Willi Carlisle at the Raccoon Motel -- August 6.
Tuesday, August 6, 6 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Touring in support of his 2024 album Critterland that Slate magazine hailed as "a worthy addition to the canon of country-folk classics," Arkansas-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Willi Carlisle headlines an August 6 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, his music pulling from traditional American folk, punk, and country, and many of his songs containing themes of drug abuse, queer life, and rural America.
A native of Kansas, 35-year-old Carlisle grew up in a musical family, his father's skills as a polka musician leading to Willie being introduced to American folk, bluegrass, and country. While growing up, Carlisle participated in school musicals and was a member of his school's choir, after which he attended the University of Arkansas and got an MFA in poetry, hoping that this would teach him how to write better folk music. While in the academic setting, Carlisle realized a disconnect that existed between contemporary poetry and "regular people," which drove him to write music connecting to this group. His self-released album To Tell You the Truth debuted in 2018, and has since been followed by 2022's Peculiar, Missouri on the Free Dirt Label, and this past January's Critterland on the Signature Sounds label.
In its review of Carlisle's Peculiar, Missouri, Last.fm states, "After falling for the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks, where he now lives, he began examining the full spectrum of American musical history. This insatiable stylistic diversity is obvious on Peculiar, Missouri, which was produced by Grammy-winning engineer and Cajun musician Joel Savoy in rural Louisiana. The songs range from sardonic trucker songs like 'Vanlife' to the heartbreaking queer waltz 'Life on the Fence.' The album also imbues class consciousness in songs like 'Este Mundo,' a cowboy border ballad about water rights, and the title track’s existential talkin’ blues about a surreal panic attack in Walmart’s aisle five. Though Carlisle's poetic words evoke the mystical American storytelling of Whitman, Sandburg, and e e cummings, ultimately this is bona fide populist folk music in the tradition of cowboys, frontier fiddlers, and tall-tale tellers. Carlisle recognizes that the only thing holding us back from greatness is each other. With Peculiar, Missouri, he brings us one step closer to breaking down our divides."
Willie Carlisle headlines his Davenport engagement on August 6 with an additional set by Genevieve Heyward, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $21.17, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
