Wild Pink at the Raccoon Motel -- May 2.
Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Currently touring in support of their 2022 release ILYSM, a recording that inspired Pitchfork magazine to state that "it shines bright and it soothes an aching soul," the indie rockers of Wild Pink play a May 2 headlining concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their previous album A Billion Little Lights also hailed by Stereogum as “one of the most exquisitely pretty rock albums in recent memory.”
Established in New York and presently composed of John Ross (vocals, guitar), Arden Yonkers (bass), Dan Keegan (drums), and Mike Brenner (steel guitar), Wild Pink self-released their debut EP Two Songs in 2015, joining Texas Records and releasing a second EP, Good Life, by June of that year. Within the next two years, the musicians' quick success led to a recording deal with Tiny Engines and the release of the 4 Songs EP in 2016, followed by Wild Pink's eponymous debut album in 2017. With Pitchfork praising the album and its lead singer (“Ross can unnerve the listener enough to lean in closer for his lyrics”), the band released their second album Yolk in the Fur in 2018, as well as the 2019 EP 5 Songs, before the musicians eventually parted ways with the Tiny Engines label. Released in 2021 through Royal Mountain Records, Wild Pink's most recent EP 6 Covers Song finds the group performing covers from the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay, as well as a cover of the TV theme from Jeopardy!
Two months before that EP's debut, Wild Pink's third studio album, A Billion Little Lights, was released, a recording produced, mixed, and co-engineered by David Greenbaum, who previously collaborated with artists including Beck, U2, The Elephant, and Jenny Lewis. Though acclaimed throughout their careers, A Billion Little Lights scored Wild Pink some of its most enthusiastic notices to date, with NPR raved, “Whether you're a music-first or lyrics-first listener, Wild Pink makes music for you,” adding that the work “covers expansive terrain without losing any emotional impact.” ILYSM, meanwhile, continues the glowing notices for the musicians, with Slate magazine calling the album "quaveringly beautiful and intimate" and Distorted Sound deeming it "an immersive album in an almost dreamscape style that allows the band's unfiltered emotion to flow through the listener."
Wild Pink plays their Davenport engagement on May 2 with a set by the guest artists of Die Mad, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $15, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
