June 13–June 26, 2019 DUBUQUE365.com Issue #345 18 AMERICA’S RIVER FESTIVAL CELEBRATE 15 YEARS OF PARTYING IN THE PORT WITH STEVE MILLER BAND, MARTY STUART & HIS FAMOUS SUPERLATIVES, CLINT BLACK, AND MORE JUNE 21 AND 22 PHOTO: JENNIFER TIGGES — DIGITALDUBUQUE.COM FEATURES SECTIONS 17 GREAT GALENA BALLOON RACE 6 EVENTS 21 MUSIC IN THE GARDENS 16 ARTS 28 SILVER SPOON RESTAURANT 22 NIGHTLIFE 33 PICTURE YOURSELF IN THE TRI-STATES 28 COLUMNISTS PRODUCTION STAFF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BRYCE PARKS GWEN BEATTY PUBLISHER, EVERYTHING ELSE GOOD ADVICE [email protected] [email protected] KRISTINA NESTEBY MATT BOOTH LAYOUT NINJA, DESIGNER MATTITUDE [email protected] [email protected] MIKE IRONSIDE SARA CARPENTER FEATURE WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER DO IT YOURSELF ADVICE [email protected] [email protected] DANNY FAIRCHILD ADVERTISING STAFF DINING [email protected] KELLI KERRIGAN [email protected] BOB GELMS 563-581-7014 BOB’S BOOK REVIEWS [email protected] LISA STEVENSON [email protected] SUNIL MALAPATI 563-580-1691 DINING [email protected] SPECIAL THANKS RYAN WERNER DR. MCCRACKEN’S HOROSCOPES CHRISTY MONK, GINA SIEGERT, NEIL STOCKEL, KAY SCHROEDER, RICH BELMONT, MARGIE BLAIR, FRAN PARKS, JULIE STEFFEN, RON & JENNIFER TIGGES, JULIE GRIFFIN, MARK DIERKER, BACON, STEVEN SCHLEUNING, WHERE’S WANDO? TIM BRECHLIN, ROY & DEB BUOL, KATE 365INK MAGAZINE LARSON, JEFF LENHART, GEN. BOB WE’VE HIDDEN WANDO 432 BLUFF ST, DUBUQUE, IA 52001 • DUBUQUE365.COM • 563-588-4365 FELDERMAN, DAVE HAAS, LISA OLSON, MIKE SOMEWHERE IN THIS DAMASO, ALL OF OUR 365 FRIENDS AND ISSUE OF 365INK. CAN ALL CONTENTS © 2006–2019, COMMUNITY INCORPORATED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ADVERTISERS... AND YOU FOR READING. YOU FIND HIM? ALL BACON SERVED SEMI-CRISPY. any one these people are, I have heard of most of them. Why? Because they were all just in Dubuque. Apparently in my ignorance I was unaware of the caliber of county talent that local venues You know when you are young and your dad like Q Casino, Diamond Jo Casino, Five Flags, and doesn’t get your music, and you swear that even U.D.’s Heritage Center have been pulling in you’ll never be like that. And as you grow lately. Sure, I know Dwight Yoakam when he’s on older you realize that it probably will hap- the marquee, but how about these names: Chase pen some day. And then one day you wake up Rice, Kane Brown, Dan + Shay, Thomas Rhett, and realize it was 10 years ago. That’s me. Jon Pardi, Lee Brice, The Eli Young Band, Brett I’m not completely out of touch, but, well, I’m Eldridge, Rodney Atkins, Chris lane, Justin Moore, working on it. And while my music may have been Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Dylan Scott, Brothers too heavy for Dad or Geddy Lee sings to screechy Osbourne, LoCash, Scotty McCreery, Logan Mize, for Mom, the music was there. The skill and talent. Chris Young, and Gabby Barrett? They all have two Man, today is like a cesspool of marginality. That’s things in common: they’ve all been in Dubuque in my old man “get off my lawn” assessment. But in the past few years or will be this year, and they all truth, great new music is out there. It’s just not on also have songs in the Hot Country Top 50 right the radio so much anymore. You have to go find it. now. Sure, Blake Shelton and Florida Georgia Line Yes yes, there are exceptions and I celebrate them. are in there too, but the big names I know just Luckily for me, the kind of music that tours to from pop culture are decidedly not the names Dubuque is generally old enough that I like it. Sorry dominating this list. I counted 21 performers on kids. This is coming from a rock and roll kid. Because the Hot Country list that have recently played what I just said is not really true if you are a fan of Dubuque, and some of those performers have two country music. I am not, but will admit that most songs in the Top 50, so 21 is not even accurate. of the country shows that I’ve been to officially as Then there are Kip Moore, Jordan Davis, a 365ink guy have been pretty damn good shows, Band Perry, Chase Bryant, Sara Evans, Michael even if I didn’t know the music. At least these guys Ray, Granger Smith, Colt Ford, The Lacs, Jerrod and gals are surrounded by people still playing Niemann, Tyler Farr, and Sam Hunt who were guitars, so I have that safety net going for me. just here and are also legit country stars who These days when new pop and alt-rock acts just don’t happen to be in the Top 50 right now. hit the scene, it seems like they skyrocket to Add in big names I do know who have also been the top so fast that they’re quickly too big for here lately like Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, a Dubuque market. Or else the bands will play Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Phi Vassar, smaller venues when they’re new but rising, but Montgomery Gentry, Willie Nelson, Charlie they’re only going to major markets because they Daniels Band, John Conlee, John Anderson, know they’ll fill those clubs while smaller markets Tracey Lawrence, Kenny Rogers, and soon like ours are a risk. Or they play festivals. There Sawyer Brown, Clink Black and Marty Stuart. are so many huge festivals these days that you I’m sure I missed plenty. I just thought of two trip over them. Kristina at 365ink is a young fes- more, but I’m gonna stop. You get the picture. tival-goer. I don’t have 10 percent of that energy. While I’m way out of the loop, if you are a current I also haven’t heard of 10 percent of the bands on country music fan, you’ve basically been dipped in the bill either. Not that it’s not a great place to dis- magic waters. You have options, man! And it seems cover new music, but I’m good with two of three like you are getting out there and supporting it. bands on my ticket stub and a 3 to 4 hour show. And that’s why you get more. So far the new rock, I don’t need 123 bands over 4 days on 5 stages. alternative, pop, and hip-hop scene has not yet I feel like I need a nap just thinking about it. found the Dubuque market with regulatory. They But like I said earlier, country music is a whole seem to be landing and doing well at Codfish Hollow other story in Dubuque and likely the Midwest. in Maquoketa, IA of all places, but that barn is a We get a LOT of new, rising country music stars wonderful anomaly in the world. If venues stick out as well as established country talent visiting the their necks and take that risk, will you support it? Dubuque market. Until last week I didn’t really So to guys like Brian Rakestraw, G.M. of Q take time to consider just how much we get or Casino, who got excited talking about Kip Moore how high caliber they are in terms of charting hits. last summer while I sat there glazed-eyed, I’m sorry. My friend H.R. Cook runs Five Flags (I’m also a You are right, and I am old. For the particular new very long-time Five Flags Commission member). country genre, in fact, Q Casino seems to be the Sometimes he says a band name and asks how I venue that is really hitting the new up-and-coming think they’d do in Dubuque. When he sees a dead country stars hard. They even have a name for the stare looking back at him, he knows all he needs effort, “New Boots.” They booked Kane Brown to know from me. “Never heard of them.” Wrong before he was anything. He’s been back twice since, guy to ask. I apologize in advance, Dubuque, if I’ve the latest coming next month to an already sold-out even made a show not come here because I gave Back Waters stage. So they’re onto something. H.R. the glazed-over look. He knows now not to So what’s my moral to this week’s article? ask me about anything newer than the year 2000. It’s either that I’m old and washed up or that When Five Flags booked Morgan Wallen, he was new country music has found a friend in the one more in a long string of recent local country Dubuque market. Let’s hope that new rock and bookings that earned my glazed-over blank stare. alternative bands follow for the other half of I have NO IDEA who that is. So I looked him up. town to be appeased. And those of us who get What do you know, he has the No. 1 country song exited at REO Speedwagon, 38 Special and ‘80s in America right now. Yeah, clearly I’m out of touch. hair metal will be fine. Dubuque’s always been So I started looking down the Billboard Top 50 Hot a safe harbor for those artists and old country, Country songs list and man, while I don’t know who too. But even I think old country is good stuff. n 4 365INK MAGAZINE June 13–June 26, 2019 Issue #345 DUBUQUE365.COM EVENTS FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY FRIDAYS: JUNE 14, JULY 12, AUGUST 9, SEPTEMBER 13, AND OCTOBER 11 11:30 AM–1:30 PM @ WASHINGTON PARK (6TH AND LOCUST ST) Walk, bike, or drive to Washington singer, Joie, and guitar player, break it Park where food trucks will line the down acoustically for your listening plea- streets ready to celebrate the end of sure.