Protomartyr at the Raccoon Motel -- March 30.
Thursday, March 30, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
With New York magazine calling their most recent album a showcase of "deliciously dark music" and "a mix of frantic, furious riffs, dour vocals, and existential poetry” and Pitchfork deeming it their “most expansive statement yet,” the critically lauded rockers of Protomartyr play Davenport's Raccoon Motel on March 30 in support of their latest release Ultimate Success Today, a recording that inspired NPR to rave of the musicians, “I don't think they needed to level up, but boy, did they.”
Composed of Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitar), Alex Leonard (drums), and Scott Davidson (bass), Protomartyr originated in Detroit, Michigan, in 2010, and released their debut album No Passion All Technique in 2012 via Urinal Cake Records. Although the album initially received little critical attention due to its limited circulation, Pitchfork called Protomartyr's debut "an impressive showing of sonic, lyrical, and emotional range" that "all falls under a cohesive banner,” while Crack magazine praised "the smart storytelling skills and brilliantly sardonic humor of vocalist Joe Casey." Protomartyr's second studio album, Under Color of Official Right, was released in April of 2014, while the musicians' third, The Agent Intellect, followed in October of 2015. Both recordings were likewise acclaimed, with the latter landing on "best of 2015" lists in The A.V. Club, the Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone, Spin, and Consequence of Sound.
The band signed to Domino Records in 2017 and released their fourth studio album Relatives in Descent that September, the recording described by The Guardian as "sensational" and eventually deemed the year's very best by Loud & Quiet magazine. Meanwhile, after it was released in July of 2020, Protomartyr's fifth studio album Ultimate Success Today earned the rockers some of the strongest reviews of their careers. AllMusic.com stated that the work "sounds timely in 2020, but this music would be a smart, compelling accompaniment for staring into the abyss as it begins to look back, no matter what the year." Loud & Quiet hailed it as "thought-provoking, distinctive, and testament to the boldness of post-punk in the present day." And The A.V. Club raved that, with their latest release, Protomartyr's musicians "sound more awake and anxious than ever," adding that "singer Joe Casey is truly one of the great punk poets of our generation, following in the footsteps of Mark E. Smith and Shane MacGowan."
Protomartyr plays their March 30 engagement at the Raccoon Motel with an opening set by Titus Andronicus, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $20, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
