Davy Knowles at the Redstone Room -- April 19.
Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Hailed by rock legend Peter Frampton as "the gunslinger guitarist of the 21st century" and by famed rock guitarist Joe Satriani as "my favorite modern bluesman," revered blues rocker Davy Knowles headlines an April 19 concert event at Davenport's Redstone Room, his appearance co-presented by Common Chord and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, and featuring an opening set by the homegrown talents of The Matt Fuller Band.
As stated at CommonChordQC.org, "Whether playing acoustic, mandolin, national steel, or screaming electric guitar, Davy Knowles has an unmistakable style. Since bursting on to the scene with his band Back Door Slam’s critically acclaimed album Roll Away’in 2007, Davy’s star has only risen. His sophomore release Coming Up for Air was produced by the legendary Peter Frampton, with subsequent tours seeing him supporting and sharing the stage with acts such as Jeff Beck, The Who, Joe Bonamassa, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Thorogood, Brian Setzer, the Sammy Hagar-fronted supergroup Chickenfoot, and guitar hero Joe Satriani.
"Knowles has several top-five Billboard Blues charting albums under his belt, high profile TV appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Good Morning America among others), and has been praised with high accolades from heroes and press alike – but it’s not just the music industry who has taken note. Knowles was also the very first artist in history to perform live to the International Space Station directly from mission control in Houston, Texas, and has had his music taken to the Space Station by two astronauts, Nicole Stott and Ron Garan, on their missions orbiting Earth.
"Never one to be satisfied or to sit still, Knowles has explored multiple genres and styles, from the hard-hitting 70’s classic rock influenced album Three Miles From Avalon, to the haunting acoustic delta blues of 1932, and the sweet, soul-searching folk of 2023’s If I Should Wander. Whether spending an evening onstage armed with just an acoustic guitar or wielding his well-worn and trusty Telecaster while fronting his blues/rock trio – and at any point in between the two – Davy Knowles is a versatile and formidable songwriter and musician."
At age 25, Davenport native Matt Fuller combines the energy and fresh enthusiasm of youth with wide-ranging experience that would be the envy of much older musicians. Fuller started young with a musical pedigree, as both of his grandfathers played professionally. His dad’s dad played drums in a heavy metal band starting in the late 1980s, while his mom’s dad played guitar with Quad Cities blues legends the Peña Brothers. As the artist has stated, Fuller started his chops as a kid, with drums: “They got pictures of me sitting in diapers on grandpa’s drum set.” He switched to guitar at 10, and as a youngster, he himself played alongside the Peña Brothers, who were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Growing up, Fuller was exposed to all kinds of music by much older musicians, which developed a musical depth in the nascent professional far beyond his years.
In addition to being the leader of The Matt Fuller Band, Fuller plays with the Mercury Brothers, John Resch & Doggin’ Out, and tours with Kent Burnside – the grandson of the legendary late Mississippi blues singer/guitarist R.L. Burnside. Fuller’s favorites on guitar include Albert King, Johnny Winter, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and Carlos Santana. His bandmates, meanwhile, also bring deep and wide resumes of collaboration. Dewey Lacefield, a native of East Moline’s Watertown, has been playing bass for more than 40 years, including with the Casino Band, the Amigos Band, and Smooth Grove. Joshua Kain (a.k.a. “QC Slim”) and Jim VanHyfte have both been recognized as great blues artists and inducted into the Quad Cities Blues Hall of Fame. And the band’s dynamic front man and soulful crooner of blues and jazz is Rock Island native Tyrone Phillips.
Davy Knowles and the Matt Fuller Band player their Redstone Room engagement on April 19, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $15-20, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 and visiting CommonChordQC.org.
