Dawes at the Capitol Theatre -- April 16.
Wednesday, April 16, 7 p.m.
Capitol Theatre, 330 West Third Street, Davenport IA
Currently traveling the country on their "Oh Brother" tour in support of their new album of that title, the indie-rock and -folk artists of Dawes headline an April 16 concert at Davenport's Capitol Theatre, the outfit lauded by NPR for songs that are “bright, approachable, outward-facing throwbacks to the best in classic countrified rock” while also “a canvas for serious, sometimes enormously ambitious ruminations on the meaning of life."
Dawes was formed from the band Simon Dawes after the departure of co-songwriter Blake Mills, abandoning its post-punk sound in favor of folk rock. At the invitation of producer Jonathan Wilson, the musicians joined a local informal jam session that included Conor Oberst, The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, and Benmont Tench, and recorded their debut album North Hills in Laurel Canyon in a live setting to analog tape, resulting in a sound that Rolling Stone called “authentically vintage.” Dawes went on to make its television debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in April of 2010 and released its second album Nothing Is Wrong the following June, consequently touring the United States as co-headliners with Blitzen Trapper. The musicians' public awareness increased when their song “Just Beneath the Surface” from 2013's Stories Don't End was featured in an episode of the animated series American Dad!, and in April of 2015, Dawes performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, paying tribute to Warren Zevon with its cover of “Desperadoes Under the Eaves.”
Two months later, Dawes' fourth album All Your Favorite Bands was released, with the fifth – We're All Gonna Die – landing in September of 2016. The recording marked a distinct change of style, building on the band's folk-rock sound with a sonic twist, adding in more synthesized keyboard sounds and heavier bass, though the musicians continued to stay true to their roots. In November of 2016, the ensemble announced its first “An Evening with Dawes” tour, which found the group performing for between two and three hours with no opening act and a short intermission.
Since then, and with the band's Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith presently performing as a duo, Dawes has released 2018's Passwords, 2020's Good Luck with Whatever, 2022's Misadventures of Doomscroller, and last October's Oh Brother. Both Goldsmiths were affected by the January, 2025, Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, with the music studio they shared adjacent to Taylor's home having burned down along with their entire instrument collection. Taylor's and his wife Mandy Moore's home was damaged but not completely destroyed, while Griffin and his wife's nearby residence burned to the ground. On January 30, Dawes performed "Time Spent in Los Angeles" at Crypto.com Arena as part of the star-studded FireAid benefit concert and livestream, also joining Stephen Stills and Mike Campbell on a cover of Stills's Buffalo Springfield anthem "For What It's Worth" and Graham Nash on a rendition of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Teach Your Children." Three days later, the Goldsmiths also sang "I Love L.A." alongside John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent in the opener for the 67th Grammy Awards.
Dawes brings bring "Oh Brother" tour to Davenport on April 16 along the guest artists of Michigander, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $35-132, and more information and tickets are available by visiting FirstFleetConcerts/first-fleet-venues/capitol-theatre.
