Saturday, November 11, 8 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Described by Glide magazine as “a rollicking blend of fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, and drum,” and by That Music Mag as “a quintet with gorgeous vocals, instrumentals, some dreads, and a whole bunch of youthful energy,” the alt-folk musicians of The Way Down Wanderers return to Davenport's Redstone Room for one of their final U.S. concerts before embarking on a 16-day tour of the United Kingdom.
Frontmen and founders Austin Thompson and Collin Krause first met in 2012 in their hometown of Peoria, Illinois, when they joined the same folk band and began touring at the respective ages of 14 and 18. After two years of writing music together, the duo – Thompson a guitar and percussion player, Krause a mandolin and fiddle player – decided to form their own modern-folk and Americana outfit, enlisting banjo and fiddle player Travis Kowalsky, drummer John Merikoski, and upright bass player John Williams for the five-piece ensemble The Way Down Wanderers.
With their first two EPs Path to Follow and Wellspring demonstrating the quintet's energetic and soulful musicianship, the group was named “Chicago's Best Emerging Artist” in a 2014 Deli Magazine poll, and quickly made a name for themselves through their lively stage shows, unplugged (and off-stage) encores, and propensity for performing self-titled “restSTOMPS” – free acoustic sets performed at rest and truck stops along their tour routes. Meanwhile, The Way Down Wanderers' self-titled debut album, released last year, has been the beneficiary of numerous raves, with BestNewBands.com praising the musicians for their “polished sound filled with strong vocals and fantastic harmonizing, made all the better with vivid lyrics and powerful instrumentation.”
The Way Down Wanderers play the Redstone Room with an opening set by River Valley Rangers, tickets are $10-12, and more information and reservations are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
