to keep an eye on this newcomer. From what we hear, this first record is just the tip of the iceberg – only an introduction to what's to come."
Following years of touring engagements and a growing fan base, Emerson released his album Fried Chicken & Evil Women in September of 2019, and within three months, the recording had garnered 360,000 streams on Spotify in more than 70 different countries. The release also earned its creator exceptional reviews, with Turn of the Amp deeming it “a delightful gem of an album,” and Saving Country Music stating that Emerson “gets plenty of fine lyrical licks in to five the record some depth along with the entertainment value.” Released in June of 2021, the self-titled Vincent Neil Emerson returns the artist to the sensational reviews on which he's made his name, with the work's songs finding Emerson singing about the suicide of his father in “Learnin’ to Drown,” risky life decisions in “High on Getting By,” and a 1963 forced sale of Native American acres by the government in “The Ballad of the Choctaw-Apache.” Ink 19 called the album “one hell of a piece of art,” and The Musical Divide stated that Vincent Neil Emerson boasted the artist's “spare, loose style, for sure, but in a way that complements writing that’s far darker and [more] introspective than before.”
Vincent Neil Emerson plays his Davenport engagement on July 2 with an additional set by Heliogoats, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $20, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
