ROCK / ALTERNATIVE / CHRISTIAN

WITH ON DISTANT SHORES, THE KAPS, AND BEATBOX CAR CHILDREN

One night, not to long ago, Lee Siddall was walking down by the river pondering his purpose in life. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a meteorite fell from the sky and struck Lee in the head, knocking him out cold. While in this state of unconsciousness Lee had an epiphany! This vision would eventually take us all to our destiny, and start him on a quest to form a new republic – a republic the likes of which have never been seen or fathomed by mortal man. It was to be a Great Republic, an Ultimate Republic, nay a DELUXE REPUBLIC!!

ROCK / ROOTS

With their long-awaited fourth CD, The Flyover, Des Moines-based roots-rockers Brother Trucker finally present another heaping helping of their literate, soulful and cinematic brand of earthy, ‘pan-Americana’ music.

Cranking out a heart-felt, dynamic and (as needed) proudly raggedy-assed sound that taps into the likes of Neil Young’s splintering Crazy Horse, The Faces, The Stones, myriad assorted Dylan combos, Southern rock and the heartland/populist themes of Springsteen and Mellencamp, the lads of Brother Trucker provide spot-on backdrops for the extraordinary, wrong-side-of-the-tracks tales spooled out by co-founder and resident singer/songwriter Andy Fleming.

Brother Trucker’s fully-loaded, five-piece format remains one of the most flexible, energetic and inspirational combos in the Midwest, but on any given night, you may very well find them in a variety of configurations, including Andy solo, Andy and co-founder Mike Fitzpatrick (as an acoustic duo), Andy, Mike and Bassist, Lyle Kevin Hogue (as ‘The BT3’) … In every case, what you will get is to-the-bone, passionate musicianship steeped in pan-genre, rockyroll classicism that’s deeply, artfully connected to the very heart and soul of the Iowa/Midwestern experience.

SHAME TRAIN from Iowa City will open the show. Check them out at: www.myspace.com/shametrain

ROCK / PUNK / METAL

*PLEASE NOTE: This show will be held in the RME PERFORMANCE HALL, NOT the Redstone Room. This is an ALL AGES SHOW.

2010 ODYSSEY TOUR with I am Ghost, Modern Day Escape, We Are The Becoming, Distance & Misery Loves Comfort. This tour is sponsored by Music Saves Lives (www.myspace.com/musicsaveslives), which is helping the world a little at the time with the help of music promotion and events.

One of the most visually stunning and musically talented bands in the rock scene today, I AM GHOST take their melodic mixture of punk and hardcore and combine it with infectious catchy and twisted pop that will stick in your head for weeks on end. With a huge loyal fan base spread across the world, I Am Ghost are set to embark on their biggest journey yet: a full USA headlining tour along with trecks back to Europe, Japan and Australia in 2010. The band currently has two full-length releases on indi power house label Epitaph Records.

MODERN DAY ESCAPE made a name for themselves on a DIY ethic. Recently signing just this year, they're now using that all or nothing mentality along with the support of a label to explode into the spotlight. They like to wear belts, and spread smiles with their brand of rock and roll that at once shreds and inspires sing-alongs and dance pits. Maybe a crowd surfer or two. You'll leave a MDE show in a pool of sweat, one less shoe and toothy grin.

WE ARE THE BECOMING: There are bands that slave away year after year, song after song, pouring their hearts into their songs, and their gas tanks, as they criss cross the country waiting for someone to care. Then there are bands that suddenly appear, fully formed and ready to remind us why we love rock and roll. As if crafted in another world and delivered to rescue us from our hyphenated-rock-doldrums, We areThe Becoming has landed and it's time for you to remember what gave you chills the first time you heard really great music. Possibly the perfect blend of melody, mood and mystique, We areThe Becoming are here and we will all soon realize what good news that is.

DISTANCE is a Quad City band that is comprised of 6 guys who want to make music with meaning and heart behind it. They promise a fun and compelling show, so get here at the beginning and show the local band on the bill your love and support. Check them out before the show at www.myspace.com/distanceqc

MISERY LOVES COMFORT are also on the Odyssey Tour, and are coming to you from Orange County, CA. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/miserylovescomfort .

TICKETS are available now at the $12 price. Discounted tickets at $8 will be available at the door with proof of donating blood on behalf of the Music Saves Lives campaign. For more information visit www.myspace.com/musicsaveslives or stay tuned for more details. Tickets are also available at Quad City Co-Op Records locations.

ROCK / PSYCHEDELIC / JAM

"We'll raise up our tent in any town that will have us...." declares the new studio album by San Francisco's Tea Leaf Green. Produced by David Lowery (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven, Counting Crows), the album presents eleven, well-crafted songs that tempt the listener to set off on the archetypal American adventure.

In times past, you could run away and join the circus or ride the freight trains, and Tea Leaf Green offers the same seductive pull to today's kids. Sharing some of the style and substance of musical contemporaries My Morning Jacket, Wolfmother, and the Raconteurs, Tea Leaf Green conjures the spirit of bands like '70s Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and The Grateful Dead, taking classic sounds and giving them a present-day polish. Tea Leaf Green reminds us at every turn just how alluring rock 'n' roll can be.

Tea Leaf Green consistently delivers mind bending live performances to their loyal and ever-growing fan base. Nightly, the band explores the depths of their prodigious songbook, taking everyone along for an exhilarating ride.

In a few short years, these road warriors have built a strong following, consistently filling venues across the country and becoming a warmly received, go-to band on the festival circuit with stand-out performances at Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, 10K Lakes, and The Echo Project, among others. The band's chops earned the respect of their contemporaries and they have shared the stage with The Dave Matthews Band, Trey Anastasio, Gov't Mule, Bruce Hornsby, John Popper, Bob Weir, Sean Lennon and many others. Experience Tea Leaf Green for yourself...and enjoy the journey.

THE GIVING TREE BAND will open the show. Though the story of The Giving Tree Band is still being written, it can already be said that these musical frontiersmen are redefining “virtuosity,” which is traditionally understood as dizzying displays of technical wizardry. But what is missing from this definition is the root word--Virtue. And it is upon this foundation of Virtue that The Giving Tree Band weaves their musical tapestry--by playing every single note with integrity in order to purposefully craft each part, by playing every single part with humility in order to serve the song, by playing every single song with honesty in order to resonate with the listeners at the show, by playing every single show with gratitude in order to appreciate this special privilege in life, and by playing life with a heart full of love in order to realize that it is all music, and it is all beautiful. Hear their sound at www.givingtreeband.com

TICKETS go on sale Friday, February 5th via Ticketmaster and will also be available for purchase by visiting the River Music Experience.

A song is a powerful thing – it can bring back fond memories of your past or help you create new ones for your future; it can summon a smile or tears; a song is something that can move you in many ways. While a big part of the RME’s mission is to introduce you to new artists and their songs via the stages in Mojo’s, the Performance Hall, and the Redstone Room, we’ve listened to the requests to hear your favorite songs of past & present, performed by your favorite bands right here in your own backyard, in the best venue for live music in the region. That’s why the RME is excited to announce a new music series: Déjà vu Rendezvous.

Join us once a month to hear your familiar, favorite songs and sounds at the new Déjà vu Rendezvous music series, where we will feature talented Quad Cities bands that cover your favorite songs, from classic rock n roll, folk, and blues to present day rock, country, and pop. Come sing along, dance, and enjoy all the songs you know and love at the Redstone Room on one Friday of each month. We’ll try to keep the time frame as consistent as possible but be sure to check the calendar often, as the Déjà vu Rendezvous Friday will likely fluctuate due to the availability of nationally touring bands.

This month's featured band is Marmaduke. Marmaduke is a tribute to all things that rock, and they pull no punches when it comes to the music they play. This is evident in their set lists, which are packed not only with powerful original music, but also with music from classic bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Toto, Ted Nugent, and many others from the days when rock and roll ROCKED.

POP / FOLK

Cowboy Junkies began their singular journey in 1985 when Michael Timmins (guitar), Peter Timmins (drums) and bassist Alan Anton, one of Michael’s oldest friends, began jamming in a garage. Michael and Alan had tried their luck with a couple of other bands, Hunger Project and Germinal, and had recently returned to Toronto after several years in New York and London. The next step was to find a singer. “I never wanted to be a musician,” Margo Timmins confides, “but one day Mike asked me to sing. I said yes, but only if I didn’t have to do it in front of the other guys. So I sang with Mike for a couple of days, and then he asked, ‘Um, do you think it’d be okay if we brought the other guys in now?’ I said, ‘Well, okay. I guess so, I mean, if we have to.’”

The band released its debut, Whites Off Earth Now!!, in 1986 on their own Latent Recordings label. Hypnotic and languorous, it revealed Michael’s fascination with Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins and other seminal blues artists. The band toured the Southern and Southwestern US in support of the record, soaking up the music of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers along the way, which, in turn, inspired their second album, The Trinity Session, self-released in 1988.

Recorded with a single microphone in Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity in one 14-hour session – at a cost of $250 – The Trinity Session featured spare, lilting originals alongside Jennings, Williams and Patsy Cline covers, as well as a haunting version of the Velvet Underground classic “Sweet Jane.” With “Sweet Jane” getting considerable airplay on college and commercial radio and reviewers lauding the band’s fresh sound, word soon began to spread. Before long, the Junkies had signed to RCA Records, which reissued The Trinity Session to a wider audience and platinum sales.

Their subsequent albums – The Caution Horses (1990), Black Eyed Man (1992), Pale Sun, Crescent Moon (1993), Lay It Down (1996) (which featured the Top 20 Modern Rock hit “A Common Disaster” and earned Cowboy Junkies a gold record), Miles From Our Home (1998), Open (2001) and One Soul Now (2004) – chronicle the band’s evolution, a process Michael describes as gradual and organic. “It’s become much easier to communicate musically over the years as we’ve all grown as musicians and of course, we have twenty years of shows behind us now. We’re able to bring greater dynamics and infinite variety to the music as a result.”

In 2005, Cowboy Junkies released Early 21st Century Blues, an album principally comprised of covers which Rolling Stone proclaimed “closely revisits the career-making Trinity, - hushed electric guitars, brushed drums and Margo Timmins' husky moans. It all adds up to a concept album about war that screams with a whisper.” The band’s most recent studio effort, At The End of Paths Taken (2007) was hailed by Paste as an album of “an alluring, gently haunting quality; inspired by reflections on family and world dynamics and mortality.”

Cowboy Junkies returned to Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity for a day in November 2006, joined by Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant and Vic Chesnutt to revisit the repertoire of The Trinity Session in celebration of the original recording’s 20th anniversary. Captured by filmmakers, Pierre and Francois Lamoureux, the resulting documentary, Trinity Session Revisited, was released as a DVD/CD in January 2008 to overwhelming critical response.

LEE HARVEY OSMOND will support the show. Lee Harvey Osmond is Tom Wilson, some of the Cowboy Junkies, a few Skydiggers, Ray Farrugia from Junkhouse, Brent Titcomb and a lot of groove. Check them out at www.myspace.com/lhosmond

TICKETS are on sale now!

AMERICANA / ROOTS / ROCK

“All aboard!” You’ll hear Vince Herman shout this out at a Great American Taxi show and after you know a little bit more about this band you’ll know why. Herman (of Leftover Salmon infamy) and Chad Staehly (keyboards, vocals) have been driving the Taxi based out of Nederland, CO around the United States for over four years now. The line-up has evolved and Herman and company have been known to grab an extra rider or two along the way. The core line-up has been solidified with Jim Lewin of Santa Cruz, CA on electric guitars and vocals, along with the new rhythm section provided by Chris Sheldon on drums and Brian Adams on bass (both toured extensively in the Phish tribute band Phix).

On any given night the audience is encouraged to jump on board and join in the festivities. At many performances GAT has been known to show up with some extra all-stars in the band as well including such musical luminaries as Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, Todd Snider, Barry Sless, Papa Mali, Coolio (yes, 90's rap star icon), Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth, and the list goes on. Great American Taxi brands their music “Americana without borders.”

Taxi definitely knows no boundaries and their 21st century brand of Americana music is sure to get you dancing and singing along. Diving into an ever expanding repertoire of their own carefully crafted electric folk music along with a great catalog of influential Folk, Americana, Bluegrass and Rock songs, all in attendance will find something to latch onto at a Taxi show. Whether you grew up listening to Gram Parsons, the Grateful Dead, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson or Woody Guthrie, plan on taking a great American musical journey. All you have to do is pay the fare, get in the Great American Taxi, and enjoy the trip.

Tickets are on sale now!

ROCK / FOLK ROCK / COUNTRY

For a band with nearly 15 years behind them, the Nadas sure marked a lot of firsts with
their new album, The Ghosts Inside These Halls. The roots rockers' sixth studio release is their first produced by the band, their first recorded in their hometown of Des Moines, and their first as a fivesome. But perhaps most notably, it's their first time truly baring their souls.

"We have always been very honest in our music, but with this record we have allowed ourselves to be totally exposed," explains singer/guitarist Jason Walsmith, who cofounded the Nadas with fellow singer/guitarist Mike Butterworth as Iowa State University students in the early 1990s. "It's raw and open. We're also very comfortable with who we are as a band and as musicians and I think that comes through in the record. We aren't pretending to be anyone or act like a band we aren't." That rawness is reflected in the album's title, which comes from the first line of the first song. "I thought it symbolized where we are in our careers," Walsmith says. "We have reached a certain amount of success, but there are always those thoughts in the back of your head, 'What if I had just done this instead.' Those are the ghosts to me."

Like so many American bands, the Nadas started as a way for its members to pass the time between classes. Unlike so many American bands, the Nadas outlasted their educations and rode a growing fan base to a genuine, honest-to-goodness career. While Butterworth is known for his rock 'n' roll intuitions (on perfect display in his live cover of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage") and Walsmith for his alt-country roots, they work flawlessly as a songwriting unit, skillfully evoking the romance, introspection and uncertainty of living life on one's own terms in the 21st Century.

Altogether, the Nadas have sold more than 75,000 albums through their own Authentic Records, including 2003's Transceiver and 2005's Listen Through the Static, both produced by Todd and Toby Pipes of Deep Blue Something. The Nadas have also been called the "Best College Band You've Never Heard Of" by
Playboy, had one of their songs ("Walk Away") become the official elimination song on Speed Channel's "Pinks" show, and were one of the final four bands for Bon Jovi’s Have a Nice Day band competition -- all the while steadily touring the country in Meatloaf's old tour bus, named Meatloaf (of course).

The Ghosts Inside These Halls builds on that memorable career not just by taking the band in new directions, but by giving fans another dose of ear candy to remember their hook-ups, break-ups, milestones and hangovers by. "Jason and I have always helped with each others' songs, but with this record we truly
collaborated more than ever before," Butterworth says. "And that definitely made for our best material yet."

FOLK / SINGER-SONGWRITER

Cody is a folk-singers folk-singer and a poets poet. He was born and bred in Delavan IL, population 25, surrounded by the endless skies of the American Midwest. Before moving to Chicago in 2003, Cody tried his hand at sessions in Nashville and carefully hewed and tested his art in college town bars and honky-tonks around the Midwest. He now plays regularly in the city and its not uncommon to see whole rooms full of strangers erupt and sing along to the choruses of his songs on their first listen. Codys voice is powerful and gritty, emotionally piercing while subtly imbuing additional layers of meaning and poignancy in his lyrical delivery. His song-writing is deeply rooted in the American Folk tradition and all of its grit but with a post Dylan sense of wit, perspicacity and that certain savior-faire. He didnt go to college but he drank all of their beer.

Every folk-singer has to migrate to the city, in a way it seems to be hidden in definition of a folk singer anymore. Cody has come to remind Chicago that it is in Illinois. And to remind the rest of the world that when Louis Armstrong redefined, some say invented the art of Jazz in the 1920s he brought his Hot Fives to Chicago to do it. When Robert Johnson wanted to put his Mississippi Mud on wax, his hellhound chased him to Chicago to do it. And same like, Cody has come to Chicago to deliver what it needs, when it isnt even sure itself. He is currently recording a collection of songs from his vast back-catalog and performing across the heartland.