Matthew McNeal at the Raccoon Motel -- February 21.
Friday, February 21, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by Earth to the Ground Music as a "high-energy, captivating singer songwriter" who "has the uncanny ability to make the stories of the everyman timeless and seemingly effortless," Americana and roots-rock musician Matthew McNeal headlines a February 21 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the talent also lauded for delivering "an enjoyable ride that will keep a lot of people interested."
As stated at the Fort Worth, Texas, native's MatthewMcNeal.com Web site, "Upon the release of band’s 2015 debut studio album Compadre, both Matthew McNeal and constant collaborator Andre Black have toured the country 10 times over, attracting fans by word of mouth and playing over 100 tour dates each year. After going out into the Texas Hill Country to record 2018’s sophomore effort Good Luck at Israel Nash’s Plum Creek Sound studio, the indie-folk rocker hit his stride, pushing the band forward by looking to the past. McNeal and Black started their own record label Matte Black Sound Company, which now acts as a pillar for the independent music scene in Fort Worth, Texas and beyond. Good Luck gained traction across the U.S. and Europe, with songs ‘Rumorosa’ and ‘Run’ hitting radio waves across the country while McNeal constantly toured, playing shows with indie hitmakers like Durand Jones and the Indications, Charley Crockett, Rayland Baxter, and Dylan LeBlanc.
"After a tumultuous year of sudden deaths, a house fire, a wedding, and identity theft, McNeal followed up with Good Grief, a long-playing soundtrack of love and loss, arriving within the first month of 2020’s quarantine. The album shone light on McNeal’s genre-bending style as well as his focus on high-fidelity, forward-reaching production. Despite a year of canceled tour dates, the band caught the attention of Rolling Stone magazine, American Songwriter, and NPR-affiliate stations thanks to the album’s lead single ‘All For Nothing’ – a song that rang more and more true as the year progressed.
"As a year of unknowns ravaged the industry, Matthew and Matte Black Sound found ways to pivot, creating with a heightened sense of intention and a shift in perspective. McNeal and Black built out their own studio and tapped collaborator, engineer/producer, and friend Ted Young (Kurt Vile, The Rolling Stones, Taking Back Sunday) to make music with more ferocity and frequency than ever. The band’s fourth album Along for the Ride was released in December of 2021."
Matthew McNeal headlines his Davenport engagement on February 21 with additional sets by Ten Tigers AC and Jinnouchi Power, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $19.84, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
