Local Scene Magazine

Ellis Kell Celebration of Life

DAVENPORT, 12/20/16 - Ellis Kell passed away on Friday, December 16th at his home. A celebration of Ellis' life will be held on Wednesday, December 21st at the Adler Theater, in downtown Davenport. Visitation will start at 2:00 p.m., followed by a service at 3:30 p.m., and then the Ellis Kell Music Tribute & Jam Session will take place in the RME's Redstone Room at 6 p.m.

The tribute will feature music from Friends of RME & Ellis and a cash bar. Doors for the tribute open at 5:15 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Kell family.

Ellis Kell - Inspired and Inspirational

Moondance 2015 - winner of the John O'Meara bass

I set out this morning to write an article about fundraising efforts for my friend Ellis. I wanted to promote the GoFundMe fundraiser and the Jam for Ellis. Not five minutes after I sat down, I noticed a single post on my social media that gave me a chill. Thirty minutes later, my worst fears were confirmed by an update from the family. Today we lost Ellis Kell.

A New Perspective

You may have noticed Local Scene has been a bit quiet in regards to articles these last few months. I’ve been busy with a new day job that has, at times, been overwhelming. (In a good way, I might add). There have also been some things going on with my family that have required my attention. With any luck, things will level out soon, and I’ll be putting those articles together again. Of course, I’m always looking for people with a love for our local music scene who are willing to write about it.

River Music Experience set to kick off two new programs on Wednesday, Oct 5th

Open Spaces features yoga & flow arts, while PluggedIn offers a chance for the music community to connect

DAVENPORT, 9/22/16 - River Music Experience is excited to announce two new programs for the music community starting on October 5th!

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One Hundred Twenty - Roberta's Blog

One hundred twenty.
That’s a nice round number, isn’t it? It is the number of bands I photographed locally between June 1, 2016 and August 30, 2016. Locally… that includes the local bands at Dawn and On, Blues Fest, River Roots Live, and Bix Street Fest. It doesn’t include any bands from Codfish Hollow (although I consider that a Quad Cities venue – we’ll claim Maquoketa, right?) or Hinterland Festival in Des Moines. I haven’t looked at a total number for the summer. My interest in putting together a number was local bands and venues…

Local Radio Personality and Musicians Raising Funds for SMA

What happens when a band auctions their services off to raise funds for a great cause, and Greg Dwyer wins the auction? He turns it into yet another fundraiser for the cause.

It seems that thing really happened, as Electric Shock donated a private show to be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser. When Dwyer won the auction, he thought a better option than a private party for a few of his friends would be a rockin’ fundraiser.

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The Maytags - Des Moines Band brings their Love Lines to the QC

From the Sunday Silos to the Maytags, the music around Dustin Smith continues to evolve. The Maytags’ album Love Lines is a glimpse into that evolution.

In 2012, Dustin Smith and the Sunday Silos digitally tracked a 15 track album called Northerner. It took 8 months to put the album together. Then they recorded a Daytrotter session in 2013.

They loved their first experience in the analog recording world. A Daytrotter session is fast and live. Says Smith “You were only there for an hour or so and recorded three or four songs. It was live and still sounded so good!”

Dawn and On Festival Returns for Second Year

In 2015 The Dawn’s inaugural Dawn and On Festival drew more than 1,000 music fans to Len Brown’s North Shore Inn. The one-day festival was such a success, that the popular Quad Cities Jam band plans to host another all-day event at the Moline location on Saturday, July 9.

There is a slight change to this year’s lineup, as regional and national touring acts Soap, Driftless Sisters, and Joe Marcinek have been added to the bill. The Candymakers return, and The Dawn will again headline the event.

Local Musicians Entertain at Blues Fest - Updated!

The 31st Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is returning to its roots and as part of that return, is showcasing the mighty musical talent found right here in the Quad Cities. To that end, the Local Scene stage in the beer tent will be presenting local talent in between sets on the Bandshell stage. In some cases, entire bands are represented, in others, we see the formation of jam groups, much like those that can be witnessed at any one of several jam sessions/nights that take place all over the Quad Cities every night of the week.

31st Mississippi Valley Blues Festival July 1 & 2, 2016

31st MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BLUES FESTIVAL--JULY 1 and 2, 2016
Gate Opens One Hour Before Music Begins
2016 Schedule

BANDSHELL—FRIDAY JULY 1
5:00-6:30 Frankie Fontagne & the Ramblers
7:00-8:30 Toronzo Cannon
9:00-10:30 Tweed Funk
11:00-12:30 Shawn Holt & the Teardrops