Bendigo Fletcher at the Raccoon Motel -- May 3.
Saturday, May 3, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With their 2021 studio-debut album Fits of Laughter hailed by Atwood as "a dazzling, soothing, and rip-roaring psych-rock immersion," the talents of Bendigo Fletcher return to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 3 in support of their sophomore release Two Things at Once, the 2024 recording, according to Broadway World, a work that "pulls together threads of folk, psychedelia, indie, alt-country, and rock into a pastiche of vibrant characters, vivid memories, and vital moments."
Its musicians hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Bendigo Fletcher, as lauded by AllMusic's Mark Deming, are "a band that blend the organic sound of folk music with a melodic sense that owes more to indie rock, making music that's dreamlike and firmly grounded at the same time. Led by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ryan Anderson, the quintet's brand of trippy Americana can be witty or passionately sincere depending on the tenor of their songs, and Anderson's vocals are informed by an emotional honesty that's as powerful as their music.
"Ryan Anderson initially created Bendigo Fletcher in 2015 as a home-recording project, laying down all the parts on his own through multi-tracking and later adding musicians in order to perform the songs live. 2018's seven-song Consensual Wisdom, released in several unique vinyl editions by Soul Step Records, was largely recorded by Anderson, but before long Bendigo Fletcher became a full-fledged band with the addition of Andrew Shupert on lead guitar; Evan Wagner on keyboards, guitar, percussion, and backing vocals; Conner Powell on bass; and Chris Weis on drums. As talk of their live shows and word of mouth began spreading about the band outside their home town, they cut a second independent EP, 2019's Memory Fever, which was once again in several limited-vinyl editions pressed with unusual color patterns.
"Elektra Records signed Bendigo Fletcher to a record deal, and the group teamed with former Uncle Tupelo and Wilco member Ken Coomer for their first album, with Coomer producing the session at his personal studio in Nashville." That studio debut, Fits of Laughter, was issued by Elektra in August of 2021, and was followed in the fall of 2022 by the EP Wingding, a work that led Broadway World to rave,
"Shapeshifting on an axis between folk, alternative, country, and soul, Bendigo Fletcher's lofty melodies soar above earthy instrumentation." Now touring in support of Two Things at Once, the musicians are presently enjoying some of the strongest notices of their careers, with Exposia magazine's Olivia Kendall calling the recording "a journey I would partake over and over, and it is simply a shame I won’t be able to hear some of these songs for the first time again."
Bendigo Fletcher play their Davenport engagement on May 3 with an additional set by Maggie Halfman, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $26.45, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
