Arkansauce at the Raccoon Motel -- December 5
Tuesday, December 5, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Headlining a December 5 concert in support of their 2023 release OK to Wonder, an album that Americana Highways said "provides listeners of bluegrass with revelry, wonder, and whimsy on 11 distinctive insightful songs," the touring artists of Arkansauce play Davenport's Raccoon Motel on December 5, their latest recording also inspiring Americana Highways to state, "The musicians perform in a tightly improvisational style within the structure of some tightly knit melodies."
A genre-hopping, four-piece string band hailing from northwest Arkansas, Arkansauce is noted for blurring the lines between Americana, bluegrass, newgrass, folk, country, blues, and funk, with the musicians hailed by GratefulWeb.org for their ' "“technical prowess” and for “maintaining a fresh take on traditional music,” The band had its start in 2011 when founding members Ethan Bush, Zac Archuleta, and Stephen Jolly began writing together after becoming acquainted through mutual connections in the closely knit Fayetteville music scene. After a couple of years building a repertoire of original music and releasing their album debut with 2016's Hambone, the trio became a quintet with the hiring of Tom Andersen and Adam Collins. Their arrival led to the creation of Arkansauce's well-received sophomore release All Day Long, by which point the band's following began growing due to the musicians' complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and hard-hitting hooks.
Currently a quartet composed of Andersen on bass, Archuleta on guitar, Bush on mandolin, and Collins on five-string banjo, Arkansauce released its third album If I Were You in 2017, a work lauded for its powerful harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, with the music held together by deep, foot-stomping bass grooves. Maybe Someday followed in 2019, with the performers' raves continuing to escalate ever since. Americana UK raved that the band "lives in the sweet-spot between the traditional world of bluegrass and the more adventurous progressive side of it, where they craft thoughtful lyrical and musical excursions into the heart of old-timey music." And reviewing OK to Wonder, Country Standard Time said of Arkansauce, "While there are strains of tradition in their approach, most songs offer rather complex melodies and rhythms. Their rapid picking is technically dazzling, but they can be witty, whimsical or just about having a good time in an effort to spread joy with their mix of four instrumentals and seven vocal tunes."
Arkansauce performs their Davenport engagement on December 5 with an opening set by Fireside Collective, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $18, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
