Chris Avey And Jeni Grouws Premiering Songs From “Tell Tale Heart’ Tonight At Bettendorf’s CBW
Chris Avey and Jeni Grouws return to play Crawford Brew Works in Bettendorf tonight, showcasing tunes from their upcoming album, “Tell Tale Heart”!
The Avey Grouws Band “Tell Tale Heart” is available for pre-order, and will be released on Sept. 24.
The duo will perform at the brewery and bar, at 3659 Devils Glen Road, after having just performed on July 21 for an “Over the Edge” event, raising about $1,600 that night alone.
The band (JENI GROUWS – vocals/songwriter, CHRIS AVEY – guitar/songwriter, BRYAN WEST – drums, RANDY LEASMAN – bass and NICK VASQUEZ – keyboards) recorded their sophomore release earlier this year in Nashville at East Iris Studios and The Purple House (Leiper’s Fork, TN) with Grammy-winning engineer/producer Casey Wasner at the helm.
Featuring 10 original songs, Tell Tale Heart‘s music (described by producer Wasner as “rock and roll blues soul”) demonstrates the label-defying band’s command of a wide swath of American roots music — including blues, classic rock, country, R&B, funk, introspective balladry and unbridled rock and roll, according to a band release.
Wasner — whose previous credits include a Grammy win for engineering the Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal album, TajMo, and playing drums with Keb’ Mo’ and rhythm guitar for Robben Ford — stated: “After spending two weeks straight in the studio with the Avey Grouws Band, I learned a couple things. The first week I learned that this band kicks ass. In the second week, I didn’t want our session to end. The hang and the music are infectious.”
Grouws’ powerfully expressive vocals and Avey’s ace guitar playing are complemented by their on-point bandmates. “I believe in this band more than I’ve believed in any other project,” Grouws says of the collaboration she considers the best musical experience of her life.
Grouws and Avey composed the Tell Tale Heart songs during the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the album’s lyrics respond directly to the international health crisis and political and social turmoil that engulfed 2020.
You can pre-order the Avey Grouws Band’s new album, “Tell Tale Heart” (out Sept. 24), at https://aveygrouwsband.bandcamp.com/album/tell-tale-heart.
In addition, tonight, Nerdspeak’s brewing maestro Aaron Ickes will have two of his beers on tap at CBW – the Hefeweizen and oatmeal stout.
Jeni Grouws, Chris Avey and Bryan West performed at the July 21 guest bartending “Over the Edge” event at Crawford Brew Works.
Nerdspeak hopes to have their taproom open by the end of the month, Ickes said. For more information, visit https://nerdspeakbrewery.com/home.
Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.
Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.
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