Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Deemed “bluegrass superstars” by the New York Times and lauded by Bluegrass Unlimited for their “lead vocals, brother-duet harmony, instrumental virtuosity, ensemble sensibilities, and great original material,” The Gibson Brothers bring sibling-led bluegrass, country, and gospel pizzazz to Davenport's Redstone Room on March 8, their most recent release Mockingbird described by PopMatters.com as “akin to a musical time capsule, fully ensconcing listeners into the genre's heyday.”
With siblings Eric and Leigh Gibson leading the bluegrass quartet that also boasts musicians Mike Barber and Jesse Brock, The Gibson Brothers were awarded the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA's) Emerging Artist of the Year honors in 1998 after releasing their Alan O'Bryant-produced album Another Night of Waiting. Following 2003's chart-topping Bona Fide, they debuted at the Grand Ole Opry on April 11 of that year, and by the time the ensemble made their first collective appearance on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion a decade later, the musicians had received more than a dozen additional laurels from the IBMA. Twice they were awarded for Song of the Year (for “Ring the Bell” and “They Called It Music”), with The Gibson Brothers' additional IMBA trophies earned for Songwriter of the Year, Entertainer of the Year (twice), Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year, and Album of the Year for 2011's Help My Brother.
The musicians have also received a half-dozen citations from the Bluegrass Music in America Awards, with recognition in such categories as Bluegrass Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and, in 2015, Gospel Group of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year. Last year's Mockingbird, meanwhile, has score the group some of its most laudatory reviews to date. TheAlternateRoot.com predicted that "fans of modern country and '70s country-rock may have a new favorite," while Elmore magazine raved that Mockingbird “takes a sharp left up and away from bluegrass, flying high as a country-soul album for the ages.”
The Gibson Brothers play Davenport's Redstone on March 8 with an opening set by Chicago Farmer, admission to the 7:30 p.m. concert is $15-20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
