Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Between the legendary Savoy Brown, the up & coming Trampled by Turtles, and two fellas from Incubus, there's no doubt in our mind that you'll find something that suits you this week at the RME. In fact, we suggest you just give in to your temptations and go to all three shows! For those of you who can't, anyone of our concerts this week are five-star shows, so round up your friends and we'll see you soon!

If you're going to the Umphrey's McGee concert at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 28, be sure to catch the official late-night after-show here at the Redstone Room with Seeker! The doors open at 9:30, but the gig starts whenever the Umphrey's gig is over. Both concerts are going to be a blast, so get your dancin' shoes on and hit the town Thursday night!

Despite the snow, we'll still be rock'n in the Redstone Room tonight! Brave the weather - you don't want to miss this concert. What better way to melt away the winter blues? See you there!

Due to a minor scheduling conflict we are rescheduling The Late Night Blues Brothers to a late date in the Spring. We are very excited to have this show as a grand Tribute to the Blues Brothers, so please keep you eye on the calendar for a NEW date!

http://www.myspace.com/moonalice

THE BAND:

G.E. Smith
Sat. Night Live Band, Bob Dylan

Barry Sless
Phil Lesh, David Nelson Band

Pete Sears
Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna

Ann McNamee
Flying Other Brothers

Roger McNamee
Flying Other Brothers

Jimmy Sanchez
Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs

Jack Casady
Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna

Moonalice is a far flung tribe of musicians who all want to play bass.

With a culture based on groove, the tribal members blow minds on guitars, keyboards, and a range of other instruments to prove their worthiness to play the low end.

According to legend, the Moonalice tribe is descended from Piltdown Woman, or possibly from a couple of naked, snake charmed gardeners who liked to hang around with friendly dinosaurs. Core to the Moonalice culture is the Coming of the Seventh – Yggdrassil – a mythical player of low tones who emerges periodically from the sea, where he cavorts with a school of thermally enhanced tuna.

The myth of Moonalice portends that upon the arrival of the Seventh, the groove will grow impossibly deep. So much so that the words “Dig it” will pass the lips of those who have never before uttered, let alone entertained, such thoughts.

The tribe – or band, as it is known in Moonalice culture – plays traditional Moonalice music, an intoxicating brew of roots, blues, psychedelia, and strange but kind folk. In Moonalice tradition, the musical ceremony – the gig – is a fusion of sound, lights, and refreshing beverages that improves reality for people who get too much of the real thing during the day time.

It is said by those who say such things that the day will come when all seven members of the clan will play bass together. And on that day the notion of low will be taken to new depths. Or possibly the notion of depth taken to new lows. As with all things, it’s really a matter of perspective.

Wow. We've got more great shows in February than you can shake a stick at.
John Hammond, Tea Leaf Green, Chris Smither, Gokh Bi System, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, and that's just the beginning. Is this heaven? No, it's IOWA!

Get out of the cold and catch these, or any of our other phenomenal shows lined up for February. See you soon!

After 12 long years Blind Melon is born again! Following the untimely death of their singer Shannon Hoon in 1995, for the members of Blind Melon, lives had changed, they had moved on. But music was still the force, their source. There was never a consideration to reform Blind Melon until Travis Warren, the young kid from Texas, walked into the room. The story that unfolds from that moment to this moment is one that will be told... that must be told. But not now. Now, we skip to the next chapter in this book. Now is when we say- after 12 years, the album is complete (details to follow) and the band - its past, present and future - is here for your eyes and ears. Blind Melon is announcing its first concert dates in 12 years. It�s a continuation of what they built but also a beginning of what they are building. As guitarist Christopher Thorn says "We are going to reconnect with our old fans and find our new fans." Drummer Glenn Graham adds "We're going to road-test the new album but we're also going to play all the old songs that we love... the ones that gave us this opportunity." And the responses on the band's myspace page have been overwhelming... such as: - "Oh, the sweet sounds of Blind Melon are back!" - "Rip Richard Shannon Hoon!! And I'm Loving the New Tunes With Travis As well! Good Job Guys! So Happy that you are Continuing to spread the magic!!" - "A new Blind Melon album will make my life so much more complete. Travis is absolutely perfect. I love you guys. R.I.P. Shannon" TO HEAR NEW MUSIC FROM BLIND MELON PLEASE VISIT THE BAND'S LINK BELOW!! TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY TO MEMBERS OF THE RIVER MUSIC EXPERIENCE ON JANUARY 25TH, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON FEBRUARY 9TH. For information on how to become a member of the River Music Experience, please visit www.RiverMusicExperience.org.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Grace Potter & The Nocturnals absolutely blew us away on the previous visit, and we were lucky enough to book this no longer under-the-radar band again.

Grace has exploded in recent months since last being here with appearances all over late-night TV, magazine covers, and the Austin City Limits Festival - not to mention a very successful tour.

Its been said their last show at the Redstone Room was one of the best we've ever had. DO NOT MISS THEM AGAIN, and if you were here last time, IT'S WORTH COMING AGAIN!

Eargasm is a truly unique poetry reading experience that is growing in popularity. Make sure to watch the video on our website for a great example of what groups like this are capable of doing!

Saturday, we're bringing in Devon Allman's Honeytribe...and yes, he really is from THAT Allman family. This is Southern style rock n' roll at its finest, and you'll be sorry to miss this one. There's a killer video on our site for this one too.

Rounding out the weekend is award winning jazz musician, Galen Abdur Razzaq. Galen is a talented and extraordinary flutist from Montclair, New Jersey who has performed both domestically and internationally for over thirty years.

So get out of the cold and warm up at the Redstone Room this weekend - there's plenty to see and hear!

Arts Group Makes Jazz Accessible
By Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com

Sometimes, jazz can seem like an intimidating, foreign language. The ambitious arts organization Polyrhythms helps translate it.

"Jazz seems a music that's unattainable. If jazz can be something made accessible, something that's explained, those barriers go away," says Jenn Swift of Rock Island, a music teacher and regular attendee of Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz Matinee & Workshop Series at the River Music Experience.

The five-year-old group and co-founder Nate Lawrence have "done an incredible job making jazz become accessible, without losing its integrity," for both musicians and the general public, she says. "I can't say enough about how fantastic a program it is."

In 2002, two local arts advocacy groups, Homefolks Communications (led by Mr. Lawrence of East Moline) and Ebony Expressions (a weekly radio show by Shellie Moore Guy of Rock Island), collaborated to create a neighborhood event called "Blues in the Hood" that which featured workshops on music, dance, poetry and literacy, as well as band performances.

They also presented a two-week "Jazz and Blues Restoration Project" (JBRP) that brought back famous native musicians to grade schools, colleges and art galleries. The JBRP evolved as a group of arts organizations, merged with the Quad Cities Jazz Festival -- formerly the Louie Bellson Jazz Festival -- and incorporated as a nonprofit as Polyrhythms.

Before launching the monthly jazz series in May 2006, it offered (and continues offering) local talent shows, dinner and book discussions, presentations on domestic violence, and events celebrating Kwanzaa and the Negro Baseball League.

"We can never be accused of not being ambitious," Mr. Lawrence says. "It's not just ambition for ambition's sake. We think that what we're offering is valuable.

"I'm a `more is better' person," he said of local arts choices. "We've been able to consistently provide good entertainment."

Each month, Polyrhythms presents a top-quality jazz artist in an afternoon, all-ages workshop and an evening concert. Artists -- who have included last month's vocalist Kurt Elling, repeat winner of Downbeat and Jazz Times' best male singer polls -- can't do a concert without a workshop.

"He brings great people in that are not so heady, not egotists," says Ms. Swift, who teaches at Bettendorf's Morningstar Academy. One Sunday, she and her students worked with Robert Irving III, who played with Miles Davis.

"For them to get that personal attention," Ms. Swift told one, "'You have no idea what you just got to experience -- somebody of his clout spent 15 minutes talking just to you.' That's phenomenal."

Helping music students conquer their fear of jazz, giving them "freedom to fail," and seeing accomplished artists demonstrate their craft is invaluable, Ms. Swift says.

"It's a very comfortable, very approachable, very warm environment," she says. "If I didn't know about music, I would feel very comfortable."

"If I'm trying to create in them the freedom to be creative, you need to give them a warm environment," Ms. Swift says.

"In our programs, kids are not secondary in what we do. They are primary," Mr. Lawrence says. "We think it's important to introduce kids to music. We don't think you can do this too early.

"Nobody leaves there without learning something. Even people that think they know," he says of musicians. Part of the group's mission is to fill a gap left in local schools.

"We step into the breach a little bit," Mr. Lawrence says. "We're not trying to be be everything to everybody. We're just trying to enhance."

"When you see a kid that has the thirst and knowledge for music, get that hands-on knowledge and feel, there's nothing quite like it," says board member Hiram Harris of Davenport, who moved here from Chicago three years ago.

"In the larger cities, they have these events on a regular basis. There isn't any reason why we shouldn't have them in the Quad-Cities," he says.

"You find these same acts in your larger cities. They've done workshops around the country," Mr. Harris says. "When you look at the price that's involved, you're going to probably pay twice as much to attend something like this in St. Louis, Champaign and Peoria."

While Polyrhythms hopes to present an annual weekend jazz festival, as has been done in the past, its next major project is planning an 18-day JBRP tour for spring 2009.

"The emphasis is a little different," Mr. Lawrence says of this second project. "The first one was bringing people back home to perform for people. This one is really about exploring the nature of the relationship between jazz and blues."

It will combine musical performance, spoken word, poetry, scholastic curriculum, workshops, and forums. "Renowned artists will provide a rich and valuable accounting of the relationships between jazz, blues and American culture," Mr. Lawrence says.

The tour will visit South Bend, Ind.; the Quad-Cities; Des Moines; Kansas City, Mo.; and Fort Collins, Colo. Polyrhythms will document the events as teaching opportunities and make them available for distribution via theatrical, Internet, television, and/or DVD applications.

As usual, we're bringing you a Thanksgiving buffet of music this weekend. Our most popular regional band, The Nadas, will be rocking the house tonight. Catch the FREE Metal show on Saturday too - that's right - FREE. If blasting your ears with rock isn't your style, than catch the award winning Kurt Elling at our 3rd Sunday Jazz series. See you there!

We've got great shows for you ALL weekend from Thursday, Nov. 1 - Sunday Nov. 4! Don't miss ROSE HILL DRIVE, one of Rolling Stone's Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2007! Don't like rock? Fine! Catch our world acoustic gig with Eastern Blok, or our some great Jazz with the Craig Bentley Trio & Hard Quarter. Rather play than listen? Join our first Sunday Jam!

Our lineup is PACKED this weekend - see you soon!

Make sure to catch Iowa favorite David Zollo, or the ever popular Switchback this weekend! Switchback is also offering a very unique Music is a Family Workshop earlier in the day on Saturday, which we encourage everyone to check out. It's a rare opportunity to learn from the best! Visit http://www.rivermusicexperience.org/calendar.php#470 for details

Joel Harrison is an award winning jazz composer, guitarist, and singer that is not to be missed! He's worked with well known artists in the industry such as Norah Jones, and dozens of others. Do something different with your Wednesday night and catch Joel for just $7 bucks. Doors 7PM, Show 8PM

Don't miss our next show in conjunction with local internet phenomenon, Daytrotter.com! The A-Sides will be doing a gig here at the Redstone Room Thursday, October 11. We've just added Coyote Bones as an opener! It's an earlier show, so there's plenty of time to catch this fantastic show and still hit the scene downtown afterwards. See you there!

Hey folks! Our Sept. 14 Sonny Landreth still has ticket available! We've sold a lot, but don't take the chance and wait as this show will be one to remember! (This goes for you people who missed Joe Bonamassa because it sold out!) See ya there RME Staff

We apologize, but due to illness, the September 8 Andrew Landers Project show has been canceled.

Sunday, September 9th performance with Joe Bonamassa is SOLD OUT. The Redstone Room has had more frequent advance sell-outs this year and we advise that any concert hopefuls buy their tickets in advance. If your ears are still hungry for some world-class guitar shredding come out and see Sonny Landreth on September 14th. Tickets are moving fast for this one!!!!

All of you guitar fans out there should be in a good mood come September! Right on the heels of our Joe Bonamassa show, we're now bringing you slide guitar master Sonny Landreth Friday, September 14!

When it comes to Sonny Landreth, even Eric Clapton is a fan. "He's probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced," he says.

Landreth performed this past July at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas. Just last year, Landreth also received another long overdue nod with a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording for his seventh album, The Road We're On, released on Sugar Hill Records.

Our 2nd year of Rock Camp has come and gone, and we couldn't have been more thrilled with the outcome. Dozens of kids rocked our worlds, and the Redstone Room was packed for every concert! This program is simply incredible, and for those of you who weren't in a band or were the parent of a child, Rock Camp is STILL something to behold.

There's just something incredibly uplifting, optimistic, and beautiful when the youth of our community have an outlet like this to grow musically and learn in a unique environment. Thank you for your continued support for this important project. If you noticed the marketing, we are one of only a select few cities that include L.A., Chicago and Austin, that bring this to our youth.

Until next year - keep Rockin', and congrats to everyone who was involved this year for creating a truly memorable experience!

We're very excited to announce that Daytrotter & RME have partnered for the first time to bring you up & coming artist, Luke Temple! Temple has recieved praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, and inconic indie artists Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and Sufjan Stevens. Temple has also had a single featured on the tv hit Grey's Anatomy.

For those of you unfamiliar with Daytrotter, they are a Rock Island based music website that has received incredible amounts of national press over the past year, including a recent mention in Rolling Stone.
Daytrotter has visiting artists record unique tracks in their studio, which they then share for FREE to the public through their site.

Daytrotter is also well known for it's artistic album reviews and original artwork of each visiting band. It's well worth your time to check out, because you never know who might stop by for a session! We should all be very proud of the QC grown phenemenon!

You've probably noticed in many of our emails lately, but we REALLY think everyone should come and see the Lee Boys July 19th! This sacred steel band is similar to Robert Randolph & The Family Band, who may have saeen headlining at BluesFest this year. The Lee Boys unique blend of gospel, blues, and funk is truly something to be seen!

With Walter Trout, Railraod Earth, and Head Held High, we've got some serious variety for you this weekend! Walter Trout & Railroad Earth have received a lot of national attention this year, and Head Held High is an emerging local band of our own. All 3 of these bands are outstanding, so pick your favorite, and join us one, or all 3 days in a row!

Make sure you check out Particle Thursday, June 27! Particle has been a part of many major music festivals and have traveled all over the world. As an up & coming Jam band, you would be wise to catch them at the Redstone Room before they get even bigger and you can't see them in a small venue anymore. Visit our calendar to see their YouTube video. See ya Thursday!

Relix Magazine published a fan's review of our May 10th concert with Jeff Coffin's Mu'tet! Check out this Redstone Room review

For those of you tuned in to the festival scene, this man needs no introduction, but those of you who aren't, listen up! G-Love & The Special Sauce will be gracing the Redstone stage Thursday, July 12!

G-Love typically plays (and often headlines) at huge festivals and large concerts, but has been kind enough to book a show at our top-notch small venue right here in Davenport.

G-Love is one of the biggest acts we've ever had, so tickets for this one will go FAST. Be sure and get them tomorrow if you really want to go!

Public tickets go on sale June 13 at 10AM

BIG SHOW JUST ADDED IN JUNE!!

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Tuesday, June 12!
This critically acclaimed band just landed a spot on the main stage at the Austin City Limits music festival, and you've got a chance to see them for a whopping $10 bucks in your own backyard! It's $12 at the door, so buy your tickets now!

Grace has been compared to the like of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Bonnie Raitt, while her scintillating work behind the B-3 is simply something that must be heard.

This is a shining example of what the RME has been able to for the QC with your support. We're bringing TOP-NOTCH music because of your devotion to the mission of the RME. You'll be sorry if you skip this one, so we'll see you there!

Gaelic Storm will be rocking out the Redstone Room this Saturday! With some serious national credentials, this one-of-a-kind Celtic band will blow you away. Tickets have been selling fast for this one, so be sure and get yours today!

We're happy to have Hello Dave for the first time in the Redstone Room tonight! Tell your friends, and pack em' in for a great rock show!

Coffin & Futureman of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones are coming soon!
The Jeff Coffin Mu'tet will be performing in the Redstone Room Thursday, May 10!

DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW - THIS IS A RARE CHANCE TO SEE BIG NAMES PLAY IN OUR OWN BACKYARD!!

If you're a Yonder Mountain String Band fan, don't miss our featured show of the week, The Wayword Sons on Satruday, April 28! The Wayword Sons feature the songwriting of YMSB member Benny Galloway.

Though the band is newly formed, many music fans find familiar faces and sounds in the Wayword Sons. Benny's musical association with Yonder Mountain String Band, whose 2003 recording, "Old Hands," features only songs written by Benny, has made him a sort of cult hero among Yonder's multitude of fans.
Benny has handpicked a cohesive unit of some of the finest young musicians in the country to play his music the way that it should be heard.

There are still tickets available for this weekend's Think Floyd USA show, so make sure and pick them up online to ensure you get yours! This show will be one to remember with "The Wall" being played in its entirety, with even more of Pink Floyd's greats being played after the first set. This is a rare chance to a see a band that typically plays in much larger venues - don't miss it!

See you there!

As you may already be aware, River Roots Live will take place Aug. 24 & 25 in 2007! This year, we've combined with the annual downtown favorite festival, Ribfest, to produce an even better event. You can expect to find several of your favorite national rib-vendors this year to go with your full plate of incredible music! Please visit the RME homepage as more details are announced!

February and March have some great artists like Shannon Curfman and Anthony Gomes coming back to the Redstone Room. Check out our calendar and as soon as shows become available!

Alejandro Escovedo & Gregg Karukas both completely sold out! Thanks for another great weekend Quad-Cities!

Don't forget - All RME Member's get a 2 week advance opportunity to buy tickets before the public. Visit http://www.RiverMusicExperience.org for all of the details! -RME Staff

Tickets are now available for purchase online!

Our new system, Event Quick, will be emailing current RME members an invitation to purchase advance tickets soon. The first concert date members can advantage of this will be the March 2nd show featuring Easter Blok & Andreas Kapsalis Trio. The Nada's are also appearing again March 3rd!

Remember, all shows go on sale publicly 4 weeks to show time, but RME members will receive an invite 2 weeks earlier.

We greatly appreciate your patience while we got the new system up. What are you waiting for? Go check it out!