The International Tastemaker Fest Thesis 2023

The International Tastemaker Fest Thesis

https://www.tennis-music.com
https://www.internationalqcf.org
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/tennis/best-tennis-songs
https://www.circa21.com

Live Music Element

Squirrel Flower

The Redstone Room https://www.uncommonchordqc.org

the Righteous Babes

https://www.righteousbabe.com
https://www.therustbeltqc.com

Codfish Hollow https://www.codfishhollowbarnstormers.com

Surf Zombies

Vibrant Arena https://www.vibrantarena.com

Rookie of the Year

The Heights of the Era

Barcelona, Spain

Simrit Kaur

https://www.simiritkaurmusic.com
https://www.sala-apolo.com

Lori Meyers

https://www.salarazzmatazz.com
https://www.spanishbombs.com

Dublin, Ireland

Polly Barrett

Hamburg, Germany

Knust https://www.knusthamburg.de

Logo https://www.logohamburg.de

Mojo https://www.mojo.de

London, England

Roundhouse https://www.roundhouse.org.uk

Reykjavik, Iceland

Daði Freyr

https://www.dadifreyer.com
https://www.dillon.is

Glasgow, Scotland

The Garage https://www.garageglasgow.co.uk

Radkey, the Many-Colored Death & Road Soda @ the IQCF 2023

Road Soda is a local QC punk band with a rabid following. The sound is fast, loud and imminently punk. Road Soda is like the Ramones and D.R.I. enjoying brunch at Perkins. “…The overall angle is one of fund, not brutality. Clearly the band enjoy the humour and poke fun at punk traditions as much as honoring them.¹ Further, Road Soda are huge crowd pleasers on the local music scene. You will see members of Road Soda at lots of local concerts in the Quad Cities supporting other bands.

The Many-Colored Death rocked the stage when Road Soda finished their set. The three piece is hard and tight prog grunge like Rush and Soundgarden grew up with each other at a board school in Wales. [Brent] “…Moore, bassist Preston Rodgers and, drummer Shea Spence complement each other, pulling their share of the rock n’ roll load and produce a sound that honors rock gods like Rush, Pink Floyd and, Soundgarden while establishing a distinct personality.² The band is really tight and all the songs are well rehearsed. The gear is professionally designed, and the sounds is one of a kind.

Headliners, Radkey, were truly rad. The power punk trio of the brothers Radkey, Isaiah, Solomon, and Dee [bass, drums, guitar] are a punk rock band with chops. You can hear the Ramones and Green Day, however, Radkey crafts a unique punk rock sound that is their own. “Whatever their influences, Radkey evade the mistake of dipping into the empty…[riffage]…of acts like Greta Van Fleet. But I…won’t call them ‘modern.’ Radkey play rock (or in their words, “delicious rock noise”). The timeless elements heard throughout Green Room…see Radkey poised…for future growth, and you can bet that Radkey will rise and meet the challenge….³ The IQCF volunteers observed the Radkey stage presence could be at large festivals ala Coachella, Lollapalooza, etc. Keep your ears peeled.

Carver Commodore & Whithall @ the IQCF 2023

South Carolina band Whitehall is cool indie emo, like the early Shins. The band is tight, and despite the departure of the original saxophone player, Whitehall continues making new music and touring⁴. The sound is like Houndmouth and Weezer made a band with Petey. Whitehall is certainly a crowd favorite at the Raccoon Motel. Whitehall is certainly making waves.

Carver Commodore was the headliner, and this is a cool band, perhaps your new favorite band. “After releasing their debut album in 2017, Florence-based band has consistently won over audiences with their style of rock and roll that blends the sound of the early 21st century garage rock bands (think the Strokes and the White Stripes) with the soulful voice of lead singer Payton Pruitt that pulls listeners into their music headfirst.”⁵ The new Carver Commodore album “Welcome to the Modern World,” is way cool. The band nails every track on the album and is one of the best live bands. Carver Commodore are worth a listen and the raucous live show of the new band from the Florence side of Muscle Shoals, Alabama is on the verge of superstardom.

Elizabeth Moen @ the IQCF 2023

Elizabeth Moen, and Iowa native from Vinton is a self-taught guitarist and singer songwriter. Her voice is like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone joined a club with Bonnie Raitt. The sound is almost bluesy, but veers away from cliche’. The Quad Cities really supports Elizabeth Moen. Elizabeth “…emerge[d] within the…[Iowa City]…musical scene while completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa. …[T]he transition to writing her own songs and lyrics, and how intimate and locally owned music venues are essential to newly developed artists….⁶ is clear when Elizabeth Moen is on stage here in the Quad Cities.

Thespian Element

The Adler https://www.adlertheatre.com

Circa ’21 https://www.circa21.com

Riverbank https://www.riverbank.ie

Health & Wellness Element

The Bix 7 Race