On May 12, two of the most electrifying forces in modern roots music – JD Simo (Chris Isaak, Jack White) and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes) – will blend their talents at Davenport's Redstone Room, forming a soul-shaking trio alongside powerhouse drummer Adam Abrashoff, and delivering a master class in high-octane, roots-infused blues.

Performing their celebration of one of the most revered and iconic rock bands in American history, the Redstone Room's May 9 concert featuring Winterland will find their artists paying exhilarating tribute to the musicians of the Grateful Dead, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees included among Rolling Stone's ranking of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."

On May 8 and 9, Great Sounds Promotions will celebrate its 30th anniversary of treating music fans to the best in contemporary jazz, gospel, and additional genres, with award-winning pianist taking the stage at Bettendorf's Rivermont Collegiate on Friday, and the Stellar Award-nominated gospel ensemble God's Posse appearing at the venue on Saturday.

With his most recent recording Ain't Giving Up hailed by Rock & Blues Muse as "a sublime effort that shows how much he still has to give us," master blues guitarist Chris Duarte headlines a May 9 concert at Davenport's Bootleg Hill Honey Meads, Blues Rock Review adding that the album finds its artist "raw and revved-up – taking the electric blues and gnawing it back to the bare bones."

Two acclaimed indie acts delivering two stellar concerts will share one night at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 8, with the doors for soul-pop singer/songwriter Tommy Newport's concert opening at 6 p.m., and the rockers of Laney Jones & the Spirits taking the stage following the 8 p.m. opened doors.

Touring in support of their March release Preservers of the Pearl, an album that AllMusic lauded for its "punchy rock and roll served with ample hooks and harmonies," Daniel Romano's Outfit plays a headlining engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 11, the group's latest LP also inspiring Raven Sings the Blues to state, "It stalks R&B rubdowns, shines in shivers of folk and soul, and revels in letting riffs tower to their fullest heights."

With the Southern rocker and his famed outfit The Business lauded by Echoes & Dust for crafting "catchy, hummable melodies that will stay with you long after you stop listening," J. Roddy Walston brings his solo act to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 13, Glide magazine adding to the praise by saying the band was adept at "making excellent rock and roll, best played very loud."

With the artist lauded by Pitchfork for "ambling compositions that are as evocative as they are refined," bandleader Eli Winter brings his trio to Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on May 8, his 2025 album A Trick of the Light hailed by Beats Per Minute as a work that "feels unabridged yet restrained, folksy yet contemporary, busy yet bucolic."

With gifted vocalist and ensemble leader Donovan Tea currently celebrating his astonishing 42nd year with the group, the beloved pop vocalists of the Lettermen make their long-awaited return to the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse on May 11, their ever-popular springtime engagements overflowing with timeless hits such as “When I Fall in Love,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “Shangri-La.”

With the outfit's most recent recording When the Wind Forgets Your Name praised by Pitchfork as "dotted with cool surprises and intricately plotted melodies," the indie-rock trio Built to Spill headlines a May 13 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, Pitchfork also placing three of the band's albums – There's Nothing Wrong with Love, Perfect from Now On, and Keep It Like a Secret – in the top 50 of its "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s list."

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